Recharge being documented in new inventory of groundwater resources

The National Hydrogeological Inventory, developed by Geoscience Australia, has mapped Australia's major groundwater-bearing basins and geological provinces, painting a picture of the communities, industries and environments that rely on groundwater.

Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia Madeleine King said that despite Australia's reliance on groundwater, experts still had a long way to go in their knowledge and understanding of groundwater systems.

"Groundwater is critical to our national water security and for many areas of Australia has been the only constant source of water," she said. "The inventory will assist decision-making and help us plan future investment."

Speaking on commercial radio in Cairns this week, Ms King commented on the importance of groundwater to agriculture in the north, for domestic and export purposes.

"So this research feeds into a whole economy in terms of what everyone wants to eat off the basis of what can be fed from groundwater but also from our export industry perspective," she said. "So...it will be a boost to the economy to know what we can do into the future."

Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said the inventory was needed now more than ever in order to understand the life cycle of groundwater, in light of the impacts of climate change, which she said would leave lasting effects on surface water.

"The new inventory will provide improved access to information on both shallow and deep groundwater systems, which support regional and remote community water supplies, urban water supply and our precious plants and animals," she said.

One of the elements being studied is recharge, or the process by which water moves downwards through the Earth's surface to the aquifers, which Geoscience Australia's Dr Steve Lewis, a groundwater geologist, said was one of the most intriguing elements of groundwater.

"Developing an understanding of groundwater recharge processes is fundamental for developing a water balance, and for the sustainable management of water resources," he said.

"Most recently we have been studying recharge processes in the Great Artesian Basin through mapping surface and near-surface structures to understand how water enters the ground to recharge the basin aquifers.

"This basin is the most significant hydrogeological system in the country covering more than 1.7 million square kilometres across Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

"For each hydrogeological region, a range of consistent and up-to-date information is compiled, relevant to understanding the geology, geography, hydrogeology including groundwater resources and systems."

The inventory will collate the studies to provide a greater understanding of Australia's water systems, allowing a national view of groundwater resources across Australia.