Water allocation plan
The Water Allocation Plan (WAP) is a scientific and regulatory document that sets out the rules for protecting and managing the use of prescribed groundwater resources.
The amended Water Allocation Plan for the Southern Basins and the Musgrave Prescribed Wells Areas, Eyre Peninsula (2026) has been approved by the Minister and came into effect on 1 July 2026. This follows a review and amendment of the 2016 plan, including two rounds of public consultation in 2025.
This WAP manages the groundwater in two Prescribed Wells Areas (PWAs). The 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.
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, published on WaterConnect.
- Musgrave 2023-24 groundwater status overview(published 2026)
- Southern Basins 2023-24 groundwater status overview(published 2026)
- Musgrave 2022-23 groundwater status overview(published 2024)
- Southern Basins 2022-23 groundwater status overview (published 2024)
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 were involved with a $2.3m 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 was 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)
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