Assessments

Dependence on groundwater has increased since 2016 as a result of low surface-water availability, which has necessitated use of groundwater for urban water supply and irrigation. Groundwater levels that had not recovered from the millennium drought were further drawn down because of limited recharge

The past 3 years have emphasised the lack of resilience of urban water supplies to drought, with most major cities imposing restrictions on water users and depending on groundwater and climate-resilient water sources such as desalination and recycling to meet water supply demands.

Since 2016 and, in particular, over the past 3 years, per-person use of water has decreased. However, this is partly due to a drop in water availability arising from dry conditions, which resulted in restrictions on urban water use and very small allocations for agricultural purposes.

There were widespread urban water restrictions in the years since 2016 due to record low rainfall, which resulted in very low inflows into urban storages. In capital cities (e.g. Sydney), restrictions were placed on watering of gardens and washing of cars; however, in regional towns (e.g. Uralla), restrictions meant that water had to be carted in for essential purposes.

Although water management plans in various states and territories have been in place for some time, complying with new requirements has been a challenge for some states. The water resource management plans to be developed by Murray–Darling Basin states and territories as an integral part of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan have had limited success, with only 13 of the 33 plans having been accredited.

In recent years, there has been a concerted effort to reduce the imbalance between consumptive and environmental water users. This has been attempted through the development and implementation of water resource management plans. There have also been active efforts to recover water for the environment from consumptive users. However, the past 3 years of drought have meant that the focus has been on meeting critical human needs; with a few exceptions, the environment has received little water.

In recent years, research has been undertaken to identify cultural flow needs. These are currently very reliant on rain events, resulting in little to no water delivered for cultural values, especially during drought conditions. The outcomes of this work have informed a few cultural waterings; however, the recent drought years have adversely impacted the provision of water for cultural purposes.