FURTHER RESTRICTIONS APPLY TO TOOWOOMBA GROUNDWATER

Taking underground water from Toowoomba’s basalt aquifer system for commercial and non-commercial irrigation will be heavily restricted from Friday due to the drought, Water Minister Craig Wallace said today.

Mr Wallace said the new restrictions applied to 127 bores licensed by the Department of Natural Resources and Water. Domestic bores are not covered.

Mr Wallace said the new restrictions followed a May 12 ban on the installation of new domestic and stock bores in the Toowoomba area.

There will be a two week “grace” period – ending on Friday, June 15 - for licensees to assess their situation and apply for an individual notice if they believe they meet criteria for special consideration.

“This relentless drought continues to impact on the basalt groundwater resources within Toowoomba City, which have not had a significant recharge for over a decade,” Mr Wallace said.

“Currently Toowoomba City Council is taking more groundwater for town water supplies and these bans are needed to protect that supply,” he said.

“These further limitations are a necessary and urgent response to the worst drought on record.”

The restrictions include:

·Limited hours of pumping within prescribed times each day and maximum hours each week for the taking of water for commercial irrigation purposes and

·Prohibition of the taking of water for non-commercial purposes such as the irrigation or watering of parks, lawns, gardens and sporting facilities.

The restrictions apply only to external use of water. Internal use of groundwater in facilities such as schools, hospitals and factories will not be affected.

The maximum penalty for breaching the restrictions is $37,500.

A notice detailing the restrictions will be published in the Toowoomba Chronicle on Friday, June 1.

Mr Wallace said the basalt aquifer system underlying Toowoomba City had been extensively developed and was used for both urban supply and industrial and commercial use.

“The last significant recharge event occurred more than a decade ago and there is no sign of an imminent recharge,” he said.

“Therefore, there is some uncertainty for the ability of the resource to sustain the level of demands placed upon it in the medium to longer term.”

Mr Wallace said where licensees can justify a basis for variation of the limitations to take water, an individual notice may be considered.

Guidelines to inform licensees about the application of the notice are available from the NRW Toowoomba office.

Media contact:

Paul Childs, Craig Wallace’s office on 3896 3689 or 0407 131 654.