Katherine Tindall Limestone Aquifer Water Allocation Plan 2019 -2024

Water allocation plans are established under section 22B of the Water Act 1992. The Katherine Tindall Limestone Aquifer Water Allocation Plan 2019-2024 applies to part of the Daly Roper Beetaloo Water Control District. Water resource management in a water control district is to be in accordance with water allocation plans declared in respect of the district. This is the third water allocation plan for the Katherine Tindall Limestone Aquifer. The first water allocation plan was declared in 2009. The subsequent water allocation plan was declared in 2016 and expires in August 2019. This plan will replace the 2016-2019 plan.Key points -- Summary -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Title -- 1.2 Legal relevance of this Plan -- 1.3 Date of commencement -- 1.4 Period of effect -- 2 Plan context -- 2.1 Plan scope -- 2.1.1 Area and waters to which the plan applies -- 2.1.2 Beneficial uses and water quality objectives considered in the plan -- 2.1.3 Stakeholder and Community Engagement -- 3 Vision and values -- 3.1 Vision -- 3.2 Values -- 3.2.1 Values of water -- 3.2.2 Population and employment -- 3.2.3 Land tenure -- 4 Water resources -- 4.1 Climate -- 4.2 Katherine River -- 4.3 Tindall Limestone Aquifer -- 4.4 Surface and groundwater connectivity -- 4.5 Waterway and groundwater monitoring -- 4.5.2 Water quality -- 4.5.3 Ecological and cultural value monitoring -- 4.6 Hydrologic modelling -- 5 Water requirements -- 5.1 Non-consumptive water requirements -- 5.1.1 Environmental water requirements -- 5.1.2 Cultural water requirements -- 5.2 Consumptive water requirements -- 5.2.1 Water extraction licences -- 5.2.2 Rural stock and domestic -- 5.2.3 Water use not requiring licensing -- 5.2.4 Measuring water use -- 5.2.1 Onshore petroleum -- 6 Objectives, outcomes and plan strategies -- Estimated sustainable yield -- 7.1 Background -- 7.2 Estimated sustainable yield -- 7.3 Water extraction limits -- 7.4 Water availability -- 7.5 Allocations to beneficial uses -- 8 Water resource management arrangements -- 8.1 Annual announced allocations -- 8.1.1 Annual announced allocation accounting arrangements -- 8.2 Licence security levels -- 8.3 Groundwater discharge protection areas -- 8.4 Water extraction licensing -- 8.5 Water trading -- 8.6 Management of unused water -- 8.7 Bore work permits -- 8.8 Recharge licensing -- 8.9 Interference with a waterway -- 8.10 Water quality guidelines -- 9 Plan implementation, monitoring and review -- 9.1 Adaptive management framework -- 9.2 Implementation of the Plan -- 9.3 Plan review -- 10 Risk identification and mitigation strategies -- 10.1 Risk assignment -- 10.2 Mitigation strategies -- Schedule 1. Declaration of the Katherine Tindall Limestone Aquifer Water -- Allocation Plan 2019-2024 -- Schedule 2. Risk definition and classification -- Schedule 3. Summary of guidance -- Glossary -- Abbreviations -- References -- Tables -- Table 1. Beneficial Use classes declared for the Daly Roper Beetaloo Water Control District -- Table 2. Water extraction licensed volumes and rural stock and domestic water requirements in the Katherine plan area (as at 15 July 2019) -- Table 3. Reported water use across surface and groundwater licences from 2012/13 ? 2018/19 -- Table 4. Objectives, outcomes and strategies for managing the Katherine Tindall Limestone Aquifer -- Table 5. Total water extraction limit in accordance with current licences and water use not requiring licensing (as at 15 July 2019) -- Table 6. Beneficial uses allocations (ML/yr) within the ESY -- Table 7. Flow information (based on modelled natural flows at Wilden) to be used in annual announced allocation determinations -- Table 8. Reliabilities o Water extraction licences expected under the water allocation plan -- Table 9. Summary of implementation activities informed by the plan, for use in developing a detailed monitoring, evaluation, reporting and improvement program -- Table 10. Risk assessment and management strategies -- Figures -- Figure 1. Katherine Water Allocation Plan Location -- Figure 2. General reference map -- Figure 3. Katherine Hot Springs -- Figure 4. Katherine River at Knotts Crossing -- Figure 5. Land tenure of the plan area -- Figure 6. Geological cross-section -- Figure 7. Stylised hydrograph of a flow regime for northern Australian rivers including the Katherine River -- Figure 8. Katherine River at Nitmiluk -- Figure 9. Waterways and springs of the plan area -- Figure 10. Monitoring bores (groundwater) and river gauging (surface water) locations in the Katherine plan area -- Figure 11. Groundwater levels of four monitoring bores for the Tindall Limestone Aquifer in the Katherine plan area -- Figure 12. Measured water level and flow (river discharge measured in cumecs) for Katherine River at Ironwood and Wilden Stations -- Figure 13. Katherine Tindall Limestone Aquifer recharge diagram -- Figure 14. Overview of annual announced allocations process -- Figure 15. Interpretation of climatic scenarios proposed for use as part of the water allocation plan, based on 1 November natural (unimpacted) modelled flows -- Figure 16. Groundwater Discharge Protection Area -- Figure 17. Adaptive management framework diagramMade available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT)