Appendix 2
National Water Planning Report
Card framework
The National Water Planning Report Card 2011 included ‘Baseline’ assessments (plans assessed against a limited set of
sub-criteria) and ‘Detailed’ assessments (plans assessed against all sub-criteria). Detailed assessments were undertaken
for all evaluations in 2013.
National Water Planning Report Card framework
1. Status of plan.
Is there a plan in place?
1a
Is there a plan in place?
1b
What is the status of water planning in this area?
1c
Were criteria used to determine if or when a plan would be created?
2. Key assessments.
Does the plan include key assessments?
2a
Is there a hydrological assessment that describes and quantifies all water resources within the plan area?
2b
Is there an assessment of the community values and attitudes to water in the plan area?
2c
Is there an assessment of the economic value of water in the plan area?
2d
Is there an assessment that identifies and quantifies the water needs of environmental assets?
2e
Is there an assessment of the risks to the water resource?
2f
Were key assessments informed by a consultation process?
3. Overuse status and whether there is a pathway to return to a sustainable water extraction regime.
Does the plan identify overuse and is there a pathway to sustainable extraction?
3a
Is the sustainable level of extraction specified by the plan?
3b
Does the plan identify any indicators for approaching overuse?
3c
If there is overuse, does the plan recognise overuse and provide a clearly defined pathway to correct it within
a specific timeframe?
3d
If there is overuse, have actions to address overuse been implemented to date?
4. Inclusion of clearly identified and measurable outcomes.
Does the plan include clearly identified and measurable outcomes?
4a
Does the plan identify measurable outcomes and outputs that can be assessed within the plan’s timeframe?
4b
Are the provisions in the plan linked to the plan outcomes?
4c
Are the monitoring arrangements within the plan linked to the plan outcomes?
4d
Do monitoring arrangements address the identified risks?
5. Facilitation of trade (absence of barriers, meeting service standards for trade, etc.).
Does the plan facilitate trade?
5a
Does the plan enable trade in line with the NWI?
5b
Are there any barriers to trade?
5c
If barriers exist, are they explained?
6.
Integration of mining, forestry and other water intercepting activities within the water planning and entitlements
system where appropriate.
Is interception appropriately considered and integrated into the plan?
6a
Do assessments include major interception activities?
6b
Is the potential for interception recognised in the plan, including the identification of any risks to the water resources from changes to
intercepting activities?
6c
Where interception is an identified risk to water resources, does the plan include rules to ensure that interception activities (including
mining and coal seam gas) within the plan area do not compromise the plan outcomes?
6d
Does the plan require any metering or monitoring of intercepting activities?
6e
Does the plan include a threshold level for intercepting activities, beyond which water access entitlements
are required?
7. Surface water/groundwater connectivity.
Does the plan include/address surface water and groundwater connectivity as appropriate?
7a
Is GW/SW connectivity recognised in the plan?
7b
Does the plan include conjunctive management arrangements for connected GW and SW resources?
7c
If the plan deals with a single resource, is there reference to a plan or management arrangements for other water resources within the
plan area?
8.
Accountable environmental water management arrangements, together with a comprehensive environmental watering
plan (or other appropriate environmental water management arrangement).
Does the plan contain accountable environmental water management arrangements?
8a
Does the plan include environmental water management arrangements or a comprehensive environmental
watering plan?
8b
Are the environmental water management arrangements or environmental watering plan explicitly linked to the plan outcomes?
8c
Does the plan describe the environmental objectives and outcomes proposed during the life of the plan?
8d
Does the plan clearly assign responsibilities (positions or agencies) for all environmental watering provisions?
8e
Was the selection of environmental strategies for the plan based on science?
8f
Does the plan include monitoring arrangements to assess if the environmental objectives are being achieved?
8g
Does the plan include triggers to amend or change the environmental water arrangements as a result of the outcomes of monitoring or
research or new information?
8h
Does the plan reference other relevant environmental management plans?
9. The adequacy of monitoring, compliance and enforcement provisions.
Is there adequate monitoring occurring, and are there compliance and enforcement mechanisms in place?
9a
Is there a monitoring framework for the plan?
9b
Are plan outcomes being monitored?
9c
Is the monitoring reporting schedule being followed?
9d
Is action being taken to collect additional information required to implement the plan?
9e
Is there a review process that allows for changes to the plan based on information arising from monitoring?
9f
Is monitoring addressing the identified risks?
9g
Are there arrangements for compliance and enforcement?
10. Planning for climate change and extremes in inflows or recharge that may occur during the planning cycle.
Does the plan deal appropriately with climate change and extremes in inflows or recharge?
10a
Have climate change or climate variability and extreme scenarios been considered in the development
of the plan?
10b
Is there an indication of the risks to the condition, or continued availability, of the water resources that arise from the effects of climate
change or climate variability?
10c
Are there long-term strategies in the plan for dealing with the effects of climate change or climate variability?
10d
Does the plan include triggers, management responses and responsibilities in the plan for responding to unexpected changes in water
availability?
10e
If the plan cannot be amended during its life to respond to unexpected changes in water availability, are there other transparent
mechanisms for dealing with this?
11. Assessment of the adequacy of stakeholder engagement in planning processes.
Is stakeholder engagement in the planning process adequate?
11a
Was there a strategy for stakeholder engagement that covered the entire planning process?
11b
Were all stakeholders relevant to this plan area identified?
11c
Was stakeholder input considered at all key points in the planning process?
11d
Was the stakeholder engagement tailored to maximise community input?
11e
Was stakeholder input considered in the development of the plan?
11f
Are decisions made available to the public?
12. The extent to which identified outcomes have been achieved during the reporting period.
Have identified outcomes been achieved during the reporting period?
12a
Does the plan include clearly identified and measurable outcomes?
12b
What is the reporting period for the plan?
12c
Does the plan clearly assign responsibilities (individuals or agencies) for all implementation activities
under the plan?
12d
Have plan outcomes been achieved to date (noting the reporting period for the plan)?
12e
Have any actions or outputs been achieved that demonstrate progress against plan outcomes?
12f
Do monitoring results support any stated progress in achieving actions or outputs that demonstrate
progress against plan outcomes?
12g
Have identified risks been mitigated?
12h
Have monitoring results shown a need for change in the plan?
12i
If the need for change was identified, has the plan been adapted or changed?
A set of standard answers that apply to the national water planning report card framework were developed, as listed below.
Standard answer
Comment
1.
Yes: the issue is covered adequately
The issue is addressed for this water plan area.
2.
To some extent: the issue is only
partially covered
The issue is not adequately addressed in terms of coverage or quality
for this water plan area.
3.
No: the issue is not included in
the plan
Major deficiencies in coverage or detail were identified for this water
plan area.
4.
Unable to assess: insufficient supporting
information is available
It is not possible with the information available to make a judgement
against this criterion.
5.
Not applicable*
Does not apply to this water plan.
* Not all criteria within the framework are relevant to all water plans, so not all criteria were assessed. For example, very recently released
water plans would not be expected to have achieved all the stated outcomes at the time of the assessment.