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WATER MANAGEMENT ACT 2000 - SECT 5
Water management principles
5 Water management principles
(1) The principles set out in this section are the water management principles
of this Act.
(2) Generally-- (a) water sources, floodplains and dependent
ecosystems (including groundwater and wetlands) should be protected and
restored and, where possible, land should not be degraded, and
(b) habitats,
animals and plants that benefit from water or are potentially affected by
managed activities should be protected and (in the case of habitats) restored,
and
(c) the water quality of all water sources should be protected and,
wherever possible, enhanced, and
(d) the cumulative impacts of water
management licences and approvals and other activities on water sources and
their dependent ecosystems, should be considered and minimised, and
(e)
geographical and other features of Aboriginal significance should be
protected, and
(f) geographical and other features of major cultural,
heritage or spiritual significance should be protected, and
(g) the social
and economic benefits to the community should be maximised, and
(h) the
principles of adaptive management should be applied, which should be
responsive to monitoring and improvements in understanding of ecological water
requirements.
(3) In relation to water sharing-- (a) sharing of water from a
water source must protect the water source and its dependent ecosystems, and
(b) sharing of water from a water source must protect basic landholder rights,
and
(c) sharing or extraction of water under any other right must not
prejudice the principles set out in paragraphs (a) and (b).
(4) In relation
to water use-- (a) water use should avoid or minimise land degradation,
including soil erosion, compaction, geomorphic instability, contamination,
acidity, waterlogging, decline of native vegetation or, where appropriate,
salinity and, where possible, land should be rehabilitated, and
(b) water use
should be consistent with the maintenance of productivity of land in the long
term and should maximise the social and economic benefits to the community,
and
(c) the impacts of water use on other water users should be avoided or
minimised.
(5) In relation to drainage management-- (a) drainage activities
should avoid or minimise land degradation, including soil erosion, compaction,
geomorphic instability, contamination, acidity, waterlogging, decline of
native vegetation or, where appropriate, salinity and, where possible, land
should be rehabilitated, and
(b) the impacts of drainage activities on other
water users should be avoided or minimised.
(6) In relation to floodplain
management-- (a) floodplain management must avoid or minimise land
degradation, including soil erosion, compaction, geomorphic instability,
contamination, acidity, waterlogging, decline of native vegetation or, where
appropriate, salinity and, where possible, land must be rehabilitated, and
(b) the impacts of flood works on other water users should be avoided or
minimised, and
(c) the existing and future risk to human life and property
arising from occupation of floodplains must be minimised.
(7) In relation to
controlled activities-- (a) the carrying out of controlled activities must
avoid or minimise land degradation, including soil erosion, compaction,
geomorphic instability, contamination, acidity, waterlogging, decline of
native vegetation or, where appropriate, salinity and, where possible, land
must be rehabilitated, and
(b) the impacts of the carrying out of controlled
activities on other water users must be avoided or minimised.
(8) In relation
to aquifer interference activities-- (a) the carrying out of aquifer
interference activities must avoid or minimise land degradation, including
soil erosion, compaction, geomorphic instability, contamination, acidity,
waterlogging, decline of native vegetation or, where appropriate, salinity
and, where possible, land must be rehabilitated, and
(b) the impacts of the
carrying out of aquifer interference activities on other water users must be
avoided or minimised.
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