Gingin groundwater allocation plan

The Gingin groundwater allocation plan sets out how we will allocate and manage the groundwater resources in the Gingin area.
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Plan release information

The Gingin groundwater allocation plan was released in April 2015.

Supporting documents for the plan are also available:

The statement of response summarises our response to comments and questions we received on the Gingin groundwater allocation plan: for public comment which was released in 2013.

The plan includes allocation limits, which outline how much water is available in the Gingin plan area. It describes how the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation will allocate and manage water resources and how we will monitor, measure and evaluate the objectives of the plan.

Water allocation planning for Gingin groundwater

Groundwater in the Gingin plan area is in high demand for various industries including agriculture, horticulture, mining, and coastal lifestyle developments. The plan will guide the management of water resources to support water users and ecosystems that depend on groundwater.

The department began work on the Gingin groundwater allocation plan in 2009, because of reduced rainfall and lower groundwater recharge. These trends have resulted in declining groundwater levels in many aquifers, as well as reduced baseflow in Gingin Brook and Moore River.

We have completed water allocation planning in the Gingin area to reduce the likelihood of:

  • decreasing reliability of current licensed entitlements
  • further decline in groundwater levels and pressure heads
  • decreasing baseflow to Gingin Brook and Moore River
  • damage and loss of important groundwater-dependent ecosystems
  • the seawater interface moving inland, making groundwater saline.

We will manage these risks by using the allocation limits, licensing rules and the monitoring program in the plan. These initiatives are designed to maintain the availability of current groundwater allocations, as well as reduce the risks to the groundwater-dependent environment from water being abstracted.

Plan area

The Gingin groundwater plan area is about 90 kilometres north of Perth and extends over 6,000 km2.

The plan area covers most of the Gingin groundwater area, in the south of the Northern Perth Basin. It extends from Wedge Island and Moora in the north, to Guilderton and Bindoon in the south. It includes the towns of Lancelin, Seabird, Guilderton, Dandaragan, Moora, Bindoon and Gingin.

Along with the Jurien and Arrowsmith groundwater areas, Gingin is part of the Northern Perth Basin.

Water resources

The plan area includes nine main aquifers — Surficial, Superficial, Mirrabooka, Cattamarra, Lesueur Leederville, Leederville–Parmelia, Yarragadee and Fractured Rock aquifers.

For management purposes, the area is divided into 25 subareas. Together with the aquifers, it covers a total of 35 resources (a portion of an aquifer within a subarea). Subareas south of the Gingin Brook are managed under the Gnangara groundwater areas allocation plan.

Surface water resources in the plan area are managed through the Gingin surface water allocation plan.

Gingin groundwater allocation plan area

Publications

Gingin groundwater allocation plan

Gingin groundwater allocation plan: Methods report

Gingin groundwater allocation plan: Statement of response

Gingin groundwater allocation plan: for public comment

Gingin aquifer trend review

Groundwater-surface water interaction along Gingin Brook

Environmental considerations for groundwater management of the Northern Perth Basin

Capacity of water resources in the Mid West to meet mining and industrial growth

Northern Gnangara airborne electromagnetic survey

Managing groundwater in the Gingin area fact sheet

Groundwater investigation program in Western Australia (2005 to 2020)

Hydrogeology of the Swan Coastal Plain between Cervantes and Leeman

Managing the water resources of the Gingin groundwater area - interim sub-regional allocation strategy

Gingin groundwater allocation plan newsletter - April 2011

Gingin groundwater allocation plan newsletter - June 2011

Gingin groundwater allocation plan newsletter - September 2011

Gingin groundwater allocation plan newsletter - August 2013