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Objective

Recommendation

Key issues

Actions taken

Objective

To ensure upstream uses do not reduce water quantity and quality for downstream users.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the proposed water management policy package includes provisions which will ensure that on-stream construction of water storage is avoided wherever possible and that existing on-stream storage does not compromise water quality and quantity for downstream users or for the environment.

Key issues

This information is available from Volume 2 of the last SoE Report (SDAC 1997), which can be downloaded. The final objective, final recommendation, and a summary of key management actions are detailed below.

Actions taken

There has been some progress in addressing the recommendation for on-stream water storage since the previous SoE Report (1997), including the following.

• The Water Management Act 1999 includes a new assessment process for dam construction permits that applies to both small and large storage construction. However, it makes no provisions to avoid construction of on-stream storages. Under the Act, Draft Policy Guidelines to Assess Applications for New Water Allocations from Watercourses were released by the Department of Primary Industries Water and Environment in 2003, and include the assessment of environmental issues.