Case Examples of Managing Overallocated Groundwater Systems
Natural Resource Management Standing Committee, 2002
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About the publication
This study provides information on the benefits, costs and risks of bore capping and piping from a landholder perspective by taking a 'case study' approach. It has been conducted in association with two other consultancies, one examining landholder contributions in Queensland and the other focussing on landholder attitudes to capping and piping and how these have changed.
A comprehensive survey of 58 pastoralists who have artesian bores was conducted across all major zones of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB). Survey participants were selected from a cross section of zones, country types, property ownership structures, enterprises and type of watering system — capped bores with pipes or bore drains.
The focus of this report is on the 70 per cent of the landholders interviewed that had capped and piped. This group of respondents was asked about their experiences with the new watering system and their perceptions about the benefits arising from the conversion. A subset of 19 properties was selected for in-depth analysis and quantification of costs and benefits. Three main sources of private benefits were estimated:
- reduced operating costs;
- savings in mustering time; and
- reduced stock mortality due to the better reliability of water supply.
No attempt was made to examine the public benefits of increasing bore pressures or protecting the environment. This means that the net-benefit results should be viewed as private incentives for change rather than the total net benefit of capping and piping.
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