Ecosystem services in Australian statutory water planning

Water allocation plan for part of the Tindall limestone aquifer near Katherine, NT The Plan: Wa t e r Al l o c a t i o n Pl a n - T i n d a l l Li m e s t o n e Aq u i f e r , Ka t h e r i n e

Schedule 2 Daly Roper Water Control District

ARAFURA SEA

VAN DIEMEN GULF

Darwin BEAGLE GULF wy em H Jabiru Arnh

y w H u d a k a K d R m he rn l A Bulman Pine tra Nauiyu en Creek C

Katherine

Ngukurr Mataranka

D

y a

w r S

w H t u

a i

i n r r t

o t A ic H l w Timber V i c y

e

Creek S

p

r

i

n

g

s

R

a

i

l

w

a Ca y Daly rpe ntaria Darwin Waters Hwy B uc Katherine hanan Hwy

Tennant Creek

LEGEND Alice Boundary - Daly Roper Water Springs Control District Boundary - Water Allocation Plan Area, 0 50 100 km Tindall Limestone Aquifer (Katherine)

41 BACKGROUND DOCUMENT Water Allocation Plan – Tindall Limestone Aquifer (Katherine) December 2008

3. Description of this Water Source and its Dependent Ecosystems

3.1 General

The Tindall Limestone Aquifer is the oldest of three geological formations that comprise the Daly Sedimentary Basin and spans beneath the catchments of the Daly and Roper Rivers as shown in Map 1. Water from the Tindall aquifer discharges into many of the river systems within these catchments, including the Katherine, Flora, Douglas and Roper Rivers.

Darwin

ay ighw em H Jabiru Arnh

y a w h g S i tu H r u t d H a ig k hw a ay K d R m he rn A al Bulman Nauiyu tr Pine Creek en C Dallyy RiRivverr Katherine Cattcchmentt Roper y Roper Ngukurr a w h RivRiverr ig H

a Catctchmentt ri Mataranka to ic V

Timber Creek

C arpe ntaria Daly Waters Hig hway

S

t

u

a

r

t

H

i g

h

w

a

y

LEGEND Daly Roper Water Control District Daly Sedimentary Basin 050100 km NT Locality Surface Water Catchment Tindall Limestone Aquifer

Map 1: Tindall Limestone aquifer with respect to the Daly and Roper River catchments

Page 9 The Plan: Wa t e r Al l o c a t i o n Pl a n - T i n d a l l Li m e s t o n e Aq u i f e r , Ka t h e r i n e

Schedule 3 The Plan area – Defined by the extent of Tindall Limestone within the Katherine River Catchment

Town of Katherine D a ly R iv S er tu art C h Hig ai hw nm a a y n C k r e iv R

ne theri r Ka e y iv a R w igh H g a K in ri in K cto g Vi

L R im ive e r s S t c o o n t e t C C k k

M a th is on

C k r e iv R ry D

Daly Roper Water Control District

0 50 100 km 0 10 20 km

Katherine LEGEND LEGEND Boundary - Water Allocation Plan Area, Water Allocation Tindall Limestone Aquifer (Katherine) Plan Area 1km buffer from Tindall aquifer Water Control District Tindall Limestone - Unconfined Tindall Limestone Aquifer Tindall Limestone - Confined

42 Background: Wa t e r A l l o c a t i o n P l a n - Ti n d a l l Li m e s t o n e A q u i f e r , K a t h e r i n e the streams that cut across the basin. In the central part of the Daly groundwater basin where the Tindall Aquifer is at considerable depth, only minor flow is considered to occur. The aquifer is unconfined in places around the basin margin, where it outcrops close to the surface. As described in section 3.1, the Tindall Aquifer is largely confined by younger geologic formations. Recharge is highest in the unconfined areas and negligible where it is confined by the Jinduckin Formation. Recharge can be redu ced in the unconfined area where overlying cretaceous rocks are present. Discharge zones are mainly located along the major rivers and comprise both karstic springs and more diffuse streambed discharge. The sections along the Katherine River where discharge from the Tindall Aquifer is known to occur are shown in Map 4.

Donkey Camp

S tu Knotts Crossing ar t H ig hw ay

Tindall Limestone Aquifer discharge to Katherine River High Level Bridge

TOWN OF KATHERINE

r Rive

ay hw ig Katherine H ria to ic V Galloping Jacks

Water Allocation Plan Area, Tindall Limestone Aquifer (Katherine) 0 2 4 km Katherine 0 20 km S tua rt H wy y w H LEGEND a ri to ic River location point V Boundary - Water Allocation Plan Area, Tindall Limestone Aquifer (Katherine) 1km buffer from Tindall aquifer

Tindall Limestone - Unconfined

Tindall Limestone - Confined

Map 4: Discharge Zones into the Katherine River within the Plan Area

61

BACKGROUND DOCUMENT Water Allocation Plan – Tindall Limestone Aquifer (Katherine) December 2008

Committee Member Representing Organisation Ms Anne Shepherd Chairperson Katherine Town Council Ms Jodie Locke Local Government Alderman, Katherine Town Council Mr Rohan Sullivan Pastoral Chairman, NTCA Benefits Mr John Etty Conservation Organic horticultural producer in the Katherine Region and Mr Preston Lee Indigenous - Jawoyn Trainee manager, Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation beneficia Mr Bill Harney Indigenous - Traditional Owner, Katherine Wardaman Region Mr Gary Want Department of Defence Manager Base services, Tindal icares… Mr Warren De With Recreation President, Amateur Fisherman’s Association NT Mr David Higgins Horticulture / Horticulturalist, Katherine Agriculture Region Mr David George Power and Water Natural Systems Engineer, Corporation PWC Mr Mick Peirce Community Irrigator, Katherine Mr Mick Jerram Tourism Owner, Gecko Tours, Katherine Mr Peter Sinnott Industry / Commerce Farm Manager, Manbulloo Mangoes, Katherine

The Northern Territory Government advisors, whom have provided continual direction and information to the KWAC, are liste d in the table below:

Water Resource Planner Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport Hydrogeologist Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport District Agronomist Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources

Page 7 Result - regulations

• Extraction limit of 34,500 ML/yr • No more than 15% of licensed extraction within zone 1 The Plan: Wa t e r Al l o c a t i o n Pl a n - T i n d a l l Li m e s t o n e Aq u i f e r , Ka t h e r i n e

Schedule 5 Water Management Zones

L NT Por e NT Por NT Por ig h 1061 5626 t 5800 NT Por NT Por Cr e 6771 e 782 k

St ua NT Por rt H 4923 ig hw NT Por NT Por ay 5062 6288

NT Por LOT NT Por 4924 NT Por 3010 2887 5415 NT Por NT Por 4446 4391 NT Por TOWN OF NT Por 4001 KATHERINE 2873

River

NT Por 6492 y a NT Por hw NT Por ig 2830 H 5819 Katherine ria to ic NT Por V 3362 NT Por 1604

Water Allocation Plan Area, Tindall Limestone Aquifer Katherine (Katherine) 0 20 40 km

0 20 km St uar t Hw LEGEND y y w H Boundary - Water Allocation Plan Area, ria to ic Tindall Limestone Aquifer (Katherine) V Zone 1 (< 1 year) Short term lag between extraction and impact on the Katherine River Zone 2 (> 1 year) Medium to long term lag between extraction and impact on the Katherine River Cadastral property boundaries

44 Annual allocations based on protecting flows spring flows into river Recognising the broader benefits of aquatic systems in water planning: an ecosystem services approach

Roel Plant, Clare Taylor, Mark Hamstead and Tim Prior

Waterlines Report Series No 87, August 2012

NATIONAL WATER COMMISSION — WATERLINES i • To systematically and transparently identify, describe and communicate the benefits and beneficiaries of aquatic systems, the services and ecosystem processes that underpin these and, importantly, the links between them

Table 2.1 Conceptual representation of a generic benefits table (see section 3 for more detail ) Beneficiaries Benefits Services Processes water regime other processes, essentially functions or conditions generates a identify beneficiaries, benefits, services & processes (starting either end) program map… show how changes in water regimes etc affect benefits & b e n e For example: For example: For example: f · all residents of · clean water · water Water regime Other processes that i Basis for planning area · attractive purification characteristics that support the listed c · subset of areas to services support listed services as determined i residents of live/work near water supply services as by scientific studies · a defined by eg: - consultation planning area · income system & r scientific studies · carbon cycling · Indigenous provided by drainage i eg: · nutrient cycling communities use of aquatic · healthy e · low flows and analysis · Australian system floodplain & · sedims ent capture and community · protection from riverside · in-channel release · irrigators water related plants freshes · food webs - Outcomes · commercial hazards · regulation of · floodplain · catchment sediment fishers · water for bank & inundation retentionetc · tourism/recreation industry channel and workers · attractive erosion · walkers areas for · mitigation of · 4WDers recreation algal blooms strategies · recreational · sense of & pollution fishers home, well- · mitigation of · sporting clubs being, joy etc water temperature & - Measuring local climate · flood performance mitigation · frog calls, sun sparkling on water, bird song etc

Increasing amount of scientific input

Components of the benefits table

Beneficiaries Beneficiaries are the people to whom benefits from aquatic ecosystems accrue. For example, people enjoying a walk along a river are beneficiaries, people who extract water from the same river for irrigation are beneficiaries, and so are any children or grandchildren of these people who may use the river for recreation or take over the family business. Other examples of future beneficiaries include people whose houses will be protected from a flood next year due to the natural mitigation services provided by floodplain wetlands and vegetation, and future generations who will benefit from the diverse genetic resources, atmospheric regulation and carbon sequestration provided by aquatic systems in the planning area.

NATIONAL WATER COMMISSION — WATERLINES 12