Water Plan (Moreton) 2007

This water plan may be cited as the Water Plan (Moreton) 2007.

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 provide a framework for—

establishing water allocations to take surface water; and

granting and amending water entitlements for groundwater; and

granting water entitlements for overland flow water.

The dictionary in schedule 15 defines particular words used in this plan.

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

Each part of the plan area that is within a groundwater management area shown on the map in schedule 2 is a groundwater management area for this plan.

Each of the following parts of the plan area that is within the Lockyer Valley groundwater management area and shown on the map in schedule 3 is an implementation area for this plan—

Central Lockyer Creek (implementation area 1);

Upper Lockyer Creek and Flagstone Creek (implementation area 2A);

Tenthill Creek and Ma Ma Creek (implementation area 2B);

Sandy Creek (parish of Blenheim) and Upper Laidley Creek (implementation area 3);

Lower Lockyer Creek and Buaraba Creek (implementation area 4).

Implementation areas 2A, 2B, 3 and 4 consist of—

alluvial aquifers (groundwater unit 1); and

hard rock aquifers (groundwater unit 2).

Implementation area 1 consists of groundwater unit 1.

Each part of the plan area that is within a subcatchment area shown on the map in schedule 4, and named in schedule 5, is a subcatchment area for this plan.

Each zone shown on the map in schedule 5A, part 1 is a trading zone for surface water to which this plan applies, other than surface water in the Central Lockyer Valley water supply scheme.

Each zone shown on the map in schedule 5A, part 2 is a trading zone for surface water in the Central Lockyer Valley water supply scheme.

Each zone shown on the map in schedule 5A, part 3 is a trading zone for groundwater in the Central Lockyer Valley water supply scheme.

A trading zone for surface water includes—

each part of a watercourse, lake or spring that is in the zone; and

those sections of tributaries from which there is access to flow or pondage from a watercourse or lake in the zone.

A trading zone for groundwater includes the part of a groundwater management area that is in the zone.

The exact location of the boundaries on maps shown in schedules 1 to 4 and 5A 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 boundaries.

Editor’s note—

The boundary locations in digital electronic form may be inspected at the department’s offices at the Gatton Research Station, Warrego Highway, Gatton.

A node mentioned in this plan is a place—

on a watercourse in the plan area; and

for which environmental flow objectives are set for performance indicators.

The location of each node is shown on the map in schedule 1 and described in schedule 6.

Each node is identified on the map by a letter.

This plan applies to the following water (surface water) in the plan area—

water in a watercourse or lake;

water in springs not connected to groundwater.

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

groundwater, other than groundwater to which the Water Plan (Great Artesian Basin and Other Regional Aquifers) 2017 applies;

overland flow water, other than water in springs connected to groundwater.

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 water infrastructure, flow supplementation and the taking of water; and

seeks to achieve a balance in the following outcomes—

the general outcomes mentioned in section 11;

the ecological outcomes mentioned in section 12.

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

to provide for additional water to be taken from the plan area for future water requirements;

to protect the probability of taking water under water entitlements;

to provide options for water users to implement their own provisions for security of supply;

to provide for the continued use of all water entitlements and other authorisations to take or interfere with water in the plan area;

to encourage the efficient use of water;

to ensure water is available for essential services;

to achieve ecological outcomes consistent with supporting natural ecosystems by minimising changes to natural flow regimes;

to allow water-related cultural use of parts of the plan area by the traditional owners of the area;

to provide consistency between this plan and the SEQ regional plan.

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

to provide for the continued use of all water entitlements and other authorisations to take or interfere with groundwater in the plan area;

to encourage the efficient use of the water;

to maintain long-term water quality;

to protect, as far as practicable, baseflow to watercourses that support natural ecosystems;

to allow water-related cultural use of parts of the plan area by the traditional owners of the area;

to provide consistency between this plan and the SEQ regional plan.

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

to provide for the continued use of existing overland flow works;

to encourage the efficient use of the water;

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

to maintain run-off to achieve the general outcomes for surface water;

to provide consistency between this plan and the SEQ regional plan.

Each of the following is a general outcome for surface water and groundwater in the Central Lockyer Valley water supply scheme—

to support long-term agricultural productivity and investment and the financial security of people who use the water for agriculture;

to recognise the different contributions that natural recharge and recharge through infrastructure make to the availability of groundwater, to inform future allocations and support agricultural businesses;

to increase information held about the water, through the collection and analysis of relevant information about the water, to support future decision making and improvements in this plan;

to provide opportunities for initiatives that allow additional water to become available through the coordinated storage, management and delivery of the water, for future agricultural purposes.

In this section—

relevant information, about water, means—

trends in the levels of the groundwater; and

the volume of groundwater used; and

the recharge characteristics of the groundwater; and

the quality of the groundwater.