Water Plan (Calliope River Basin) 2006

This water plan may be cited as the Water Plan (Calliope River Basin) 2006.

The following are the purposes of this plan—

to define the availability of water in the plan area;

to provide a framework for sustainably managing water and the taking of water;

to identify priorities and mechanisms for dealing with future water requirements;

to provide a framework for reversing, where practicable, degradation that has occurred in natural ecosystems;

to regulate the taking of overland flow water.

The dictionary in schedule 2 defines particular words used in this plan.

This plan applies to the area shown as the plan area on the map in schedule 1.

The exact location of the boundary of the plan area is held in digital electronic form by the department.

The information held in digital electronic form can be reduced or enlarged to show the details of the boundary.

This plan applies to the following water in the plan area—

water in a watercourse, lake or spring;

overland flow water.

Water is to be allocated and sustainably managed in a way that—

recognises the natural state of watercourses, lakes and springs has changed because of the taking of, and interfering with, water; and

seeks to achieve a balance in the following outcomes—

the general outcomes mentioned in section 8;

the ecological outcomes mentioned in section 9.

Each of the following is a general outcome for water in the plan area—

to provide for the use of all water entitlements and other authorisations in the plan area;

to provide for the continued use of all existing works;

to make water available to sustain current levels of, and to provide for appropriate growth in, economic activity in the plan area;

to support the water-related social and cultural values of communities in the plan area;

to encourage continual improvement in the efficient use of water.

Each of the following is an ecological outcome for water in the plan area—

to support natural ecosystems by minimising changes to natural flow regimes;

to maintain adequate water flows to protect the health of riparian vegetation and aquatic ecosystems in the plan area;

to maintain adequate freshwater outflows to The Narrows and the natural wetlands in the plan area.

In this section—

The Narrows means the estuarine passage between Curtis Island and the mainland that extends from Kangaroo Island to the mouth of Raglan Creek.

This part states the strategies for achieving the outcomes mentioned in part 3.

The strategies—

form part of a broad framework for the management of natural resources; and

complement other activities for advancing the sustainable management of water.

The chief executive must not make a decision about the allocation or management of water in the plan area that would increase the total volume of water that may be taken in the plan area.

A decision mentioned in subsection (1) includes a decision about an application for a water licence, made but not decided before the commencement of this plan.

Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to a decision—

about a water permit; or

about reinstating or replacing an expired water licence; or

about taking overland flow water mentioned in section 13(1)(a) or (e); or

to grant a water licence to an owner of land, other than land adjoining a watercourse, lake or spring, to take water for stock or domestic purposes using works that were in existence before 4 March 2004; or

about unallocated water made under section 19; or

required to be made under the resource operations plan.

The annual volumetric limit for a water licence to take water from a watercourse, lake or spring is—

for a licence that states the volume of water that may be taken in a water year—the stated volume; and

for a licence that states the area that may be irrigated under the licence—the volume decided by the chief executive having regard to the volume of water required to efficiently irrigate the area, but not more than the volume, expressed in megalitres, calculated by multiplying the area, in hectares, by 7; and

for another licence—the volume decided by the chief executive having regard to the following—

the conditions under which water may be taken under the licence;

the water-taking capacity of any works, being used or authorised to be used, for taking water under the licence;

the annual volumes of water estimated by the chief executive to have been taken under the licence during the period, of not more than 10 years, immediately before the commencement of this plan;

the efficiency of the use of the water mentioned in subparagraph (iii).