South-East Water Allocations

In reply to Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (25 September 2018). (Estimates Committee A)

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water): I have been advised:

The independent peer review is being conducted by the Goyder Institute for Water Research, which will report to the South East NRM Board through a project steering committee chaired by the Presiding Member of the South East NRM Board.

The Goyder Institute has formed an expert science panel to conduct the peer review. It will review the science that underpins the policies that have led to proposed reductions to water allocations in a number of management areas in the Lower Limestone Coast (LLC) Water Allocation Plan (WAP).

A community Stakeholder Advisory Group has been formed to provide advice to the SE NRM Board for the review. The Stakeholder Advisory Group has had input into the scope of the review to be conducted by the Goyder Institute.

The science review will:

1. Review the science and data used to carry out the risk assessment in 2012 that led to water allocation reductions, focusing on groundwater, groundwater modelling, recharge rate assessments, and the hydrological and ecological implications for groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) and surface water – groundwater interactions.

2. Review the science and data that has become available since 2012 that affects the assessment of risks to the groundwater resources (and dependent users, including the environment) in the LLC PWA.

3. Make recommendations to the board about the information to be used in the re-run of the risk assessment in 2019, and gaps in data that should be addressed to improve the science for the risk assessment or for the 2022 review.