Great Artesian Basin Springs: a Plan for the Future

Evidence-based Methodologies for Managing Risks to Spring Values

Released in January this year, Great Artesian Basin Springs: a Plan for the Future considers threats to the GAB Springs and how they should be managed.

It refers to the artesian springs of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) as unique environmental assets with international ecological value, as well as being water assets of immense economic and social value to communities, mining and pastoralism in the desert region.

GAB water is estimated to return about $13 billion of production annually, including $4 billion in stock, $6 billion in mining, $2 billion in gas and $1 billion from tourism.

It explains that the continued survival and well-being of the GAB springs are at risk from the twin threats of diminishing artesian pressure, which is reducing outflows from the springs, and disturbance of the surface vents from various land uses, particularly as water points for stock.

You can download a copy of the book here.