Questions about heavy tankers transporting water from the Gingin proclaimed groundwater area should be directed to the Shire of Gingin, according to the Cook Government.

On Friday Moore MLA Shane Love said The Nationals WA had launched a petition highlighting the effects of water transport vehicles, operating throughout the day and night in the Gingin area and the declining water resource for other land-based industries and residents in the Gingin area.

Mr Love said Gingin was a proclaimed groundwater area and water was extracted according to water licences.

“But local residents are witnessing tankers taking water from the area, day and night and they are calling on the government to investigate water use by licence holders,” he said.

“It is time the government took the concerns of Gingin businesses and residents seriously.”

A Cook Government spokesperson said the government took the protection of the state’s water resources “extremely” seriously and the Water Minister Simone McGurk had demonstrated how she was holding bottled water companies to account, with new measures to support transparency and sustainability recently announced.

“As a proclaimed surface and groundwater area, Gingin’s groundwater and surface water resources are managed and regulated by Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914, through licences to take water,’’ the spokesperson said.

“Licenses issued by DWER are subject to a stringent assessment process, to ensure the proposed take of water is sustainable and will not result in impacts to surrounding water users or the environment.

“Where appropriate, DWER will issue additional conditions to manage potential risks as requirements of the licence.

“Issued water licences are subject to compulsory reporting and monitoring requirements, with the data supplied to DWER for regulatory oversight.”

“The 2022 Gnangara groundwater allocation plan confirmed that DWER would review and replace the Gingin groundwater allocation plan and Gingin surface water allocation plan with a new Gingin water allocation plan, combining the management of groundwater and surface water resources.

“An evaluation statement for Gingin water allocation planning is currently being finalised by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and will be released shortly.

“Queries relating to the movement of heavy tankers relating to the transport of water should be directed to the relevant local government.”

Mr Love said a recent ABC report resulted in the spotlight being directed at water extraction for the beverage industry in Karragullen and the Perth Hills, an unproclaimed groundwater area where there is no need for a water licence.

“This being the case, there will be mounting pressure on other areas and the Gingin community are justifiably concerned,” he said.

Hard copies of the petition are available for signing at the Gingin Community Resource Centre, 1a Lily King Place, Gingin.

He said once tabled in Parliament the petition would be referred to the environment and public affairs committee for consideration and report.

This article appeared on Yanchep News Online on 9 June 2024.