Improving outcomes in the Georgina and Diamantina water plan area
The current Georgina and Diamantina water plan includes outcomes (goals) that we seek to achieve through plan strategies.
For example, one of the outcomes is to make water available to sustain current levels of, and to support growth in, economic activity in the water plan area while recognising the social and cultural values of communities in the basins. A strategy (or way) to achieve this is to consider how much water can be allocated to the individual users from unallocated water reserves established under the plan while protecting the existing users and the environment.
Across Queensland there are 23 water plans with multiple outcomes. We are reviewing how effective the current Georgina and Diamantina water plan is at meeting its outcomes and working to standardise similar outcomes across all plans where that’s possible. That will make all water plans easier to understand and implement.
The current Georgina and Diamantina water plan doesn’t include any stand-alone social, economic, environmental or cultural outcomes. We are working closely with all key stakeholders to develop these outcomes, including engagement with local First Nations representatives to identify cultural values and address these by including specific cultural outcomes in the water plan.