New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

WATER SHARING PLAN FOR THE NSW GREAT ARTESIAN BASIN GROUNDWATER SOURCES 2008 - REG 33

33 Compliance with the long-term average annual extraction limits

(1) Water extraction in these groundwater sources will be monitored each water year to determine if there has been any growth in the volume extracted above the long-term average extraction limit specified in clause 31, based on a comparison of the long-term average extraction limit against the average extraction within the respective groundwater source over that year and the preceding 2 years. For the purposes of this monitoring the two years prior to this Plan commencing will be included for making the required comparison.

(2) For the purposes of auditing compliance with the long-term average extraction limit, if water that:

(a) pursuant to an access licence is committed as adaptive environmental water is to be left in the aquifer for environmental purposes, then extraction will be treated as being equal to 100% of the available water determination made under clause 34,

(b) pursuant to an access licence is committed as adaptive environmental water to be extracted for environmental purposes, then extraction will be that measured through the approved water supply work.

(3) If the 3 year average of extraction in this groundwater source exceeds the long-term average extraction limit established in clause 31 by 5% or greater, then the available water determination made for aquifer access licences under clause 34 for the following water year, should be reduced by an amount that is assessed necessary by the Minister to return subsequent total water extraction to the long-term average extraction limit.