Joint media release: Christmas comes early for South Australian basins

Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek
SA Minister for the Environment, Susan Close

Two of South Australia’s most important water sources, the River Murray and the Great Artesian Basin, are set to receive a huge boost through a new water saving scheme from the Australian and South Australian governments.

The Australian Government will provide almost $26 million in funding for two projects - one to boost water savings in South Australian Murray–Darling Basin communities and another to support South Australians living in the Great Artesian Basin.

The newly approved South Australian Alternative Water Supply Efficiency Measures (AWSEM) Program will receive up to $20.9 million to build infrastructure that will allow the substitution of precious River Murray water with storm water, treated wastewater or other alternative water sources where it makes sense.

The program will generate an estimated water saving of 1,270 megalitres (ML) of water, providing 1,149ML of South Australian River Murray High Security entitlements to enhance environmental outcomes for the Murray–Darling Basin.

By using alternative water sources to water parklands, ovals and to supply some industries, quality potable water can be saved.

In a separate project, up to $5 million in Commonwealth funding, matched by the South Australian Government, will also be provided under the Great Artesian Basin Water Security Program (GABWSP) to enable South Australian bore owners to apply for grants to complete capping and piping projects.

Each year, the Great Artesian Basin, a huge underground aquifer under a fifth of Australia’s landmass, loses an estimated 740,000ML of water from free-flowing bores.

The program works to restore water pressure and safeguard the environment through the delivery of matched funding to Basin jurisdictions over 4 years from July 2024 to June 2028.

The South Australian Government, in collaboration with the South Australian Arid Lands Landscape Board, will work to better understand and improve the health of the vital Great Artesian Basin Mound Springs and improve their water accounting processes.

They will also work with landholders to provide grants that can be used to rehabilitate, plug, pipe or replace old infrastructure attached to uncontrolled bores and bore drains, covering up to 50 per cent of total eligible project costs.

Both projects will build on the success of past Great Artesian Basin programs to reduce water wastage and improve the health of vital groundwater resources.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek:

“South Australia is home to two of our most important water resources - protecting these systems is an investment in Australia’s future.

“Improved and more sustainable infrastructure will deliver water savings now and will set us on a path to secure and sustainable water management in the future.

“I thank Minister Close and South Australia for working with us to deliver for their environment and their communities.

“I look forward to continuing to work with all our state and territory counterparts to ensure our water resources and our communities have a more sustainable future.”

Quotes attributable to South Australian Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate, Environment and Water the Hon Susan Close:

“This funding is a great example of the Australian and South Australian governments working together to support both local governments and South Australian residents to secure our state’s future water supplies.

“It is vital that our local governments are able to reduce the amount of water they draw from the Murray–Darling Basin through the use of alternative water sources.

“The Great Artesian Basin is one of our largest underground water sources and it is incredibly important that we ensure we reduce the amount of water lost from free-flowing bores by as much as possible.”