New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

WATER SHARING PLAN FOR THE LOWER MACQUARIE GROUNDWATER SOURCES 2003 - REG 37

37 Water level management

(1) The Minister may declare that, in order to maintain water levels within these groundwater sources, local access rules are to apply in a defined area, known as a local impact area.

(2) If water levels in any part of a groundwater source have declined to such an extent that an adverse impact is occurring, or is likely to occur, extraction from all water supply works (bores) nominated by an access licence within a local impact area declared under subclause (1) shall be restricted to such an extent and for such time as is required to reinstate water levels to such a degree as to mitigate or avoid that impact.

(3) An adverse impact in subclause (2) shall be considered to have occurred if the Minister considers that excessive drawdown has occurred, or if::

(a) the average of the seasonally recovered water levels over a 5 year period is not maintained within 10% of the total available drawdown below the initial seasonally recovered water level over the 5 year period, or

(b) if the seasonally recovered water levels are not maintained within 20% of the total available drawdown below the July 2002 water level.

Note: This clause recognises that in some locations, at certain periods of high groundwater demand, critical water level declines may occur, and that additional extraction limitations may be required. The Department of Land and Water Conservation will identify monitoring bores, and determine the method for specifying an affected area. The total available drawdown is defined by the height of the piezometric level above the bedrock (i.e. base of the groundwater source). Groundwater levels will be measured in the winter months of June, July or August allowing the aquifer to recover from the previous pumping season.