The Revised Edition had wide peer review from both Australian and international
hydrogeologists, and scientists. It remained substantively
unchanged, but incorporates the results of considered critique and some small changes to maps presented. One significant change in the Revised Edition is that recharge of less than 1 mm has been removed as being substantial or critical recharge within the GAB.
Following the publication of the Revised Edition of this document in 2014, a review of the report was presented to the Artesian Bore Water Users Association by Mr Kevin Humphreys, NSW Minister for Water on 14th
February, 2015. Whilst this review does have
a NSW DPI Office of Water letterhead, it is neither
dated, nor signed and no reviewer is named or acknowledged. Nonetheless, in an attempt to clarify matters raised by the NSW Minister for Water, this Second Edition has been prepared with responses to his review given in Appendices 1and 2 of this report.
This Second Edition of the document and its predecessors
are not attempts to describe the complete
hydrogeology of the Great Artesian Basin (which seems to be a common criticism of the first edition), but represents a mapping exercise using the highest quality
peer reviewed CSIRO and State Agency spatial data, as well as reviewing the latest
peer reviewed and published reports on recharge and connectivity in the GAB. The technical information from these sources is the culmination of hundreds of
person years of patient and thorough research on the GAB by well qualified and recognised scientists. The report draws conclusions based purely on the mapping and the review material.
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