Murray groundwater allocation plan
Plan release information
The Murray groundwater allocation plan and Statement of response were released in April 2012.
The plan includes allocation limits, which define how much water is available in the Murray plan area. It describes how we will allocate and manage water resources and monitor, measure and evaluate the objectives of the plan.
Water allocation planning in the Murray area
A great deal of planning is required to make the most of the water that is available to support growth in regional Western Australia, without reducing the amount that is required by existing users or damaging groundwater-dependent ecosystems. The plan also is an important reference tool for land use planning.
Plan area
The Murray groundwater plan covers 1050 km2 on the Swan Coastal Plain, about 50 kilometres south of Perth.
The plan covers the Murray groundwater area. The boundaries are based on hydrological features including the Serpentine River, Murray River, Harvey River and the iconic Peel–Harvey Estuary.
Water resources
The groundwater resources in the area are four sedimentary aquifers, both unconfined and confined, and a fractured rock aquifer system along the Darling Scarp. In order of their increasing depth, they are the Superficial, Rockingham Sand (where present), Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers.
For management purposes, the Murray groundwater area is divided into four subareas – Nambeelup, Coolup, Pinjarra and Waroona.
Murray groundwater plan area and subareas