Finocchiaro CLP Government has declared the new Katherine Water Allocation Plan 2026-2036.
The plan takes a proactive approach to water management and is informed by the best available science for the region.
This provides certainty and water security for the environment and those living the Katherine region.
The Finocchiaro CLP Government has declared the Katherine Water Allocation Plan 2026-36, securing water for the Katherine region for the next 10 years and into the future.
The plan is based on more than 70 years of scientific monitoring and best available data and replaces the previous Katherine Tindall Limestone Aquifer water allocation plan 2024-2026, which expired earlier this year.
Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment Joshua Burgoyne said the plan provided certainty for community water supplies, agriculture, industry and recreation while protecting the Katherine River and its environmental and cultural values.
"This plan ensures that even in very dry years we are protecting 87% of stream flows to the Katherine River while still making water available for industry," Minister Burgoyne said.
The plan area includes the Katherine township and Rockhole community and manages groundwater from the Tindall Limestone Aquifer and surface water extraction from the Katherine River.
Monitoring data shows aquifer storage remains healthy, with current groundwater levels higher than they were in the 1970s before much of the development in the Katherine region began.
Key features of the new plan include:
A reduced plan area to focus on parts of the Tindall Limestone Aquifer in highest demand and with the greatest connection to Katherine River's dry season flows.A discharge protection zone close to the river sets a cap on commercial water use to protect river flows and springs.A dedicated Aboriginal Water Reserve has been established.Improved water trading rules to provide greater certainty for licence holders and maximise productive water use.
This is the fifth iteration of the Katherine plan, which will be implemented over a 10-year period, and was developed with input from the Daly River water advisory committee and feedback from community consultation and stakeholder engagement.
To view the Katherine Water Allocation Plan 2026-2036 visit Water allocation plans | NT.GOV.AU here
