This layer provides boundaries for the management of groundwater in Victoria and is a product of the NWC funded Secure Allocations, Future Entitlement (SAFE) Project. The Groundwater Management Basins (GMB) layer has been derived from the Groundwater Catchments (GCs). Both the GMBs and GCs have been developed to provide complete coverage of Victoria while considering the following: (1) Reflect aquifer systems and groundwater movement; and, (2) Align with physical (i.e. surface water) and administrative boundaries where appropriate. The GCs are aligned with the GMBs. Boundaries that related directly or in-directly to the physical characteristics of groundwater resources included groundwater flow divides, surface water flow divides, topographic divides, and geological structural features that influence aquifer extent and groundwater flow direction. There are five Groundwater Management Basins (GMBs) in Victoria. Each basin encompasses a number of Groundwater Catchments (GCs): (1) Goulburn Murray Basin: includes the Loddon, Campaspe, Goulburn-Broken, Ovens and Upper Murray Groundwater Catchments; (2) Wimmera-Mallee Basin: includes the Wimmera-Mallee, West Wimmera and Avoca Groundwater Catchments; (3) Otway-Torquay Basin: includes the Glenelg, Portland and Hopkins-Corangamite and Otway Torquay Groundwater Catchments; (4) For ease of reporting: Port Phillip, Westernport and Tarwin Basins are grouped into Central Basin. Central Basin includes: West Port Phillip Bay, East Port Phillip Bay, Westernport and Tarwin Groundwater Catchments; (5) Gippsland Basin: includes East Gippsland, Central Gippsland and Seaspray Groundwater Catchments.

This layer provides the boundaries of the Groundwater Catchments of Victoria and is a product of the NWC funded Secure Allocations, Future Entitlement (SAFE) Project. The Groundwater Catchments (GC) have been developed to provide complete coverage of Victoria while considering the following: (1) Reflect aquifer systems and groundwater movement; and, (2) Align with physical (i.e. surface water) and administrative boundaries where appropriate. The GCs are aligned within Victoria’s Groundwater Basins (GB). Boundaries that related directly or in-directly to the physical characteristics of groundwater resources included groundwater flow divides, surface water flow divides, topographic divides, and geological structural features that influence aquifer extent and groundwater flow direction. Administrative boundaries directly linked to the management of groundwater resources include: The Victorian State Boundary (Water Act (1989); WSPA: Water Supply Protection Area (formally declared under provisions of the Act); GMA: Groundwater Management Area (described and lodged as a plan with the Central Plan Office); RWC: Rural Water Corporation administration areas - Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (GWMWater), Goulburn Murray Water (GMW), Lower Murray Water (LMW) and Southern Rural Water (SRW); and MDBA: Murray Darling Basin Authority (Federal Water Act (2007)). The description of water resource management is often described in terms of surface water and groundwater. In reality, the two resources are connected; however there are differing degrees of interconnection depending on the groundwater system and location within the surface water catchment. In preparing the Groundwater Catchments (GC), surface water catchments were directly considered. The key surface water boundaries considered are: Victorian Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDL) Catchment boundaries; Bureau of Meteorology (2011) Surface Water Basins (Australian Hydrological Geospatial Framework, product suite v2 2011); Victorian Surface Water Basin Catchment (Australia’s River Basin, 1997); and, Geoscience Australia (500 sqkm) National Nested Catchment.

Surface Water - This dataset displays Victoria's surface-water Water Supply Protection Areas (WSPAs), and has been prepared for the Groundwater and Licensing Branch and the River Health Branch DSE, by LICS (Land Information Cartographic Services) and Melbourne Water. As part of the 2002 amendments to the Water Act 1989, surface-water was included to allow WSPAs to be declared for the protection of surface-water resources in a defined area. A legally enforceable Streamflow Management Plan is then developed. The aim of the plan is to manage the surface water resources of the WSPA equitably and to ensure the long-term sustainability of the resource. An extensive consultative process guarantees that surface water users have a major input into the development of the Streamflow Management Plan for their area. A Ministerial appointed Consultative Committee which represents all relevant interests prepares the Plan. In an area where farming predominates, farmers who own or occupy farming land in the area must comprise at least half of the membership of the committee. Groundwater - This dataset displays Victoria's groundwater Water Supply Protection Areas (WSPAs), and was originally prepared for Groundwater and Licensing Branch DSE, by LICS (Land Information Cartographic Services). Boundaries generaterd by LICS and Melbourne Water. Subsequent revisions have been undertaken by GLiB and the Rural Water Corporations. WSPAs are areas that have been (or are proposed to be) proclaimed under the Water Act 1989 for the purpose of establishing a management plan. The aim of the plan is to manage the groundwater resources of the WSPA equitably and to ensure the long-term sustainability of the resource. An extensive consultative process guarantees that groundwater users have a major input into the development of the Groundwater Management Plan for their area. A Ministerial appointed Consultative Committee, which represents all relevant interests, prepares the Plan. In an area where farming predominates, farmers who own or occupy farming land in the area must comprise at least half of the membership of the committee.

Surface Water Management Areas for Western Australia were derived in consultation with the regional offices, geometry is based on hydrographic subcatchments. Regional Department of Environment officers identified areas of similar management requirements to define boundaries. Management areas will be used for licencing and administrative purposes. Purpose: The Surface Water Management Area data was developed in order to give a clear understanding of surface water availability and to provide management tools to make good water allocation and natural resources management decisions. Dataset was formally known as Surface Water Management Areas (DOW-020)

Groundwater areas stored in WRIMS (Water Resource Information Management System). For the purposes of groundwater resource management, the state of Western Australia is divided into groundwater management areas or groundwater areas. The extraction and licensing of groundwater resources are managed within groundwater areas in order to ensure environmental requirements are met and to prevent over extraction of the resource. Some Groundwater Areas stored in WRIMS do not accurately reflect the official gazetted Groundwater Area boundaries, however a program is currently underway to realign the boundaries. Please contact the data steward for more information.