Great Artesian Basin Protection Group

“To ensure that long-term depletion and damage to the aquifer do not occur, it is essential that groundwater extractions do not exceed the average annual net recharge. With total entitlements in the Eastern Recharge Groundwater Source currently exceeding 32,000 ML/yr, the Eastern Recharge Groundwater Source is classified as a high risk of over-extraction. If everyone extracted water to the level of their licensed entitlement, there would not be enough water for all existing water users and to protect the groundwater source in the medium to long term.”
This information was obtained from parliamentary papers over a year ago – and yet the recharge figures that they quote here, was “out of date” information even then. Recent figures from the Bureau of Rural Sciences, state that recharge is estimated at 0.5 mm to 10 mm. per annum – half a millimetre a year! No wonder they say here that “the Eastern Recharge is classified as high risk from over extraction”!!

PARL RESEARCH licensing arrangements in the NSW protion of the GAB