Overland flow management in the Border Rivers and Moonie

We are proposing changes to how people can take overland flow water from certain floodplains within the Border Rivers and Moonie water plan area. Not everyone is affected:

  • New water licences are proposed to be granted in cases where overland flow water is currently allowed to be taken through works (pumps, pipes, tanks and/or dams) that have been previously notified and acknowledged by the department. These licences will state how much water is allowed to be taken and other conditions.
  • Existing water licences are proposed to be amended to better specify the content and conditions for taking overland flow water, making them consistent with the proposed new water licences. We are not proposing to reduce the amount of water allowed to be taken under these existing water licences.

These changes will help us measure and keep track of the volume of overland flow water that is taken from the floodplain. This improved understanding will help with reporting how much overland flow water is taken each water year.

We want your feedback on the proposed new and amended water licences. You can check the details of your proposed water licence/s in the draft water entitlement notice (WEN) (PDF, 499KB).

Have your say by 20 September 2024.

Key changes

  • A total of 27 new licences are proposed to be granted:
    • 24 licences in the Border Rivers catchment
    • 3 licences in the Moonie catchment
  • A total of 28 are proposed to be amended:
    • 26 licences in the Border Rivers catchment
    • 2 licences in the Moonie catchment
  • The draft WEN has the details of the proposed new and amended licences (including the maximum amount of overland flow water that can be taken under each licence.

Benefits

These water licence changes will help us fulfil a particular ‘measure’ that has been set out in the water plan to help us achieve the water plan ‘outcomes’ (or goals). Part 4 of the water plan states that the taking of overland flow water must be measured.

These changes will also help us meet the commitments we’ve made under the Murray–Darling Basin Compliance Compact with the Australian Government.

Consistent water licences for taking overland flow in the Border Rivers and Moonie will make sure water management, measurement and compliance can be undertaken fairly and equitably.

Right now, the Border Rivers and Moonie water plan allows people to take overland flow water in various ways:

  • under a water licence
  • for stock or domestic purposes (no authority needed)
  • if they’ve notified the department of existing works to take the water.

In some parts of the water plan area, the amount of overland flow water being taken is high. We need to make sure we manage this and can measure it by applying rules that state how much overland flow water can be taken. This can be done through consistent water licences.

Water licences can help us manage water resources because they can include conditions such as:

  • maximum rate at which water can be taken or pumped
  • average yearly amount of water that can be taken
  • total amount of water allowed under the licence
  • water accounting and measurement requirements.

The total of the volumes stated in the draft WEN is no more than the total volume of overland flow water that was taken at the time of the moratoriums in 2000 (Border Rivers) and 2001 (Moonie).

More information

Last updated: 02 Aug 2024