A FRAMEWORK covering Victoria's groundwater resources has been released.
Victorian water minister Peter Walsh said the $2.4 million project aligned the management of the state's groundwater resources with groundwater catchments for the first time."Groundwater, the out-of-sight source of water beneath the ground, is important for creating secure water supplies to meet growing food and fibre production, for drinking water supplies and to protect environmental values," Mr Walsh said.
"The new Groundwater Management Framework enables the planning, management and reporting of this valuable resource to be consistent for all users and will cover all aquifers across the state.
"The reliance on Victoria's groundwater has increased in recent years and, together with improvements in knowledge about the resource, it was clear that the existing management system could be updated to promote greater consistency," Mr Walsh said.
"Groundwater users will now also have access to an online tool that shows them the extent of the resource they might tap into. This will help when making decisions on whether to drill for groundwater or not."
