Abstract
Reducing entitlements when groundwater is over-allocated in Australia has evidenced both challenges and successes. This chapter examines policy pathways for reducing entitlements when groundwater has been over-allocated. It explores the definitional challenges that initially hampered progress within Australia’s federated structure, before examining attempts to reduce over-allocation and over-use across Australia’s numerous groundwater allocation plans and catchments. The chapter highlights the challenges that led to slower than expected progress in addressing over-allocation and over-use, as well as highlighting some of the policy pathways that have been pursued to attain sustainable levels of groundwater extraction.
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Notes
- 1.
Nor can we cover related attempts at recovering water for the environment such as in the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative, which involved public and private investment in capping and piping free flowing bores, elimination of open-bore drains and installation of piping to deliver water to stock, Bunn, 2017, p104; GABCC, 2000.
- 2.
These licences were temporary groundwater licences (five-year) that had specified maximum annual extraction volume and access condition pursuant to the NSW Water Act, 1912.
- 3.
The time period under consideration varied between groundwater sources.
- 4.
For the six major alluvial groundwater systems, these WSPs commenced in either 2006 or 2008.
- 5.
The determination of the Sustainable Diversion Limits had to consider social, environment and economic impacts.
- 6.
The 2017 Basin Plan Amendments would increase the SDL for groundwater to 3494 GL.
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Schulte, S., Cuadrado Quesada, G. (2020). Reducing Entitlements When Groundwater Has Been Over-Allocated: Policy Issues and Options. In: Rinaudo, JD., Holley, C., Barnett, S., Montginoul, M. (eds) Sustainable Groundwater Management. Global Issues in Water Policy, vol 24. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32766-8_17
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