Overview
The Accelerating Pilbara Planning Program (APPP) is an initiative led by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation to accelerate and improve water planning, data transparency and decision making in the Pilbara.
The program responds to increasing pressure on groundwater resources from climate variability, growing demand and competing water uses. It focuses on providing clear, evidence-based advice to support water security, protect environmental and cultural values, and enable sustainable regional development.
What the program will deliver
The APPP brings together several streams of work to improve how water availability and supply are understood, planned for and communicated in the Pilbara.
Workstream 1: Water supply planning
Show moreThis workstream focuses on water supply planning for Pilbara coastal towns and strategic industrial areas.
What we are doing
- Investigating opportunities for seawater desalination and groundwater sources (including mine dewatering) to meet future water demand of Pilbara coastal towns, ports and industry
- Developing a Water Source Transition Plan to support long‑term, climate‑resilient water supplies on the Pilbara coast
Why this matters
This work supports coordinated, long‑term planning of water resources and supplies needed for economic and population growth in the Pilbara region.
This helps achieve sustainable water resource management outcomes and support cost-effective water infrastructure investment decisions by government and the private sector.
Latest releases
Workstream 2: Groundwater allocation planning – evaluation and updates
Show moreThis workstream includes a review of how groundwater is allocated and managed across the Pilbara. Further information on the existing Groundwater Allocation Plan, and relevant technical reports can be found here - Pilbara groundwater allocation plan | Western Australian Government
What we are doing
- Undertaking a rapid evaluation of the Pilbara groundwater allocation plan
- Reviewing allocation limits for priority groundwater systems
- Developing climate and hydrogeological guidance to support licensing and planning decisions
- Identifying priorities for future groundwater management and plan updates, beyond those delivered through this program
- Progressing amendments to the Pilbara Groundwater Allocation Plan (2013)
Why this matters
Up‑to‑date evaluation helps ensure allocation settings remain appropriate under changing climate and demand and supports more consistent and transparent water management decisions.
Latest releases
Workstream 3: Monitoring, telemetry and data access
Show moreThis workstream improves how water resource data is collected, shared and understood.
What we are doing
- Expanding groundwater monitoring and improving data availability using telemetry across priority areas in the Pilbara, following a monitoring network review
- Developing a public water resource dashboard to show water resource status and trends
- Improving how data is presented so it can be used by communities, industry and government
Why this matters:
Better monitoring and data access improves transparency, supports earlier identification of risks, and helps water users, managers and the community understand how water resources are changing over time.
Frequently asked questions
Show moreHow is climate change being considered?
The APPP will include analysis of past climate data to identify how changes in rainfall and temperature may have impacted groundwater recharge in the Pilbara since the Pilbara Groundwater Allocation Plan was released in 2013. The analysis will also incorporate climate projections data to understand potential future impacts on water availability. The findings will inform both the Water Allocation Planning and Water Supply Planning workstreams of the APPP.
How will water monitoring, data transparency and access be improved?
A key objective of the APPP is to improve access to information about water resources. This will be achieved by installing telemetry on groundwater bores currently monitored by the department and other key monitoring bores where practicable. Groundwater monitoring data will be available on the Department’s Water Resource Dashboard (currently under development).
Will APPP improve how impacts to groundwater from multiple users is managed?
Cumulative impacts happen when multiple users take groundwater from the same aquifer. To support the assessment of potential cumulative impacts and strengthen the information available to decision-makers, the department will produce sub regional hydrogeological fact sheets that:
- define groundwater management domains based on geology, hydrogeology, climate, and recharge data.
- assess the spatial distribution of existing and potential cumulative impacts, identify recharge vulnerabilities, including the magnitude and frequency of recharge events.
How will Traditional Owners’ perspectives be considered?
The department has invited Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs) to engage about water on Country in the Pilbara. These engagements will provide opportunites for PBCs to share their water-related priorities and observations, to inform APPP outputs and help shape future involvement in water management decisions that relate to their Country.
What changes are planned for the Pilbara groundwater allocation plan?
Work delivered through the APPP will determine whether changes are needed to the Pilbara groundwater allocation plan, and amendments will be published where required. On conclusion of the APPP, the department may recommend where additional updates are required to either further amend or replace the plan.
What work is the Environment Protection Authority doing on the Millstream aquifer?
In October 2025, the Minister for the Environment requested that the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) provide strategic advice under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 on the potential environmental and cultural impacts associated with current and future groundwater abstraction in the West Pilbara, including the Millstream aquifer.
The EPA’s work is considering the effects of groundwater abstraction and climate variability to environmental and cultural values associated with the Millstream system, including groundwater dependent ecosystems, and future water supply planning considerations for the region. As part of this process, the EPA is engaging with government agencies, Traditional Owners and other stakeholders, and will also consider available scientific and technical information.
This is an independent process being led by the EPA and is separate from APPP workstreams. However, the EPA’s advice may include information relevant to deliverables under this program.
See Minister requests EPA advice on water future for the Pilbara for further information.
What will APPP do for other parts of the Pilbara, besides Millstream, that are also experiencing impacts of climate change and water issues?
The APPP will consider water issues and priorities across the entire Pilbara groundwater allocation plan area.
The department will undertake allocation limit reviews for several ‘target aquifers’ in the plan area and develop Pilbara-specific climate and hydrogeological guidance to support decisions-makers in government, industry and the community.
Will the Pilbara groundwater plan evaluation change allocation or abstraction limits?
Through the APPP, the department will review how well the Pilbara groundwater allocation plan’s 2013 assumptions about climate and groundwater recharge align with what has been observed since the plan was released.
The department will assess how effective the management approach has been at detecting and responding to climate variability and groundwater abstraction – including a review of allocation limits for several ‘target aquifers’ defined in the plan.
Where the assessment finds that elements of the current management approach are not effective, these will be updated using the latest science and information.
What will the APPP deliver for people who use groundwater for domestic and non-intensive stock watering purposes?
Bores used for domestic and non-intensive stock watering purposes do not require a water licence under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914.
There is limited information held by the department on the location and construction of these bores. Through the APPP, the department will aim to improve outcomes for water users exempt from licensing by developing a reliable database in which pastoralists may choose to register the location of their stock bores. This will enable the department to ensure that water licence applicants consider how they may impact known bores in their assessments.
Where suitable, the program will also explore installing monitoring infrastructure on unused stock bores to monitor groundwater level changes in real-time.
Is seawater desalination being considered as a water source?
Yes – the Building water security for Pilbara coastal towns and industry status report (2026) recognises the important role seawater desalination will have in meeting long-term water demand on the Pilbara coast and supporting sustainable use from the aquifers and dams supplying cities and towns on the Pilbara coast.
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