Otway Lower Aquifers Local Management Plan – Looking after the environment.
Section 40 of the Water Act. Section 40 considers
- Effects that an approval may have on existing users, waterways, aquifers and on the environment.
When an application for a groundwater licence is made, SRW will assess whether the proposed groundwater extraction at the new site may cause any significant interference to the environment such as rivers, waterways and other ecosystems such as wetlands, and any nearby groundwater bores. If interference is likely, SRW may set conditions to minimise interference, or it may refuse the application. An application for new allocation or for transfer of a licence may require a hydrogeological assessment to SRW’s standards.
The Otway Lower Aquifers GMA is divided into three (3) zones. The Otway Lower Aquifers GMA and the location of the zones is shown on the figure below.
Zones 1 and 3 manage areas where the Otway Lower Aquifers of the Clifton/Condah and Dilwyn aquifers are shallow. In these areas, the aquifers are recharged by rainfall and are connected to waterways and other aquifers.
In Zone 2, the Lower Otway aquifers are buried so deeply they are not connected to the overlying shallow aquifers and waterways.
For more information about the Zones and aquifers please see the Otway Lower Aquifers local management plan and supporting technical information.
Management rules to protect the environment
Groundwater provides important baseflows to waterways and other ecosystems (such as wetlands) within Zones 1 and 3 of the management area. These are known as Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems (GDEs). The map below shows the region’s potential GDEs(from the latest version of the Victorian Water Asset Database) where the lower aquifers are less than 20m deep below the surface. These are the potential GDEs most likely to depend on the lower aquifers for some of their water.
The waterways and high-value wetlands shown will be protected by this LMP.
To protect the Otway Lower Aquifers recharge areas and connected rivers, waterways and GDEs, no new groundwater extraction bores shall be allowed where the aquifers are within 20m of surface or within 500 m of the potential GDEs, except where:
An appropriate hydrogeological assessment shows that the impact is negligible AND there is no practicable alternative location.
The bore is for D&S use AND there is no practical alternative location.
Specified GDE maps will be updated as new data becomes available and will be available on SRW’s website.