❓ Hon Lynn MacLaren questions the Minister representing the Minister for Water regarding Gnangara and Jandakot groundwater management, abstraction, and allocation planning, particularly concerning private licensed users, garden bore users, and the Perth regional confined aquifer capacity study. The Minister requests the question be placed on notice due to the complexity of the information required.
AnsweredQoN 1069Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
GNANGARA AND JANDAKOT GROUNDWATER
1069. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the
minister representing the Minister for Water:
I refer to the latest Department of Water annual compliance
report entitled ''Environmental management of groundwater from the
Gnangara and Jandakot Mounds''; the government's ''Water
for Growth'' report released in May 2014 and a graph on the department's
website which shows that current superficial groundwater levels on the Gnangara
mound are similar to the past five years, with these years being the worst
since 1997.
(1) What action
is the government taking to reduce abstraction by private licensed users, who
are now collectively the biggest users by volume of water from the superficial
aquifer on the mound?
(2) Can the
minister advise when the government expects to start consulting publicly on the
next phase of Gnangara groundwater allocation planning, which was a 2013
priority for the Department of Water?
(3) According to
the department, garden bore users took 30 gigalitres of water annually from the
superficial aquifer in 2011–12 and 2012–13 yet the department
states that there has been a significant reduction in the volume of water
abstracted by garden bores on the mound due to regulations restricting use. Can
the minister provide evidence of this reduction?
(4) Can the
minister provide an update on the Perth regional confined aquifer capacity
study, which the government has stated will be central to the strategy of
moving public water abstraction away from sensitive surface wetland areas and
lakes?
1069. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the
minister representing the Minister for Water:
I refer to the latest Department of Water annual compliance
report entitled ''Environmental management of groundwater from the
Gnangara and Jandakot Mounds''; the government's ''Water
for Growth'' report released in May 2014 and a graph on the department's
website which shows that current superficial groundwater levels on the Gnangara
mound are similar to the past five years, with these years being the worst
since 1997.
(1) What action
is the government taking to reduce abstraction by private licensed users, who
are now collectively the biggest users by volume of water from the superficial
aquifer on the mound?
(2) Can the
minister advise when the government expects to start consulting publicly on the
next phase of Gnangara groundwater allocation planning, which was a 2013
priority for the Department of Water?
(3) According to
the department, garden bore users took 30 gigalitres of water annually from the
superficial aquifer in 2011–12 and 2012–13 yet the department
states that there has been a significant reduction in the volume of water
abstracted by garden bores on the mound due to regulations restricting use. Can
the minister provide evidence of this reduction?
(4) Can the
minister provide an update on the Perth regional confined aquifer capacity
study, which the government has stated will be central to the strategy of
moving public water abstraction away from sensitive surface wetland areas and
lakes?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of the question. However,
due to the level of information required, it is not possible to provide an
answer in the time available and therefore I ask the honourable member to place
this question on notice.
due to the level of information required, it is not possible to provide an
answer in the time available and therefore I ask the honourable member to place
this question on notice.
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