State of the Environment

2006

Indicator: IW-06 Average annual groundwater pressure

Data

Queensland artesian bore pressure
GMU Trend in artesian bore water pressure
Surat ▲
Warrego ▲
Flinders ▲
Barcaldine ▼
North West ▼
Gulf ▼
Central ▼
East ▼
Great Artesian Basin ▼ 416 bores capped + 4156 km of bore drains replaced to June 2002

Key to trend:
▲ Improving bore pressure
▼ Declining bore pressure

Adapted from Source: Environmental Protection Authority 2003, State of the Environment Queensland 2003, viewed 2 Feb 2005, http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/environmental_management/
state_of_the_environment/state_of_the_environment_2003/
, 5. Inland Waters, Groundwater - artesian bore pressure, p. 5-7

Number of artesian bores controlled (reconditioned, plugged, replaced, piped) under the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative
State and Zone Bores controlled pre GABSI Bores to be controlled at July 1999 Bores controlled under GABSI to June 2002 (cumulative total) Bores remaining to be controlled at July 2002 Bores controlled under GABSI to June 2003 (cumulative total) Bores remaining to be controlled at July 2003
Central 7 24 12 12 12 12
Surat 63 276 44 232 62 214
Warrego 16 202 17 185 27 175
Total NSW 86 502 73 429 101 401
Flinders 139 194 32 162 45 149
Barcaldine 101 165 13 152 29 136
Northwest 17 45 3 42 5 40
Gulf 0 11 9 2 9 2
Central 15 16 0 16 0 16
Surat 5 46 5 41 8 38
Warrego 66 135 7 128 13 122
East 4 24 0 24 0 24
Total Qld 347 636 69 567 109 527
SW Springs
Central
Western
Total SA 230 36 2 34 3 33
Total GAB 663 1 174 144 1 030 213 961

Source: Hassall and Associates Pty Ltd 2003, Review of the Great Artesian Basin sustainability initiative, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra, viewed 4 Oct 2005, http://www.affa.gov.au/content/
publications.cfm?ObjectID=07F7F8F9-DD6A-
4E87-93BC79E638BBCDDB, Table 3.1, p. 10

Status of bore capping under the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative

Status of bore capping under the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative

Source: adapted from Source: Hassall and Associates Pty Ltd 2003, Review of the Great Artesian Basin sustainability initiative, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra, viewed 4 Oct 2005, http://www.affa.gov.au/content/publications.cfm?ObjectID=07F7F8F9-DD6A-4E87-93BC79E638BBCDDB, Table 3.1, p. 10

Pressure Recovery at Major Spring Groups under the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative
Spring Group Average Target Pressure Recovery for GABSI (m) Predicted Average Pressure Recovery for first 3 years of GABSI (m)
Flinders 1.2 1.4
Recharge 0.6 0.6
Western Qld 0.9 0.2
Dalhousie 1.4 0.8
Eulo 3.8 1.5
Southern SA 2 1.2
All Springs 2 1.1

Source: Hassall and Associates Pty Ltd 2003, Review of the Great Artesian Basin sustainability initiative, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra, viewed 4 Oct 2005, http://www.affa.gov.au/content
/publications.cfm?ObjectID=07F7F8F9-DD6A-4E87-
93BC79E638BBCDDB, Table 3.7, p. 27

Water savings under the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (ML/year)
State and Zone Water savings pre GABSI Water savings under GABSI to June 2002 Water savings under GABSI to June 2003
Central 2 176 3 226 3 226
Surat 5 708 8 965 12 864
Warrego 1 167 3 522 6 053
Total NSW 9 051 15 713 22 143
Flinders 53 530 8 652 10 178
Barcaldine Included in Flinders 3 038 6 533
Northwest Included in Flinders 648 2 368
Gulf 0 345 598
Central Included in Flinders 1 003 2 171
Surat 1 367 3 538 5 030
Warrego 7 011 4 604 5 120
Total Qld 61 908 21 828 31 898
SW Springs 2 542 5 342
Central 1 463 9 275
Western 0 1 835
Total SA 38 316 4 005 16 452
Total GAB 109 275 41 546 70 493

Source: Hassall and Associates Pty Ltd 2003, Review of the Great Artesian Basin sustainability initiative, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra, viewed 4 Oct 2005, http://www.affa.gov.au/content
/publications.cfm?ObjectID=07F7F8F9-DD6A-4E87-
93BC79E638BBCDDB, Table 3.6, p. 26

What the data mean

There has been some progress under the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative, with subsequent water savings but a significant number of bores still need capping. Monitoring in Queensland indicates that pressures are still declining in more than half the groundwater management units.

Issues for which this is an indicator and why

Inland Waters - Catchment scale influences - Hydrological condition - Ground-water availability and human use 

Throughout Australia there are many artesian bores that require capping to prevent the loss of the resource. Uncapped bores can result in a loss of groundwater pressure and reduction in flows over time. Loss of groundwater pressure can affect dependent ecosystems such as biota in mound springs and other users of the aquifer. Reduced pressure can also lead to a reduction in access by humans to the resource.

Other indicators for this issue:

Inland Waters - Human response - policy and management - Management of surface and groundwaters 

An understanding of groundwater pressure issues will improve management of resources that rely on groundwater pressure for their continued existence, such as groundwater dependent ecosystems.

Other indicators for this issue:

Biodiversity - Pressures on biodiversity - Changed hydrology 

Reduced groundwater pressure can lead to insufficient water available to sustain groundwater dependent ecosystems such as mound springs.

Other indicators for this issue:

Human Settlements - Services provided by the environment to human settlements - Water 

Reduced groundwater pressure can lead to a reduction in access by humans to the resource.

Other indicators for this issue:

Further Information

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