A new State Government report titled Made Possible by Water - Securing Western Australia’s water future in a drying climate – fails to address multiple serious concerns, according to the Conservation Council of WA (CCWA).
CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts said WA had a history of problems with water laws and the regulation of water in WA.
“The mismanagement of water is having severe impacts across the whole state. These are not isolated problems, and they stem from the over-allocation of groundwater – particularly for mining - and limited protections for water quality,” Mr Roberts said.
“From the Pilbara in the north – where the mining industry has brought water systems to their knees – to the rapidly drying South West, we need a proper overhaul of how we manage and prioritse water.
“Alarmingly, almost half of WA’s water is being used by the mining industry.
“The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) administers 12,000 water licences for a total of more than four trillion litres of water annually, with 78% taken from groundwater aquifers, almost entirely for free, and almost half of that is for mining.
“We’re handing out water licenses with very little understanding about the impacts, and no transparency about compliance, often in areas where there are no water allocation plans, or where those plans are outdated or relying on studies that are even more outdated.
“The process of dewatering at mining operations in the Pilbara is changing inland water systems, with enormous consequences now and even bigger ones when the mining stops. There is very little that is understood about the long-term impact of how we are managing water in some parts of WA.
“We’re pleased the EPA is reviewing water use in the Millstream Aquifer following pressure from Yindjibarndi People - we hope this is the beginning of similar reviews throughout the Pilbara, the Mid-West, the Goldfields and other mining regions.
“We strongly urge the Government to update water allocation plans throughout the state that prioritise water allocation for the environment, culture, and communities.
“The South West region of WA is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with rainfall continuing to decline year-on-year.
“We have seen real life impacts from our drying climate in the South West, with increased intensity and frequency of bushfires. In 2004 we saw a 1,000km stretch of dying forests attributed to drying climate.
“The consequence of declining rainfall due to climate change and unsustainable water use practices are having visible and ongoing impacts in our environment.
“The Soil Dryness Index (SDI) in the South West tells us that root zone moisture levels - the water that trees and vegetation depend on to survive – now ranges from ‘below average’ to ‘very much below average’ and it continues to get worse.”
“To secure water supply in WA, we need to take back the reins on water licensing and allocations, along with water quality standards, ensuring they are founded on evidence and science. We also urge the State Government to prioritise the voices of Aboriginal organisations in the development of water allocation plans.
Mr Roberts said that tackling climate change was key to ensuring water security in our drying climate. “The State Government is falling short on emissions reduction and preparing for climate consequences,” he said.
“WA’s emissions continue to rise, the phase out of coal keeps getting pushed back, and the state is now looking at establishing new gas-powered energy plants – they're simply replacing one fossil fuel with another.
“In addition, the State Government is yet to implement its Climate Change Bill and has passed-on the responsibility of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the Federal Government.
Mr Roberts said desalination plants were an important part of WA’s water management plan but should not be held up as a “magic bullet” to allow unsustainable practices to continue.
“Desalination has its own environmental impacts and huge energy demand. We need to ensure West Australian’s have safe and secure drinking water and desalination plays an important part. But relying on desalination to enable ongoing, unsustainable groundwater use by the mining sector does not solve the problem.
“We cannot continue to supply two trillion litres of groundwater annually for mining almost entirely for free and expect there not to be consequences for the environment, culture and communities.”
Below is a summary of policy asks from our Back from the Brink report - a 36-point plan to protect WA’s nature:
- Implement the recommendation made by the Office of the Auditor General to develop a risk-based approach to the monitoring of compliance, improve enforcement and publish compliance information
- Improve water resource planning - with updated water allocation plans for every catchment area where there are multiple users and pressures; improve regional groundwater studies; and increase access and use of water for First Nations communities
- Reform the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act of 1914 to make our laws consistent with the National Water Initiative embedding - recognition of water for environmental and public benefit; improve protections for our water resources and water dependent ecosystems; enshrine enforceable water quality guidelines and more.
- Ensure safe drinking water for all Western Australians - by improving testing in remote communities, with secured funding to take remedial action in any area where drinking water guidelines are not met
ENDS
Media contact: John Cooke – 0433 679 780