Current and past Commonwealth funding

Current Commonwealth Funding

Improving Great Artesian Basin Drought Resilience

On 19 August 2018, we announced an ongoing investment in effective and collaborative Great Artesian Basin management. Up to $36.9 million over six years was committed to improve the water security and drought resilience of the Great Artesian Basin.

The Improving Great Artesian Basin Drought Resilience (IGABDR) program will provide up to $27.6 million of matched funding from the Australian Government and Basin jurisdictions over five years from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2024.

Projects eligible for IGABDR funding are divided into two categories - infrastructure and non-infrastructure.

Infrastructure projects include:

  • Rehabilitation or decommissioning of ageing or failed bores which are freely flowing water
  • Installation of water meters or pressure monitoring equipment.
Uncapped (free flowing) bores contribute to major water waste. Credit: The Land
Uncapped (free flowing) bores contribute to major water waste. Credit: The Land

Non infrastructure projects include:

  • Project management, auditing, marketing and communication programs
  • Compliance programs
  • Activities to encourage landholders to adopt best practice approaches
  • Studies to improve the development and implementation of water management arrangements.

To date, the program has provided $21.79 million of Australian Government funding for the completion of 122 projects. These projects have delivered about 16,438 ML/y of water savings.

Example of headworks and piping system to reduce bore wastage and maintain groundwater head pressure. Credit: Bruce Keogh, DNR Qld 2018
Example of headworks and piping system to reduce bore wastage and maintain groundwater head pressure. Credit: Bruce Keogh, DNR Qld 2018
IGABDR Achievements to date and planned delivery for 2023-24
  Achievements to date from 2019/20 ‑ 2022/23 Planned delivery in 2023-24
Infrastructure projects 83 17
Kilometres of piping installed 576 -
Non-infrastructure projects 40 2
Est annual water saving (M/y) 16,438 5,084
Australian Government contributions ($mil) 21.79 5.86

Past Commonwealth Funding

Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative

The Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (GABSI) was delivered in partnership by the Australian, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australian and Northern Territory governments to provide funding support to the repair of uncontrolled bores. The program has contributed to the increase in water pressure in Great Artesian Basin springs and the sustainable management of water resources within the Basin.

GABSI ran for 17 years from 1999 to 30 June 2017. Over 4 phases, the Commonwealth investment of $124 million delivered:

  • The upgrade of more than 750 bores
  • 21,391 km of aged bore drains decommissioned
  • 31,547 km of new efficient pipe drains installed
  • More than 250 GL of water savings per year.
Overview of GABSI Achievements
Jurisdiction NSW SA Qld Total
Total GABSI funding ($mil) 48.7 11.49 64.7 124.9
Annual water saving (ML/y) 68,830 48,961 135,420 253,211
Number of bores controlled 311 51 397 759
Kilometres of bore drains removed (km) 8,558 342 12,491 21,391
Kilometres of piping installed (km) 15,063 344 16,140 31,547

The Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee developed a Briefing Note on the GABSI Program with the achievements and the future vision.

Interim Great Artesian Basin Infrastructure Investment Program (2017 to 2020)

Up to $8 million of Australian Government funding was made available to Basin jurisdictions for the Interim Great Artesian Basin Infrastructure Investment Program (IGABIIP) from 2017 to 2019. Projects under IGABIIP focussed on recovering water and maintaining water pressure within the Basin. This was done through replacing old bores operating in an uncontrolled state with controlled bores and efficient water systems.

A further $6.4 million was provided in 2019-20 to match Queensland Government funding to deliver additional projects in Queensland, including the restoration of critical infrastructure assets.

Under IGABIIP 16 infrastructure projects and one compliance activity were funded with $1.8 million of Commonwealth funding. This delivered eight piping and eight rehabilitation, redrill and plugging projects. These projects saved a combined total of around 3.05 GL of Basin water per year.

Other direct and indirect benefits to Basin communities include:

  • sustaining cultural heritage values
  • improved utilisation of productive land and farm businesses
  • restoration of native vegetation
  • improved water quality
  • health of stock during drought
  • reduced on-farm infrastructure costs.