Thursday, December 1

'Saviour' of MDB Pitches 84pc Groundwater use Increase



OWN BACKYARD: Bookpurnong stone fruit grower Jason Size says people should look at inefficiencies in their own water use regardless of whether they're upstream or downstream.

GROUNDWATER will be extracted at unprecedented volumes from beneath Australia's food bowl under the Murray Darling Basin Authority's draft basin plan.

MDB groundwater sustainable diversion limits will increase by 1987 gigalitres a year - or 72 per cent of 2750gL in surface water diversions currently proposed for retrieval by the authority.

South Australia will be entitled to an extra 228gL/yr in the SA Murray region, and the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges an extra 3.8gL/yr, with a total increase of 234gL across the State.

This equates to a 230 per cent increase from the State's current estimated use of MDB groundwater from 130gL/yr to 365gL/yr - more than double the proposed surface water reduction of 101gL currently specified in the plan.

In New South Wales the groundwater increase is much larger at 1114gL/yr, with the State's total access to reach 2531gL.


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