WA Plan to Double Fitzroy River Groundwater Extraction
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- WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has proposed lifting groundwater allocation from the Martuwarra Fitzroy River catchment from about 32GL to 75.7GL in a draft water plan now out for consultation
- The Fitzroy River hosts four of the world's five sawfish species, including the endangered largetooth sawfish (up to 7 metres) that are born at the river's mouth and depend on deep aquifer-fed pools during dry periods
- Dr Leonardo Guida of the Australian Marine Conservation Society called the river the global baseline for what a relatively untouched sawfish population looks like, while hydrogeologist Dr Ryan Vogwill said groundwater becomes the key sustainer of the ecosystem when surface water stops flowing
- Environs Kimberley supports the draft plan's rejection of new surface water allocations and dams, but is pushing for a more precautionary approach to groundwater, saying the current proposal is 'way too much'
- Dr Anne Poelina, executive chair of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council, said the river is already stressed and that too many unknowns about system connectivity, groundwater volume and sea level rise exist to begin allocating for profit-making activities
- The Pilbara offers a cautionary precedent: a similar water allocation plan there failed, with groundwater aquifers now in decline, according to Poelina
- DWER did not respond to Guardian Australia's questions about how the 75.7GL figure was determined or whether the government would fund additional monitoring
Why it matters: The WA plan would lift extraction from 32GL to 75.7GL — more than double — in a system where groundwater science is incomplete and the Pilbara's failed allocation plan is recent precedent. Both conservationists and a hydrogeologist stated refuge pools fed by aquifers are critical for sawfish survival during dry periods, meaning the allocation decision carries direct consequences for an irreplaceable global population.
