Minister for Regional Water, Niall Blair today announced that a NSW Liberals &
Nationals Government will partner with the Commonwealth Government to invest $26
million in the popular Great Artesian Basin Infrastructure Investment program.

Mr Blair said the investment will see the Government partner with locals to boost their
drought resilience by capping free-flowing bores and installing new water supply
infrastructure such as pipes, tanks and troughs.

“We know that many of the 1400 bores tapping the Great Artesian Basin have stopped
flowing, which is reducing landholder access to water and adding additional pressures
to local councils securing their communities in times of drought,” Mr Blair said. 

AS dams, creeks and rivers dry up across eastern Australia, the tightening grip of drought is again underscoring the critical value of groundwater to rural communities and agriculture.

Bore drillers like Ian Hansen (left) at Dalby are receiving phone calls almost daily from livestock producers wanting new or replacement bores sunk as surface water runs out, while townships are also tapping further into groundwater to avoid running out of water.

With precious and finite aquifers under considerable pressure, questions are again being asked about policies that grant short-term mining projects priority access to groundwater.

An extension has been granted for the submission. Closing date  9 November  2018 at 5.00pm (AEDT) . 
Reminder: The new plan will be adopted for the next 15 years. Have your say now.

 

If you want to have a say in the use of our greatest resource – The Great Artesian Basin please tender a submission. I know everyone is struggling with the dry but take 5 minutes to think about where you would be without water. Imagine having to worry about sourcing water as well as feed. We are indeed lucky to have a (mostly) reliable source of water and we need to ensure the government realises how important that it is.

PLEASE HAVE YOUR SAY!

Closing date 5pm next Friday 5^th October.

 

The GABCC has been giving information and direction over recent years for the writing of the Draft Strategic Management Plan [SMP] to manage the GAB for the next 15 years. The Federal and NSW Govt Depts intend to hold the following SMP consultation meetings.

Moree 11th Sept @ 10.30 am Moree Services Club, 3 Albert St.
Walgett 12th Sept @ 10.00 am Walgett RSL Club, 71 Fox St.
Bourke 13th Sept @ 10.00 am Diggers on the Darling, 23 Sturt St.

The ALP narrowly retained office in the recent Queensland election after saying it would veto Adani’s application for a Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) loan of $1 billion to construct a rail line from its port in Bowen to the Galilee Basin.

Many believed that the giant Adani coal mine proposal was finished and that the ALP is opposed to it or any other mine in the Galilee Basin.

It’s not true.

The Adani Carmichael mine project has secured a 60-year free endless groundwater agreement from the state government. If operational, the mine would draw more than 12,000 megalitres of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin every year – 40 percent of the artesian water used for irrigation in Queensland. And a deal approved by the state cabinet in May will deliver infrastructure funding and a royalty holiday for Adani, worth close to $500 million.