Surat Precipice and Eastern Downs Precipice general reserve

Current status

We are reviewing all expressions of interest (EOI) received. This demand information is going into the 10-year review process underway for the GABORA water plan.

Next steps

The EOI process demonstrated there was high demand for accessing unallocated water (UAW) from the Surat Precipice and Eastern Downs Precipice sub-catchments within the Great Artesian Basin.

Consideration of the release of unallocated water will be done in conjunction with the unlocking water project and current water plan review. A new GABORA water plan is expected in 2027.

The department will be in a better position to make a decision about a future unallocated water release.

We will keep those who submitted expressions of interest and other key stakeholders informed when and how any unallocated water is made available.

You can still submit your interest at any time and make an application for new water should it be released.

  • A call for EOIs in the general reserve UAW from the Surat Precipice and Eastern Downs Precipice ran for 8 weeks from 2 July 2025.

    The general unallocated water reserve consists of 840ML of groundwater.

    The EOI process showed that there is significant interest in the available unallocated water reserve.

    Here’s what we learned:

    • We received 82 submissions with cumulative unallocated water demand ranging from 36,967ML to 96,345ML.
    • This demand for groundwater easily outstrips the current reserve volume (840ML).
    • Primary demand for use of the unallocated water included
      • stock intensive 46%
      • cropping 38%
      • commercial 12%
      • other (horticulture and aquaculture) 4%.
    • Demand for the groundwater came from across the whole Surat Precipice and Eastern Downs Precipice sub-catchment area.

  • To ensure transparency and inclusivity, the department implemented a broad consultation process. This included:

    • email outreach to water entitlement holders and previous EOI participants
    • accessible resources via the Business Queensland webpage
    • webinar with the Department and Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) outlining the EOI process
    • consultation as part of the Great Artesian Basin and Other Regional Aquifers Water Plan (GABORA) review
    • general enquiries were addressed via phone and email to provide clarity and support for interested participants.