❓ Hon Barbara Scott questions why the Water Corporation hasn't applied to draw an additional 100 gigalitres of water from offshore aquifers. Hon Kim Chance responds that modelling suggests increased abstraction would exacerbate water level declines in the Gnangara mound.
AnsweredQoN 723Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to my question without notice 311 of 2005. Why has the Water Corporation not applied for a licence to draw an additional 100 gigalitres of water a year from the huge offshore reserves of cheap, high-quality fresh water in the Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers between Perth and Rottnest Island? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank Hon Barbara Scott for her question and notice of the question. Between 1996-97 and 2004-05 the Water Corporation has applied for, and received from the Water and Rivers Commission, an additional total allocation from the confined Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers of 50 gigalitres a year. The ground water modelling indicates that a proportion of this water will be drawn from the offshore area of the aquifers. It has been publicly acknowledged that factors such as water abstraction for private and public purposes, climate change and land use are contributing to the declining water levels in the superficial aquifer on the Gnangara mound. Modelling undertaken illustrates that substantially increasing water abstraction from the confined aquifers would exacerbate water level declines. For this reason, no application has been made to substantially increase abstraction rates from the Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers. The impacts associated with increased abstraction would be similar if the bores were located offshore.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Barbara Scott for her question and notice of the question. Between 1996-97 and 2004-05 the Water Corporation has applied for, and received from the Water and Rivers Commission, an additional total allocation from the confined Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers of 50 gigalitres a year. The ground water modelling indicates that a proportion of this water will be drawn from the offshore area of the aquifers. It has been publicly acknowledged that factors such as water abstraction for private and public purposes, climate change and land use are contributing to the declining water levels in the superficial aquifer on the Gnangara mound. Modelling undertaken illustrates that substantially increasing water abstraction from the confined aquifers would exacerbate water level declines. For this reason, no application has been made to substantially increase abstraction rates from the Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers. The impacts associated with increased abstraction would be similar if the bores were located offshore.
I thank Hon Barbara Scott for her question and notice of the question. Between 1996-97 and 2004-05 the Water Corporation has applied for, and received from the Water and Rivers Commission, an additional total allocation from the confined Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers of 50 gigalitres a year. The ground water modelling indicates that a proportion of this water will be drawn from the offshore area of the aquifers. It has been publicly acknowledged that factors such as water abstraction for private and public purposes, climate change and land use are contributing to the declining water levels in the superficial aquifer on the Gnangara mound. Modelling undertaken illustrates that substantially increasing water abstraction from the confined aquifers would exacerbate water level declines. For this reason, no application has been made to substantially increase abstraction rates from the Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers. The impacts associated with increased abstraction would be similar if the bores were located offshore.
Between 1996-97 and 2004-05 the Water Corporation has applied for, and received from the Water and Rivers Commission, an additional total allocation from the confined Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers of 50 gigalitres a year. The ground water modelling indicates that a proportion of this water will be drawn from the offshore area of the aquifers. It has been publicly acknowledged that factors such as water abstraction for private and public purposes, climate change and land use are contributing to the declining water levels in the superficial aquifer on the Gnangara mound. Modelling undertaken illustrates that substantially increasing water abstraction from the confined aquifers would exacerbate water level declines. For this reason, no application has been made to substantially increase abstraction rates from the Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers. The impacts associated with increased abstraction would be similar if the bores were located offshore.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Barbara Scott for her question and notice of the question. Between 1996-97 and 2004-05 the Water Corporation has applied for, and received from the Water and Rivers Commission, an additional total allocation from the confined Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers of 50 gigalitres a year. The ground water modelling indicates that a proportion of this water will be drawn from the offshore area of the aquifers. It has been publicly acknowledged that factors such as water abstraction for private and public purposes, climate change and land use are contributing to the declining water levels in the superficial aquifer on the Gnangara mound. Modelling undertaken illustrates that substantially increasing water abstraction from the confined aquifers would exacerbate water level declines. For this reason, no application has been made to substantially increase abstraction rates from the Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers. The impacts associated with increased abstraction would be similar if the bores were located offshore.
I thank Hon Barbara Scott for her question and notice of the question. Between 1996-97 and 2004-05 the Water Corporation has applied for, and received from the Water and Rivers Commission, an additional total allocation from the confined Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers of 50 gigalitres a year. The ground water modelling indicates that a proportion of this water will be drawn from the offshore area of the aquifers. It has been publicly acknowledged that factors such as water abstraction for private and public purposes, climate change and land use are contributing to the declining water levels in the superficial aquifer on the Gnangara mound. Modelling undertaken illustrates that substantially increasing water abstraction from the confined aquifers would exacerbate water level declines. For this reason, no application has been made to substantially increase abstraction rates from the Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers. The impacts associated with increased abstraction would be similar if the bores were located offshore.
Between 1996-97 and 2004-05 the Water Corporation has applied for, and received from the Water and Rivers Commission, an additional total allocation from the confined Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers of 50 gigalitres a year. The ground water modelling indicates that a proportion of this water will be drawn from the offshore area of the aquifers. It has been publicly acknowledged that factors such as water abstraction for private and public purposes, climate change and land use are contributing to the declining water levels in the superficial aquifer on the Gnangara mound. Modelling undertaken illustrates that substantially increasing water abstraction from the confined aquifers would exacerbate water level declines. For this reason, no application has been made to substantially increase abstraction rates from the Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers. The impacts associated with increased abstraction would be similar if the bores were located offshore.
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