Daly Roper Beetaloo water control district
| Control district area | 329,654 km2 |
|---|---|
| Declared | 19 October 2022 |
| Gazette number | G41 2022 PDF (515.6 KB) |
| Control district map | Daly Roper Beetaloo water control district map |
Water control districts (WCDs) in the Northern Territory (NT) are areas that need increased management of water resources.
The Daly Roper Beetaloo WCD includes the major groundwater resource of the NT, the Cambrian limestone aquifer.
The aquifer is divided into the Daly Basin, Georgina Basin and Wiso Basin.
Other significant aquifers include:
- Tindall limestone aquifer
- Oolloo dolostone aquifer
- Jinduckin formation
- Anthony lagoon formation
- Gum Ridge formation
- Montejinni limestone aquifer.
On 19 October 2022, the WCD was extended to include the Georgina and Wiso basins. This was a recommendation in the Final Report of the Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory. This extends the WCD by 154,102 km2.
The boundary of the northern part of the WCD includes the catchment of the Daly River and Roper River.
The catchments of smaller temporary streams cover most of the southern part of the WCD, the largest being Newcastle Creek.
Water allocation plans
Water allocation plans identify how much water can be taken from groundwater and surface water resources while protecting the resource and environment.
They establish Aboriginal water reserves and enable trade of water entitlements.
The WCD includes 3 water allocation plans for:
Planning is underway for Mataranka.
Licensing and permits
You need a licence or permit for activities within this WCD.
Water management rules apply to anyone wanting to access and use water within the WCD.
This includes applying for:
- water extraction licences to take surface and groundwater and
- bore construction and interference with a waterway permits.
Exemptions
Water for rural stock and domestic use is exempt from licensing under section 11 and 14 of the Water Act 1992.
An exemption also applies if the combined groundwater use from all bores on a parcel of land extracting groundwater is less than 5 mega litres per year. Get Gazette S109 2018 PDF (176.4 KB).
Small rural dams and some forms of road and drainage works are exempt PDF (247.8 KB) from needing an interference with a waterway permit.
Contact
If you have any questions about permits or licensing requirements in the area, email water.licensing@nt.gov.au.
For water planning enquires, email waterresources@nt.gov.au.