Groundwater Management Handbook – A Guide for Local Government

Introduction

The Groundwater Management Handbook – A Guide for Local Government was developed with the assistance of the Groundwater Management Working Group and officially launched at the SCCG Annual General Meeting on 16 September 2006.

Aim and Objectives

The Handbook provides stakeholders with comprehensive technical, management and education information on the sustainable management of groundwater resources from the one source. The specific objectives of the Handbook are:

• To provide background information on groundwater occurrence and behaviour.
• To describe groundwater environments within the SCCG area.
• To provide an assessment of current legislation in relation to groundwater management.
• To provide technical advice on the management of groundwater.
• To identify the information available from the groundwater database maintained by the NSW Department of Natural Resources.
• To outline the mapping capabilities available through the Community Access to Natural Resources Information (CANRI) program.

Outcomes / Outputs

The key outcome of the Handbook will be to provide Councils with greater confidence and capacity in the management and assessment of groundwater resources in relation to development assessment and control, protection of groundwater dependant ecosystems and where appropriate utilisation of groundwater resources.

The handbook can be used to assist a number of activities. These include assessing the impacts of development applications on groundwater flow regimes, planning major infrastructure works to be undertaken by councils, examining the impacts of previous land uses on groundwater quality and communicating to external stakeholders the most appropriate techniques for sustainable groundwater management.

For more information please contact SCCG.

Groundwater Management Handbook – A Guide for Local Government