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What's our goal for Gnangara groundwater?

Our goal is to rebalance the Gnangara groundwater system by 2032 to secure our lowest-cost and most accessible water source for Perth and to support a healthy environment.

Learn about the Gnangara groundwater allocation plan below.

The Gnangara groundwater allocation plan is part of the State Government’s response to climate change.

The plan sets out how Gnangara groundwater use will be reduced over the next 10 years:

  • Taking less groundwater will rebalance the groundwater system to better match less rainfall in a drier climate, ensuring healthier wetlands and vegetation and a secure water supply for Perth in the long term.
  • The plan proposes a reduction shared across all groundwater users:
    • A 27 per cent reduction (30 gigalitres per year) in 2028 to groundwater licensed to the Water Corporation for Perth’s Integrated Water Supply Scheme (drinking water).
    • A 10 per cent reduction for most groundwater licensees from 2028, to give people time to adjust to the changes.
    • Alignment of the sprinkler roster for garden bores and scheme users from September 2022 – State Government is proposing that all households across Perth and Mandurah will have a two-days-per-week sprinkler roster between 1 September and 31 May each year, regardless of the water source.
  • More information on reductions for different water users is in the Summary and Chapters 4 and 5 of the plan. Water used to irrigate school and hospital grounds and water used to irrigate plants or trees for commercial purposes by established nurseries and tree farms will be exceptions to reductions.
  • Support packages will be available to some water users to help them adjust to less groundwater use.

The plan sets groundwater level objectives to protect important groundwater-dependent ecosystems, such as wetlands and bushland areas, and outlines how we will continue to monitor water levels, water quality and ecological health against these objectives to ensure the delivery of real outcomes.

Supporting documents for the plan are also available:

The statement of response summarises our responses to public comments and submissions received on the Gnangara groundwater allocation plan: draft for public comment, and how we used these to modify and finalise the plan.

Better water outcomes are more achievable if we work together. There are great examples of this across different industries.