Underground water management in the Gold Coast water plan area

The Water Act 2000 allows for the taking or interfering of underground water (also called groundwater) for any purpose, subject to any limitations under a water plan. Underground water is not managed under the current Gold Coast plan area and an entitlement to take groundwater for any purpose is not required.

A moratorium notice for Tamborine Mountain and Springbrook areas (PDF, 435KB) has been in place since 6 March 2020 preventing the construction of new underground water works (bores) for commercial use. The moratorium also prevents the construction of new works where the proposed area for irrigation is equal to or greater than 10 hectares (ha)

The moratorium was introduced following community concerns about local water security and availability during times of low rainfall and recharge. In 2020, a petition to the Queensland Parliament called for a water emergency declaration to stop bottled water extraction on Tamborine Mountain.

The moratorium, which has been extended annually, allowed time for scientific research by Queensland University of Technology (QUT), supported by the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers (DLGWV) and local councils. This has helped to better understand the resource, recognise potential water security risks, and gather more data to inform future management decisions.

Research and technical assessments

We have partnered with QUT, Scenic Rim Regional Council, and the City of Gold Coast, to monitor groundwater levels in Springbrook and Tamborine Mountain to improve our understanding of the resource.

Research shows that:

  • Tamborine Mountain’s aquifers rely heavily on rainfall for recharge.
  • Groundwater use in the area is largely unquantified because users don’t require licences or meters to measure water use.
  • Groundwater supports various activities, including stock and domestic use, tourism, nurseries, food production, council services, and commercial extraction.

We will continue to work with stakeholders to improve understanding of water resources in Springbrook and Tamborine Mountain areas.

Community submissions

During Step 1 of the consultation timeline for Gold Coast water plan review process, underground water received significant attention, with 30 targeted submissions, a campaign involving over 165 participants, and a petition signed by more than 22,000 people.

Key concerns raised included:

  • the impact of commercial bottled water extraction on underground water resources
  • requests to expand the Springbrook moratorium area to include Natural Bridge, Numinbah Valley, and Austinville Valley
  • the effects of extraction on groundwater-dependent ecosystems, Springbrook National Park environmental assets, and identified at-risk species
  • strong support for a comprehensive monitoring strategy and improved scientific understanding of aquifers, groundwater-surface water connectivity, and ecological values in the moratorium areas.

Proposed underground water management

The draft water plan proposes to formalise current underground water management arrangements.

Key changes include:

  • formalising the current moratorium arrangements
  • creating 2 underground water management areas (UGWMAs)
    • Springbrook UGWMA
    • Tamborine Mountain (Gold Coast) UGWMA
  • allowing the continued use of existing bores and their existing use prior to the moratorium
  • allowing the continued use of bores legally constructed during the moratorium
  • prohibiting the repurposing of extraction from existing bores to a new use (e.g. from irrigation use to commercial bottled water use).

At this stage, no management is planned for other parts of the Gold Coast water plan area. The underground water management strategies in the draft water plan focus exclusively on managing resources in the Springbrook and Tamborine Mountain areas within the Gold Coast plan area. The boundaries of the new UGWMAs are shown on the underground water management map below.

Enlarge image of
A map of the Gold Coast water plan area showing proposed Springbrook and Tamborine Mountain UGWMAs

Key proposals in the new draft plan

Creation of UGWMAs

  • The current Springbrook moratorium area will be formalised in the water plan as Springbrook UGWMA.
  • The current Tamborine Mountain moratorium area will be separated according to plan area and formalised under the Gold Coast water plan as Tamborine Mountain (Gold Coast) UGWMA.
  • The separation is required to manage each area under the respective water plan (i.e. the Gold Coast water plan may only manage resources within the plan area).
  • Development of formal management areas will enable future management arrangements to address local needs.

Protecting underground water resources

  • Limit, manage or restrict the purpose for which water may be taken, prioritising future urban and small scale agriculture requirements, while still allowing existing authorised activities
  • Include provisions to improve understanding of groundwater-surface water connectivity, stygofauna, and groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs).

Balancing community, environmental and cultural needs

  • Existing groundwater users can continue their current practices.
  • The draft plan supports modest development while protecting groundwater resources.
  • Certain new developments and industries in the UGWMAs will not be allowed to access additional groundwater supplies.

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