Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
3 A plan duration should be consistent with the level of knowledge
and development of the particular water source; and
4 In the case of ongoing plans, there should be a review process that
allows for changes to be made in light of improved knowledge.
5 Further consideration to include:
O
relevant regional natural resource management plans and cross
jurisdictional plans, where applicable;
O
an assessment of the level of connectivity between surface
(including overland flow) and groundwater systems;
O
impacts on water users and the environment that the plan
may have downstream (including estuaries) or out of its area of
coverage, within or across jurisdictions;
O
water interception activities;
6 Water planning processes include:
O
consultation with stakeholders including those within or
downstream of the plan area;
O
the application of the best available scientific knowledge
and, consistent with the level of knowledge and resource use,
socio-economic analyses;
O
adequate opportunity for consumptive use, environmental,
cultural, and other public benefit issues to be identified and
considered in an open and transparent way;
O
reference to broader regional natural resource management
planning processes; and
O
consideration of, and synchronisation with, cross-jurisdictional
water resource planning cycles.
(See Commonwealth of Australia 2004)
Box 3.3: Example of state legislation specifying the water
planning process
In South Australia, the
Natural Resources Management Act 2004
sets out
requirements for water allocation planning. The Act provides for the
declaration of defined water resources (watercourses, surface water, lakes
or water taken via wells) to be 'prescribed water resources' (s. 125).
Once a water resource is prescribed, it triggers a series of actions
leading to the regulation of water extraction by a licensing regime and
the development and implementation of a water allocation plan (WAP)
to set out how the prescribed water resources will be managed.
The Act sets out a process for developing a WAP which involves the
following steps:
