Groundwater Productivity in NSW - 2013

This map was created by the Department of Primary Industries (Office of Water) in 2013 to identify areas in NSW with highly productive groundwater. Mapping identifies two classes of productivity, highly productive and less productive. Highly productive groundwater areas are characterised by bores having yield rates greater than 5 litre/second and total dissolved solids of less than 1,500 mg/litre. It also excludes miscellaneous alluvial aquifers called small storage aquifers.

This mapped areas of highly productive groundwater along with two other datasets (rainfall of 350mm for more per annum - 9 out of 10 years and reliable surface water) are used to identify land with access to a reliable water supply, forming part of the regional and site level assessment classification of Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land (BSAL).

Under the Mining SEPP, all State Significant Development applications require a Site Verification Certificate to determine if their site contains any BSAL and therefore requiring further assessment from the Mining and Petroleum Gateway Panel. This process is managed by Planning and Assessment, Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and are custodian of this dataset.

A pdf map and GIS shapefile of this dataset is accessible from the resources section of the metadata.