ADVERTISING FEATURE
NEW inter-management area trade and transfer provisions for unconfined aquifer allocations have been welcomed by those in the Lower Limestone Coast Prescribed Wells Area (LLC PWA).
Since July 1, the region’s irrigators have been able to take advantage of the provisions which have also softened the blow of the recent reduced water allocations.
The welcomed transfer announcement coincided with the first in a series of water allocation reductions across a number of management areas under the LLC Water Allocation Plan (WAP).
Reductions and transfer provisions are two key aspects of the LLC WAP, which was adopted in 2013.
The plan has a strong focus on the long-term sustainability and flexible management of the region’s groundwater resource.
South East Natural Resource Management Board presiding member Frank Brennan said greater flexibility for the trade and transfer of water allocations provided an opportunity for growing the region’s economic returns from irrigation enterprises and had the potential to mitigate the impact of reductions.
“We need to ensure that our groundwater resource is sustainable in terms of it being available for future use and keeping salinity levels stable,” he said.
“The reductions are targeted at management areas which have been assessed as having high or very high risk of degradation to the groundwater resource.”
Mr Brennan said each management areas had made reductions to allocation, starting from the beginning of the month.
“We understand that irrigators have already been forward planning about how to manage their allocations in circumstances where their water allocations are being reduced,” he said
“I encourage irrigators to speak to the Water and Fauna Permits team at Natural Resources South East about their options for trade and transfers and managing their allocation to address potential issues for upcoming irrigation seasons.”
The LLC WAP required the following management areas to undergo reductions to allocations from July 1:
Total reduction to allocations over the life of the plan, percentage of total allocation
- COLES 50 per cent
- FRANCES 33pc
- HYNAM EAST 57pc
- MYORA 3pc
- SHORT 42pc
- ZONE 2A 3pc
- ZONE 3A 15pc
- ZONE 5A 34pc
Reduction at July 1, 2016, percentage of total allocation
- COLES 8.5pc
- FRANCES 8.25pc
- HYNAM EAST 8.5pc
- MYORA 3pc
- SHORT 8.5pc
- ZONE 2A 3pc
- ZONE 3A 3.75pc
- ZONE 5A 8.5pc
Details: Contact the Water and Fauna Permits team on (08) 8735 1134.