The Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) has launched a State-wide strategy to ensure communities across NSW can bank on having access to a sustainable groundwater future.
Executive Director of Regional Water Strategies at DPE, Kaia Hodge said the NSW Groundwater Strategy was a major milestone in groundwater management.
“In NSW, groundwater is critical to town water supply, including in the regions where more than 250 towns rely on it daily,” Ms Hodge said.
“Across the State, it makes up 10 per cent of the drinking supply,” she said.
“It also underpins the economy, injecting nearly $1 billion each year by supporting industry and agriculture.”
Ms Hodge said groundwater was also crucial for the environment, with many wetlands, springs and lakes depending on groundwater.
She said groundwater-dependent ecosystems spanned up to 6.5 million hectares, or about eight per cent of NSW’s land surface, and supported many unique native plant and animal species.
“It’s never been more important to protect groundwater, so it’s managed smartly and sustainably into the future, which is why we’re acting now,” the Executive Director said.
She said the Strategy included actions to support towns and cities to improve their urban water planning; support Aboriginal people’s rights; support resilient groundwater-dependent industries; share and integrate groundwater information; and improve understanding of groundwater resources.
Ms Hodge said DPE’s first Strategy implementation plan, due to be released early this year, would chart how actions were to be delivered over the next two years.
DPE’s 85-page Strategy can be accessed at this PS News link.
