Independent review of science underpinning reductions to licensed water allocation volumes in the Lower Limestone Coast water allocation plan

The Goyder Institute conducted an independent review of the science underpinning reductions to allocations in the Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan (2012) (LLC WAP). This was commissioned by the South East NRM Board at the request of the Minister for Environment and Water, David Speirs.

The LLC WAP requires reductions in water allocations to be made in the coming years in six out of the 61 unconfined groundwater management areas. This project considered the science behind the policies that led to this management decision. It made recommendations that can be considered in the upcoming re-run of the risk assessment set out in the LLC WAP which was completed by 1 July 2019.

The Goyder Institute’s independent science review:

1. Reviewed the science and data used to carry out the 2012 LLC WAP risk assessment that led to reduced water allocations. This review focused on groundwater, groundwater modelling, recharge rate assessments, the hydrological and ecological implications for groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs), and surface water–groundwater interactions. 
2. Reviewed the science and data that has become available since 2012 that affects how risks to groundwater resources (and dependent users, including the environment) are assessed in the Lower Limestone Coast Prescribed Wells Area (LLC PWA).
3. Made recommendations to the Board about the information to be used in the 2019 revised risk assessment, and outlined any gaps in data that should be addressed to improve the science behind the risk assessment and/or for the plan’s 2022 review.

The Institute brought together an expert panel to conduct the review. The panel was chaired by Professor Craig Simmons FTSE (Director of NCGRT, Flinders University) and included Professor Peter Cook (Flinders University), Dr Lu Zhang (CSIRO), and Professor Andrew Boulton (NCGRT/UNE).