Water resources - Management and Development - Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
What are the key water resource management issues facing Australian Capital Territory?
Key water resource management issues facing the ACT can be summarised as:
- Encouraging efficient use of available water resources while protecting environmental values.
- The development of a groundwater management plan within the context of the Water Resources Act and, in particular, the Water Resources Management Plan.
- Monitor the effectiveness of environmental flows and the development of an improved understanding of ecological requirements.
- Continued development of effective partnership arrangements with the community for the management of ACT waterways.
- Refinement of integrated catchment management arrangements.
- Rehabilitation of degraded waterways.
Future Directions
Water is recognised as a valuable but finite resource which will continue to play a key role in the development of the ACT. Water resources management will increasingly focus on improving the efficiency of use of available resources while protecting environmental values dependent on those resources. In this we expect there to be increasing cross border cooperation moving towards the management of water resources on a regional basis and within the context of management arrangements for the Murray Darling Basin.
Surface water resource management in Australian Capital Territory
Map of Australian Capital Territory's surface water management areas
Select a point on the map to find out more about that surface water management area.
At present, potential ACT water users are not able to trade water across the Territory border. Urban water supply is and will continue to be the major use of water in the ACT currently comprising about 95 percent of licensed use.
On current population and water use figures for the urban area, the ACT's currently developed resources should be adequate for urban water supply until 2018. However, the ACT has a strong commitment to water re-use and together with appropriate pricing policies water use efficiency is expected to continue to increase.
Any increase in demand for rural supplies is not expected to be significant in comparison to urban water demand.
With the implementation of the Water Resources Act the ACT has now specified environmental flow requirements for all ACT waterways, whether stressed or unstressed, and has a comprehensive water allocation and licensing system. It provides a framework for water trading when demand warrants it or when arrangements have been developed for cross border trading in the Murray Darling Basin. In addition, the licensing system has provided a mechanism for the introduction of a water abstraction charge of 10 cents per kilolitre on licensed water use, which reflects catchment management costs, environmental costs, and a scarcity value for water. In addition, any future water allocation will be subject to a fee of $450 per ML. These charges further encourage efficient use of the resource and ensure full cost recovery.
Urban water supplies in the ACT have long been subject to two part tariffs comprising a fixed charge and a consumption charge. Costs to the urban water supplier in obtaining access to further water supplies and the capital costs of a new dam have placed a significant incentive on the urban water supplier to foster efficient use of water resources. In addition, requirements to minimise pollutant loads also provide incentive for efficiencies through re-use.
The Water Resources Act complements the existing requirements of the Environment Protection Act 1997, which protects ACT waterways from pollution, and the Nature Conservation Act 1980.
The ACT fosters community involvement and partnership in the management of ACT waterways including that through Waterwatch and the Fish Action Program. Comprehensive water quality monitoring including that undertaken through the AUSRIVAS program is also undertaken.
Groundwater resource management in Australian Capital Territory
Map of Australian Capital Territory's Groundwater Provinces
Select a point on the map to find out more about that groundwater province.
The ACT is moving towards integrating groundwater management with surface water management. Groundwater is covered by the same allocation and licensing system as surface water. In addition, the Water Resources Act puts in place driller licensing and bore construction requirements. While little information is available on ACT groundwater resources including use, the mechanisms now in place will enable the collection of the necessary information over time.
References
- ACT Future Water Supply Strategy, our water our future (June 1994), ACT Electricity and Water
- ACT Government (1999), State of the Territory Report
- Australian Capital Territory, Water Resources Act 1998, No.63 of 1998.
- Bencke, B (Jan-2000)-ACTEW
- Environment ACT (July-1999): Options for Implementing the Murray- Darling Basin water Cap in the ACT.
- Environment ACT, ACT (16 August 1999): Water Resources Management Plan.
- Environment ACT, ACT (27 May 1999): Environmental Flow Guidelines.
- Evans W.R (1984), Hydrogeology of the Australian Capital Territory and environs-Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics
- Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre (ICAM)(Aug.1999), Land-use change: Implication for ACT Water use - final report.
- Jacobson G (1982), Groundwater in Fractured Rock Aquifers of the Australian Capital Territory-A Valuable Resource ... Or a Major Problem?' - AWRC Conference Groundwater in Fractured Rock - Canberra (1982).
Further information
- Australian Capital Territory Water Resources Assessment 2000 Report
- Australian Capital Territory Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report
- Link to data available for download on the:
- Link to the Map Maker to make a map using this information.
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