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This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.
WATER AMENDMENT (SAVE THE MURRAY-DARLING BASIN) BILL 2012
2010-2011-2012
The Parliament of the
Commonwealth of Australia
THE SENATE
Presented and read a first time
Water Amendment (Save the
Murray-Darling Basin) Bill 2012
No. , 2012
(Senator Hanson-Young)
A Bill for an Act to amend the Water Act 2007, and
for related purposes
i Water Amendment (Save the Murray-Darling Basin) Bill 2012 No. , 2012
Contents
1 Short
title
...........................................................................................
1
2 Commencement
.................................................................................
1
3 Schedule(s)
........................................................................................
2
Schedule 1--Amendments
3
Water Act 2007
3
Water Amendment (Save the Murray-Darling Basin) Bill 2012 No. , 2012 1
A Bill for an Act to amend the Water Act 2007, and
1
for related purposes
2
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
3
1 Short title
4
This Act may be cited as the Water Amendment (Save the
5
Murray-Darling Basin) Act 2012.
6
2 Commencement
7
This Act commences on the day this Act receives the Royal
8
Assent.
9
2 Water Amendment (Save the Murray-Darling Basin) Bill 2012 No. , 2012
3 Schedule(s)
1
Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or
2
repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule
3
concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect
4
according to its terms.
5
6
Amendments Schedule 1
Water Amendment (Save the Murray-Darling Basin) Bill 2012 No. , 2012 3
Schedule 1--Amendments
1
2
Water Act 2007
3
1 After section 20
4
Insert:
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20A Additional considerations for environmentally sustainable
6
limits
7
(1) In providing for the establishment of environmentally sustainable
8
limits on the quantities of surface water and ground water that may
9
be taken from the Basin water resources, as mentioned in
10
paragraph 20(b), the Basin Plan must comply with subsections (2),
11
(3) and (4) of this section.
12
(2) The Basin Plan must take into account climate change.
13
(3) The Basin Plan must not allow ground water extraction unless:
14
(a) the proposed ground water extraction has been assessed using
15
a regional scale, multi-layer, transient ground water flow
16
model that is linked to existing surface water models and
17
demonstrates the impact of the proposed ground water
18
extraction on:
19
(i) surface water systems and flows; and
20
(ii) ground water dependent ecosystems; and
21
(iii) the long-term sustainability of the aquifer; and
22
(b) the assessment takes into account the cumulative impact of
23
all existing ground water extractions and the proposed
24
ground water extraction; and
25
(c) if the proposed ground water extraction will cause a
26
reduction in surface water--the Basin Plan includes a
27
mechanism for identifying how the quantity of ground water
28
to be extracted relates to the environmentally sustainable
29
limits on the quantities of surface water that can be taken
30
from the Basin water resources under the Basin Plan.
31
(4) The Basin Plan must improve the following environment
32
outcomes:
33
Schedule 1 Amendments
4 Water Amendment (Save the Murray-Darling Basin) Bill 2012 No. , 2012
(a) in relation to average daily salinity levels for Lake
1
Alexandrina--less than 1500EC at all times and less than
2
1000EC for 95% of the time;
3
(b) in relation to average daily salinity levels for Coorong, South
4
Lagoon--must not exceed 100 grams per litre in any 2
5
consecutive years and must remain less than 100 grams per
6
litre for 96% of the time;
7
(c) in relation to barrage flows--greater than 2000 gigalitres per
8
year on a 3 year rolling basis, with a minimum of 650
9
gigalitres per year for 95% of years, greater than 600
10
gigalitres in any 2 year period and greater than zero gigalitres
11
in all years;
12
(d) in relation to the mouth of the River Murray--the mouth to
13
be open to an average annual depth of 1 metre or more for at
14
least 95% of years and to an average annual depth of 0.7
15
metres or more for at least 95% of years;
16
(e) the environmental outcomes met under an integrated,
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Basin-wide, fit for purpose model run based on the levels of
18
extraction contained in the BP-3200-RC model run and the
19
122 hydrologic indicator targets as developed by the
20
Authority.
21
2 After paragraph 21(4)(b)
22
Insert:
23
(ba)
ensure
that:
24
(i) as far as possible, water recovery targets across the
25
Murray-Darling Basin satisfy the 122 hydrologic
26
indicator targets as developed by the Authority; and
27
(ii) all modelling and analysis undertaken for this purpose is
28
made publicly available; and
29