In fractured rock aquifers, groundwater is stored in the fractures, joints, bedding planes and cavities of the rock mass. Water availability is largely dependent on the nature of the fractures and their interconnection.
In Tasmania, most fractured rocks are of pre-Tertiary age (> 65 million years old) and include a wide range of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks where there are essentially no primary pore spaces.
The wide distribution of fractured rock aquifers in Tasmania makes them a valuable source of water for livestock and domestic requirements, and in some areas irrigation supplies.