Padthaway Water Allocation Plan

The current Water Allocation Plan (WAP) for the Padthaway Prescribed Wells Area was adopted on 26 April 2009.

The WAP aims to:

• protect the resource for all water users, now and into the future
• provide greater certainty for water users.

Find out more information about what a WAP is and why they are important.

Development of the WAP

The Padthaway Prescribed Wells Area Water Allocation Plan is a community based solution to over-allocation in the Padthaway area. It establishes a framework for the sustainable management of groundwater resources. It provides for the allocation and trade of water for the current irrigation-dependent industries, while protecting the health of the resources and the ecosystems that rely on them.

The Water Allocation Plan is the result of extensive planning, research and community consultation. The community was informed and involved throughout its development, taking an active role in the process and understanding the science, resource condition, legislative requirements and the value of sustainable long-term management of the local resources. More information about the community’s involvement can be found in the Guide to the development and contents of the Padthaway Water Allocation Plan.

The review

A review of the WAP for the Padthaway PWA, originally required at 5 years of adoption, was extended to 10 years after updating the Padthaway groundwater model which did not identify any risk to the resource under the current plan. The 10 year review began in mid-2019 and is currently underway. Visit our Padthaway Water Allocation Plan review site.