Water Allocation Plan EASTERN Mount Lofty Ranges
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Water Allocation Plan EASTERN MOUnt LOFTY RANGES For more information about this publication please contact: Natural Resources SA Murray-Darling Basin P.O. Box 2343 Murray Bridge SA 5253 Phone: (08) 8532 9100 Copyright © Government of South Australia, through the Department for Environment and Water 2019. This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management (SAMDB NRM) Board. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be directed to the Regional Director, Natural Resources SA Murray-Darling Basin, PO Box 2343, Murray Bridge SA 5253. Disclaimer Although reasonable care has been taken in preparing the information contained in this publication, neither the SAMDB NRM Board nor the other contributing authors accept any responsibility or liability for any losses of whatever kind arising from the interpretation or use of the information set out in this publication. Reference to any company, product or service in this publication should not be taken as a Board or Department endorsement of the company, product or service. Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge No authority is provided by Peramangk, Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri nations for the use of their cultural knowledge contained in this document without their prior written consent. Document Status This publication has been prepared by the SAMDB NRM Board and when adopted forms state government policy. Document history Date Version 13 December 2013 First Water Allocation Plan for the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges adopted by the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation 28 June 2018 Minor amendments made by SAMDB NRM Board under section 89(1)(a) of the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 13 February 2019 Amendments to include information on Aboriginal water interests made by the Minister for Environment and Water under section 89(2) of the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 Water Allocation Plan for the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board Adopted 13 December 2013 As amended 28 June 2018 and 13 February 2019 ii iii Dedication This plan is dedicated to Cameron Welsh, Water Resources Manager at Natural Resources SA Murray-Darling Basin for 2006-2013 who was tragically killed on Tuesday 26 November 2013. Cameron offered his energy, passion and commitment to the development of this plan. Water resources in the SA Murray-Darling Basin has lost a dedicated ambassador. iv Acknowledgement The South Australian Government acknowledges and respects Aboriginal people as the State’s first peoples and nations, and recognises Aboriginal people as traditional owners and occupants of land and waters in South Australia. Aboriginal peoples’ spiritual, social, cultural and economic practices come from their lands and waters and they continue to maintain their cultural heritage, economies, languages and laws which are of ongoing importance. It is acknowledged that the lands and waters of the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges Prescribed Water Resources Area (PWRA) forms part of the traditional country of Peramangk, Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal nations and the SAMDB NRM Board recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. Whilst recent native title determinations have been made that give legal recognition to the Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna native title holders over parts of the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges PWRA, the area that is currently recognised as the traditional country of Peramangk is not currently the subject of a native title claim. Should a claim be made the SAMDB NRM Board will have regard to the native title claimants. The SAMDB NRM Board pays its respects to Aboriginal culture and to Elders both past and present. The recognition of the aspirations that that the Aboriginal nations have to legal rights to Aboriginal water interests in this Plan was a starting point in 2019 for ongoing commitment to engage with Aboriginal nations in water planning. Aboriginal people should be aware that this document contains names of people who have since passed away. The term “Aboriginal” is used throughout this Water Allocation Plan instead of “Indigenous” as endorsed by the former South Australian Aboriginal State-wide Advisory Committee. “Aboriginal nations” is also used throughout this Plan and is defined for the purposes of this Plan as a group or community of Aboriginal people who identify as descendants of the original inhabitants of the Plan area and may share a single common territory, or may be located as a nation within another larger nation. Where a native title determination has been made the native title holders will have native title interests within the nation and is the body that the Board will deal with for native title. It may also be the legal entity that represents the Nation for other purposes or be included as a member of a wider group representing a nation (e.g. a Regional Authority). Nations are recognised as holding traditional authority and responsibility to speak for Aboriginal culture and heritage. The three nations whose traditional country within the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges PWRA have distinct culture and identities and do not necessarily identify with the words ‘Aboriginal’ or ‘cultural’ as these are non-Aboriginal terms that do not capture the complexity of their culture and identity. Therefore, where possible, we identify nations and their objectives as either, Peramangk, Kaurna or Ngarrindjeri. v TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 THE PRESCRIBED WATER RESOURCES ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1.1 Approach and objectives................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1.2 Role of a water allocation plan .................................................................................................................... 5 1.1.3 Structure of the Plan ........................................................................................................................................ 6 1.2 History of water management in the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges ...................................................... 7 1.3 Aboriginal water interests ...................................................................................................................................... 9 1.3.1 National Water Initiative and the Basin Plan ....................................................................................... 10 1.3.2 Recognition of Aboriginal water interests .............................................................................................. 10 1.3.3 Aboriginal cultural objectives ..................................................................................................................... 11 1.3.4 Incorporation of Aboriginal interests in water planning ................................................................... 11 1.4 Overview of the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges .............................................................................................. 16 1.5 Description of the prescribed water resources ............................................................................................ 22 1.5.1 Surface water and watercourse resources in the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges PWRA ........... 22 1.5.2 Geology ............................................................................................................................................................... 23 1.5.3 Hydrogeology ................................................................................................................................................... 25 1.5.4 Description of surface water and underground water resources for each catchment within the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges .................................................................................................. 29 1.6 Capacity of the water resources ........................................................................................................................ 34 1.6.1 Surface water and watercourse water resource capacity.................................................................. 35 1.6.2 Underground water resource capacity .................................................................................................... 37 1.6.3 Effects of climate variability and climate change on water resource capacity ......................... 40 1.7 Water demand .......................................................................................................................................................... 41 1.7.1 Aboriginal water needs ................................................................................................................................. 41 1.7.2 Non-licensed water needs – stock and domestic water requirements ......................................... 42 1.7.3 Current plantation forestry .......................................................................................................................... 47 1.7.4 Other non-licensed water needs ...............................................................................................................