Water Plan (Barron) 2023

In implementing a process for dealing with unallocated water under a general reserve or strategic reserve, the chief executive must consider—

the efficiency of existing and proposed water use practices; and

the availability of an alternative water supply for the purpose for which the water is required; and

the impact the proposed taking of, or interfering with, the water may have on the following—

water quality;

inundation of habitats;

the movement of fish and other aquatic species;

the natural movement of sediment;

recreation and aesthetic values;

cultural values, including, for example, cultural values of local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities; and

whether the proposed taking or interfering is likely to have a direct adverse effect on underground water flows.

Subsection (1) does not limit the matters the chief executive may consider.