Barwon Water is in the process of drafting its groundwater licence application which is planned to be submitted to Southern Rural Water in mid-2018.

The Barwon Downs Community Reference Group submitted and presented their recommendation report to the Barwon Water Board in early May, 2018. This was an excellent opportunity for the Board to hear personally from the reference group.

This report along with all other community feedback will be considered as part of our licence application development and will be attached to our application.

Since the community and stakeholder workshops in 2017, Barwon Water has received some community feedback on Barwon Water’s proposed overall volumetric entitlement for the next licence period.

The upcoming application for renewal of our groundwater licence will propose a careful and adaptive approach to use of the borefield during the 15-year term of the licence.

The licence will propose a three phase management plan that places additional constraints on the use of the borefield as follows:

• Phase 1 – remediation of Boundary Creek, with no production pumping from Barwon Downs other than if required in an unlikely emergency event. This phase will also include further investigations to improve the understanding of interaction between groundwater pumping and the Barwon River.
• Phase 2 – low rate test pumping.
• Phase 3 – commencement of production pumping if required, but within the sustainable caps confirmed at the end of Phase 2.

The volumetric entitlements are still being refined.

Barwon Water will continue to keep the community and stakeholders informed of the licence application process.