National Groundwater Action Plan
A comprehensive $82 million National Groundwater Action Plan initiated by the National Water Commission in 2007 is investing in projects to improve our knowledge and understanding of groundwater. The plan consists of three major components:
- The National Groundwater Assessment Initiative
- National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training
- Knowledge and Capacity Building component.
The National Groundwater Assessment Initiative
This $50 million initiative is the centrepiece of the action plan. It funds hydrogeological investigations to help overcome critical groundwater knowledge gaps. There are eight priority investment themes.
- Find out more about the National Groundwater Assessment Initiative
National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training
This $30 million joint venture between the National Water Commission and the Australian Research Council will build capacity in groundwater knowledge and tackle the shortage of skilled groundwater scientists and managers in Australia. The Centre will train postgraduate and postdoctoral scientists in advanced hydrogeological and related technologies.
Knowledge and Capacity Building component
This $2 million component is delivering principles, guidelines and good practice examples that can be used by groundwater managers, users and water planners to improve understanding and sustainable management of groundwater resources.
Groundwater Technical Advisory Committee
The National Water Commission has established a Groundwater Technical Advisory Committee (GTAC) to advise on groundwater direction setting and investment strategies to ensure that the groundwater program delivers outputs that are consistent with the National Water Initiative. The panel, which is chaired by Ken Matthews (Commission Chair) and includes NWC Commissioner John Radcliffe, is predominantly skills-based and includes high-level Australian groundwater experts, representation from groundwater managers, the Chair of the National Groundwater Working Group and the Chair of Australian Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists.