New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

WATER SHARING PLAN FOR THE NSW GREAT ARTESIAN BASIN GROUNDWATER SOURCES 2008 - REG 38

38 Water pressure and level management

(1) Where the Minister declares a local impact area under this Plan, extraction will be restricted to such an extent and for such time as is required to restore groundwater pressure or groundwater levels to a sustainable level and/or to protect or restore groundwater-dependent ecosystems.

(2) The Minister may nominate specific water levels or pressures to ensure extraction does not cause an ongoing decline in groundwater pressure or groundwater levels.

(3) The Minister may vary the local impact rules to such an extent as to allow recovered groundwater pressure or groundwater levels to operate within the normal bounds of climate variability.

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 Water and Energy will identify monitoring bores, specify the target level, and determine the method for specifying an affected area.