Water trading in the Logan Basin water plan area
The current Logan Basin water plan establishes a framework for the permanent trading and seasonal assignment (temporary trading) of:
- supplemented water allocations in the Logan River Water Supply Scheme (WSS)
- unsupplemented water allocations in the water management areas (WMAs) of Burnett Creek, Christmas Creek, Logan River and Running Creek.
Logan River WSS
The Logan River WSS supports water trading within specific zones, allowing users to permanently trade or temporarily assign water allocations. This framework enables water to be valued as a secure asset, promotes efficient water use, and supports industries by providing access to additional water without impacting the environment or other users.
WMAs
Unsupplemented water allocations in the WMAs can also be traded permanently or seasonally. However, trading is subject to limitations in the water management protocol.
Proposed updates
The draft Logan Basin water plan (PDF, 1.3MB) introduces updates to enhance water trading by modernising practices, improving flexibility, and ensuring sustainability. Key proposed changes include:
- Seasonal water assignments (SWAs): Temporary trading of unused water licences within the same sub-catchment will be supported, with strict rules to ensure sustainability, such as
- metering requirements for both assignors and assignees
- limits on assigned volumes, ensuring they do not exceed the unused entitlement of the assignor
- conditions that align with the original water licence.
- Volumetric entitlements: Water licences will be amended to include annual volumetric limits (nominal entitlements) and a standardised maximum rate of take (RoT) in megalitres per day (ML/d), replacing the litres per second (L/s) standard.
- Simplifying conditions: Outdated or redundant conditions will be removed and in some instances changes to water allocation groups to provide further flexibility.
These updates aim to modernise water trading practices, improve transparency, and provide greater flexibility for water users while maintaining sustainable water management.
The proposed changes to the Logan Basin water trading framework will enhance the efficiency and equity of water use, support economic growth, and ensure the sustainable management of water resources across the region.