Water users in Lower Murrumbidgee doing their bit to protect at-risk groundwater sources

Bore audits conducted by the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) have revealed water users in the Lower Murrumbidgee appear to be doing the right thing.

The independent water regulator found no evidence that water users in the area had exceeded their bore extraction limits in the 12 months preceding June 2021.

“This is an encouraging result not just for us as the regulator but also for the communities, industries and ecosystems that rely on groundwater," said Graeme White, Director of Water Regulation at NRAR.

"It confirms that water users want to do the right thing and are willing to take the steps needed to bring their water practices into compliance with the law."

A bore extraction limit is the maximum amount of water that can be taken through a groundwater work such as a bore.

Bore extraction limits help protect complex and fragile groundwater sources from contamination and depletion while preventing the aquifer from deteriorating.

Bore audits in the Murrumbidgee region for the 19-20 financial year found 25 instances of bore extraction limits being exceeded, equal to almost 10 per cent of approval holders with a bore extraction limit in the region.

NRAR’s response varied depending on the volume of the extraction but ranged from advisory letters, official warnings, fines and in the most extreme case a prosecution.

“It’s encouraging to see that water users who previously exceeded their limits had changed their behaviour,” said Mr White.

Bore extraction limits are one of NRAR’s four regulatory priorities for the 2021-22 financial year and have been the focus of one of the regulator’s recent education and engagement campaigns as well as compliance audits.

“We’ve done a fair amount of work in this space but we also know that water users are more likely to follow the rules when there is plenty of water in the system so we can’t get complacent,” said Mr White.

NRAR will continue to audit bores through to the end of June 22 in the Lachlan, Lower Murrumbidgee and Namoi regions, including the towns of Tamworth, Gunnedah, Narrabri, Hay, Coleambally, Hillston and Forbes.

Penalties for exceeding a bore extraction limit include fines, suspension or cancellation of licences and approvals, stop-work orders, or prosecution.

Visit NRAR's website to learn more about how to comply with your bore extraction limit.