LAST Friday the Queensland Government released the draft Water Plan for the Great Artesian Basin and Other Regional Aquifers (GABORA plan) for stakeholder feedback.
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Regrettably the GABORA plan continues the favourable treatment given by successive Queensland Governments to the resources sector at the expense of sustainable agricultural production.
The GABORA plan provides for 35,055ML of additional unallocated water for new development projects - 28,610ML (80 per cent) is state reserve for major projects (usually gas and mining), 5615ML is general reserve for agriculture and 830ML is indigenous reserve for indigenous community projects – a clear demonstration of the Palaszczuk Government’s current priorities.
Successive Queensland Governments have treated the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) as a Magic Pudding, granting access to anyone who wanted a secure water supply.
The resources sector currently extracts more than 100,000ML/year through its statutory water rights. Agriculture acknowledges the sustainable long term management of Queensland’s underground water under pins primary production’ survival.
In response to declining GAB water levels and pressure, agriculture has invested $300m-plus in bore capping and piping to reduce water wastage from open bore drains. This has saved 200,000ML/annum from the basin and clearly demonstrates that agriculture does not consider the GAB is a Magic Pudding.
Significantly, the GABORA plan also provides for three new zones to protect existing entitlements, other authorities (petroleum tenures) and natural ecosystems. Interestingly, these zones cover the Springbok/Walloon, Precipice and Hutton Sandstone formations primarily in the Surat Basin CMA.
The creation of these zones suggests that the Surat Basin OGIA 2016 Report does not adequately address the impacts of the CSG industry on the groundwater resources of the Surat Basin. It’s very clear that the Magic Pudding is in deep trouble but nobody in government is prepared to admit it.
Within these three zones, restrictions now apply on accessing unallocated water and the relocation of water licences. Furthermore, the separation distances between bores are increased significantly.
In the Surat Hutton formations, a separation distance of 4.2km will apply to a bore that takes 10ML/annum. However, CSG wells that take up to 10ML/annum have an unrestricted separation of only 700m.
The GABORA plan raises significant questions as to; the source of ‘make good water’ on impaired landholder’s bores; with the new separation distances where can bores be drilled to provide “make good water” and do these restrictions apply equally to the CSG Industry and landholders?
Unacceptably the draft GABORA plan contains no provisions to manage water quality changes or impacts. There are no requirements in the Plan to monitor the water quality impacts from the CSG and deep gas fracking operations – a major concern to GAB water users. This cannot be allowed to continue.
Recent Australian Government economic projections show that over the next five years, agriculture, forestry and fisheries currently employing about 330,000 people, is forecast to grow by 12,000 jobs. The resources industry which currently employs 270,000 people, is forecast to reduce by 40,700 jobs. Yet the resources industry is still being given special treatment by governments while agriculture is being treated as the ‘poor cousin’.
It’s about time governments recognise that to create more sustainable rural jobs, they need to prioritise agriculture’s water supply. A complete overhaul of the draft GABORA plan would be a good place to start.
- Lee McNicholl is the chair of the Basin Sustainability Alliance.
