Principles of

Planning Water
Resources
Projects
FERNANDEZ RIO
Topic Outline
01 Introduction to the Generic Principles

02 Community Consultation

03 Water Management Plan Part I-Introduction

04 Water Management Plan Part II-Plan Objectives

05 Water Management Plan Part III- Water Management Provisions

06 Water Management Plan Part IV- Monitoring

07 Water Management Plan Part V-Statutory Requirements & Assessments

01 Introduction to
Generic Principles
Principles of Planning Water Resources Projects.
Plans present a clear statement of
the community’s environmental,
social, cultural and economic
objectives for the relevant water
resources and describe the water
management regime that best
gives effect to these objectives.

Plans are generally developed in

close consultation with catchment
communities and other
stakeholders.
These principles are to be used as
the starting point for all future draft
Plans. This will not only save
considerable time in developing
the Plans but also ensure that
stakeholders’ time is used
effectively in focusing on the key
issues such as Plan objectives,
water restriction protocols,
management arrangements for
implementation of the Plan and
triggers for the future review of a
Plan.
The Principles do not cover all the
issues in a Water Management
Plan where it is difficult to apply a
generic approach.
The Principles relate to:
Community consultation;
Scope of a Plan;
Review period for a Plan;
Plan objectives;
Water management
provisions within a Plan
Plan monitoring; and
Statutory requirements and
assessments.
 02 Community Consultation
Principles of Planning Water Resources Projects

Government Results in a
it enhances the Plan that
awareness of the benefits greatly
water management
from community
planning process 2019
within the community input.

The Secretary of the Helps to establish

Community
Department of Primary Having a greater
stronger linkages
Industries, Water & understanding of
Environment is required
between the water management
to prepare a draft Department and issues and
Water Management stakeholders administrative
Plan for public exhibition processes within their
and comment. catchment
 Generic
Principle 1
The Department will
commence the formal
development of a new
Water Management Plan
with an advertised public
meeting at which input
will be sought on the
appropriate process for
ensuring adequate
community consultation.
02 Community Consultation can be facilitated by
Consultation a range of activities that include:
Principles of Planning Water Resources Projects

Establishment of Direct contact Focus group

a Consultative with peak and public
Group; stakeholder meetings.
bodies;
 Part 1 of a Water Management
Plan includes general
administrative information such
03 WMP Part I as the nature and status of a
Plan; commencement date;
-Introduction
Principles of Planning Water Resources area and water resources to
Projects
which a Plan applies; and
review and administration of a
Plan.
 Generic
Principle 2
A Plan will apply
to all water in
permanent and
temporary
watercourses
and lakes and
groundwater
within the Plan
area.
 It is appropriate to review the
Plan and make refinements as
03 WMP Part I relevant information becomes
-Introduction available. To provide a
Principles of Planning Water Resources reasonable level of certainty for
Projects
water users, it is desirable to
specify trigger points at which a
review is to be considered.
 Generic
Principle 3
Any specified review period for a
Plan will be determined through
consultation with the Consultative
Group during the development of a
Plan. Where feasible, triggers will be
specified for initiation of a review of
part or all of a Plan with the triggers
generally guided by the level of
water resource development and
confidence in information
underpinning the Plan, together
with the need for certainty among
water users.
 Objectives relate to Objectives need to
values identified for take account of
the environment, outcomes of
water use and consultation with
development, local stakeholders
04 WMP Part II - water to determine
management and
Plan Objectives recreational and
important
environmental,
Principles of Planning Water Resources
Projects commercial recreational and
activities within the commercial values
Plan area and other relevant
that are dependent interests and local
on the water concerns.
resources.
 Generic
Principle 4
The following objectives are to be
the starting point for inclusion in a
Plan. These basic objectives will be
modified or omitted only if it can
be clearly demonstrated that such
modifications or omissions will
improve the achievement of
sustainable and equitable water
allocation and management.
Plans may also include specific
objectives that reflect local issues
and concerns.
 Environmental Objectives
Water Management Plan Part II – Plan Objectives

Provide a Provide flows Provide healthy

flow regime to protect refuges for in-
to conserve locally stream
important important communities
fresh water geomorphic during periods of
ecosystem and low flow reflective
values ecological of natural flow
processes. regimes.
 Water Usage & Development Objectives
Water Management Plan Part II – Plan Objectives

Recognize historical Ensure as far

Provide Formalize water taking where as practicable
existing water such taking is
water for that future
usage as necessary to
stock and allocations are
appropriate underpin
domestic not
to ensure commercial detrimental to
use as a compliance enterprises, while the quality of
high with the Water giving higher priority water
priority. Management to existing legal resources in
Act
entitlements. the Plan area.
 Objectives for Improving
Knowledge of the Water Resources
Water Management Plan Part II – Plan Objectives

Continue to improve
knowledge of the Continue to
condition and state improve knowledge
of the Plan’s water of surface water
resources and and groundwater
aquatic use.
environment.
Cultural & Heritage Objectives
Water Management Plan Part II – Plan Objectives

The development of a Water

Management Plan should give due
consideration to values of cultural,
heritage or spiritual significance, and
appropriate cultural and heritage
objectives should be included
accordingly.
05 WMP Part III
Water Management
Provisions
Principles of Planning Water Resources Projects

Part 3 of a Plan details the water

management provisions that are designed
to implement specific Plan objectives.
Surface Water
Allocation
Water Management Plan Part III- Water
Management Provisions

In the development of a Plan the amount

of water that can be allocated at various surety
(reliability) levels will be determined, taking into
account the Plan objectives and the water
regime necessary to achieve those objectives,
existing water usage and sustainable water
allocation limits derived for the Plan area.
 Generic
Principle 5

A Plan will define

the volume and
timing of water
available for
sustainable
allocation at
various sureties.
Temporary
Water Allocation
Water Management Plan Part III- Water
Management Provisions

Temporary water allocations may be made

if the taking of water is (among other things)
consistent with any relevant Water
Management Plan.
 Generic
Principle 6

Unless specific
circumstances
require otherwise,
a Water
Management
Plan will provide
for temporary
water allocations
Unlicensed or
Over-Allocation
Water Taking
Water Management Plan Part III- Water
Management Provisions

Water Management Plans will need to

address situations where commercial
enterprises are dependent on taking of
water without a license or taking water
above a licensed allocation.
 Generic
Principle 7
Non-licensed water
taking necessary to
sustain existing
commercial enterprises
will be formalized
through the granting of
new allocations at a
lower surety than
current licensed
allocations.
Water Quality
Consideration in
Licenses and Water
Allocation Application
Water Management Plan Part III- Water
Management Provisions

The use of water for irrigation taken from the water

resources covered by a Plan should not, through run-
off or groundwater infiltration, give rise to the
environmental degradation of those watercourses or
any adjacent water body including groundwater.
 Generic
Principle 8

01 the nature of the irrigation proposed; An application for a new

license, or for the
02 the location of the land to be irrigated; variation of a license,
and where the purpose of the
application, in whole or in
03 how it is intended to carry out the
part, is to obtain water for
irrigation in accordance with good
irrigation must be
practice environmental management,
accompanied by a report
so as to avoid contamination of any
that indicates:–
adjacent water resource or water body
by irrigation run-off;
Water Transfers
Water Management Plan Part III- Water
Management Provisions

A Water Management Plan may contain specific

provisions relating to water transfers within the relevant
water resources. Unless particular circumstances require
such provisions, a Plan should specify that water
transfers are to be made in accordance with the
general provisions of the Water Management Act
 Generic
Principle 9

Transfers of water
licenses and
allocations will be
permitted under the
Plan subject to
meeting the
requirements of the Act,
Improving Information
on Groundwater
Water Management Plan Part III- Water
Management Provisions

lack of information on groundwater usage would delay

timely implementation of management actions and
Water Management Plans provide a mechanism for
obtaining such information.
 Generic
Principle 10
A Water Management Plan will
provide for the Department to
establish a Groundwater Use
Register. The register will
contain details including, but
not limited to, well type; depth
and construction; well location;
the purpose for which
groundwater is used; quantity
and rates of groundwater
abstraction; and groundwater
quality.
Groundwater
Licensing
Water Management Plan Part III- Water
Management Provisions

Water Management Plans will often impact on

the availability of surface water for irrigation by
providing for formal environmental flows and
restrictions on water taking. This may lead to
increased use of groundwater to make up any
shortfall in irrigation water requirements.
 Generic
Principle 11
The Groundwater Use
information obtained under
Principle 10 identifies that
groundwater use is at such a
level that it may impact
significantly on the equitable
provision of groundwater and/or
surface water for all users and
the environment (eg
geological/geomorphological
features and/or the environment
and ecological processes).
Metering
Water Management Plan Part III- Water
Management Provisions

The success of Water Management Plans largely

depends on sound knowledge of water use,
accountability of water users, equitable sharing of
available water (especially during periods of water
restrictions), and demonstrated protection of
environmental water provisions. These results are largely
unattainable without metering of significant water usage.
 Generic
Principle 12
Plans will specify a time
period within which all
licensed water users
taking water directly
from watercourses will
be required to install
appropriate meters to
measure the volume of
water taken under that
license.
 Generic
Principle 13
Except where circumstances can
be clearly demonstrated to
support a delay in installing water
meters, all licensed water users
taking water into storage from
watercourses will be required to
install appropriate
metering devices to demonstrate
compliance with the relevant
license conditions within the time
period specified in the Plan.
 Part 4 includes the monitoring that
will support a Plan. The
06 WMP Part IV Department has a routine water
quality monitoring and river health
– Monitoring program designed to provide
Principles of Planning Water Resources Projects baseline information for all
stakeholders.

No additional monitoring required for a

Water Management Plan can be
undertaken with existing resources and
it is considered that any such
monitoring would only be required to
monitor the impact of water usage.
 Generic
Principle 14
The Department will undertake
ongoing monitoring on the basis of
existing infrastructure and systems,
to assist plan review, following
completion of Water Management
Plans. However, where there is a
demonstrated need for additional
infrastructure or systems, the costs
of this will not normally be met by
the Department and water users
may be expected to contribute
 07 WMP Part V – Statutory
Requirements & Assessments
Principles of Planning Water Resources Projects

01 Statement of the objectives of the Plan, including the

environmental objectives
02 Description of the water regime that best gives effect to the
environmental objectives and other relevant objectives of the
Plan
03 Assessment of the ability of that water regime to achieve the
environmental objectives and other relevant objectives of the
Plan
04 Assessment of likely detrimental effects of the Plan on the quality
of water
 07 WMP Part V – Statutory
Requirements & Assessments
Principles of Planning Water Resources Projects

05 Assessment of the capacity of the relevant water resource to

meet the likely demand for water by existing and future
06 Likely effects of the Plan on existing and future users, including
any effect on businesses carried on by those users

Meeting these provisions requires sound knowledge of significant

water use from the relevant water resources.
 Generic
Principle 15
Unless a relevant survey has
been undertaken, the
Department will conduct a
survey of water users in the
area covered by the Plan,
during the development of
the Plan. The survey will be
undertaken to determine the
level of commercial water use,
and where necessary stock
and domestic water use.
Thank you
Fernandez ̶ Rio
Principles of Planning Water Resources Project