Groundwater Assessment

​​​​​​​​The Groundwater Assessment Project is working to improve our understanding of the State's groundwater resources so that we can sustainably manage the resource into the future.

The project’s objectives are to:

The first stage of the project has seen the development and implementation of the Tasmanian Groundwater Risk Assessment Tool and Management Framework. The Groundwater Risk Assessment Tool is designed to be a risk screening tool that can be applied consistently to identify areas for further investigation or inform water resource management policy and water infrastructure investment planning.

It is the first time a holistic, consistent, and repeatable approach to groundwater resource risk has been applied in Tasmania. This will help us make informed decisions about how to use and manage groundwater in the future.

The Groundwater Risk Assessment Tool has been used to assess relative risk across 32 groundwater assessment units in Tasmania. This ‘first pass’ on risk assessment categorised the Sassafras-Wesley Vale area as being high risk, which is consistent with it being the only region in Tasmania currently under active management with licensed groundwater allocations. Other areas with potential high risks include Smithton Syncline, Sheffield-Spreyton-Kimberley, Burnie Basalts, Flinders Island, Great-Forester-Brid, and Huon North.

The next stage of the project will involve targeted field-based studies, investigations, and activities to provide confidence in preliminary risk outcomes and support the implementation of the Management Framework.  

The Smithton Syncline area was identified as High Risk in the statewide groundwater risk assessment and will be the focus of these targeted studies.

A 3D geological model has been developed to better understand the groundwater resource in the Smithton Syncline area. The focus of the model is to identify the 3D geometry of geological units that might be able to host groundwater resources.

The model has been developed in collaboration with Mineral Resources Tasmania and can be accessed through their website under Smithton Synclinorium 3D model (https://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/products/digital_data/data_downloads/3d_models). 

Groundwater usage in the Smithton area is increasing and represents a critical resource for many farmers in the area. It is especially important as a source of water for the dairy industry.

One of the key gaps in our knowledge is how much groundwater is available and how much is being used. To better understand groundwater use we also need to verify and update information about existing bores such as location and operational status.

NRE Tas will be working in the Smithton Syncline area from September 2024 to meet with water users and undertake field-based assessments of bores and surveys of groundwater users, so that we can better understand groundwater use and confirm bore locations and details in the area. 

​This groundwater use survey project aims to increase our knowledge of the groundwater resource in the Smithton Syncline area by helping us understand how much groundwater is being used and what the demand might be for future use.  This information will allow us to plan ahead and ensure that the water resource is well managed to meet the challenges of increasing demand and a changing climate.