Water allocation plan
The Water Allocation Plan (WAP) is a document that sets out the rules of managing the take and use of prescribed groundwater resources.
A review and amendment of the 2016 plan was completed by early 2026, including two rounds of public consultation in 2025. The amended Water Allocation Plan for the Southern Basins and the Musgrave Prescribed Wells Areas, Eyre Peninsula (2026) is now finalised. The amended plan will come into effect in July 2026.
This WAP manages the extraction of groundwater from wells within two Prescribed Wells Areas (PWAs). Southern Basins PWA is located between Coffin Bay and Port Lincoln on southern Eyre Peninsula, and the Musgrave PWA is located around Elliston on western Eyre Peninsula. This WAP replaces the 2016 plan.
Supporting documents
A number of documents related to and supporting the WAP can be found on the supporting WAP documents page.
Groundwater Status Reports
Regular reporting on the status of the region’s prescribed groundwater resources is one of the key functions of the Department for Environment and Water. Below are the two latest Groundwater Status Reports for Musgrave and Southern Basins PWAs.
- Musgrave 2023-24 groundwater status overview (in press)
- Southern Basins 2023-24 groundwater status overview (in press)
- Musgrave 2022-23 groundwater status overview (2-page factsheet, published April 2024 on WaterConnect)
- Southern basins 2022-23 groundwater status overview (2-page factsheet, published April 2024 on WaterConnect)
Learn about it on WaterConnect
Water is a precious resource and monitoring it is fundamental to how it can be managed. There is a limit to how much is available for use on an ongoing basis, and so it is important to provide certainty to current and future users of water, particularly to those whose livelihoods depend on it. Waterconnect is home to many online documents related to our water resources and management, such as supporting science documents, long-term groundwater data, Groundwater Status Reports and much more. Real-time data can also be found at Water Data SA.
Applying for a permit or licence
See our permits and licences page for details on how to apply for a licence.
News
- News article – Amended Eyre Peninsula Water Allocation Plan finalised (June 2026)
- News article – New draft plan to guide groundwater use from 2026 (October 2025)
- News article - Have you say: EP water allocation plan revision (October 2024)
- We are involved with a $2m research project that was established in 2024 to ensure water security of the Elliston district including gathering scientific information for the amendment and review of the WAP. The project is largely funded by the National Water Grid Authority. See their project page for more details.
- News article – Revision of Eyre Peninsula Water Allocation Plan to commence (April 2024)
Keep up-to-date
Subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter which provides updates on our projects and other news.
For our most up-to-date news, find us on: