About the area
The Cardigan groundwater management area (GMA) covers a basalt aquifer encompassing Ballarat and extending west past Lake Burrumbeet.
The water authority responsible for managing groundwater in the Cardigan GMA is Southern Rural Water.
The Cardigan GMA Local Management Plan applies to groundwater resources for all formations below the surface.
More information on groundwater management can be found on the Southern Rural Water
Groundwater level trends
Table 1: Groundwater level trends, Cardigan GMA
Response to water availability
Groundwater restrictions
There were no restrictions on licensed use in the Cardigan GMA in 2024-25.
Entitlements and use
Groundwater entitlements have been issued for licensed (non-urban) use and urban supply to Ballarat in the Cardigan GMA. Groundwater is also available for domestic and stock use.
Entitlement volumes
Table 2: Groundwater entitlements at 30 June, Cardigan GMA
Available water and take
The table below shows the total water available and taken under entitlements, and estimated domestic and stock use in 2024-25. Total water available under entitlements is calculated as the sum of: opening carryover from the prior year (where available), allocation issued during the reporting year, and the net trade in or out of water, across all entitlements. The level of allocation issued is reduced if there are any restrictions in place.
Estimated domestic and stock use is calculated based on an assumed usage per registered bore per year. In this GMA, the assumed usage is 1.5 ML per bore per year.
More information on groundwater use and availability has been detailed in How we account for
Table 3: Groundwater availability and take, Cardigan GMA
Compliance
Compliance against water entitlements is reported for this groundwater management unit (GMU) in 2 areas:
- entitlement issued: that the volume of entitlements issued in the GMU does not exceed relevant permissible consumptive volumes (PCVs) or has not increased without appropriate approvals
- water extracted: that the volume of water taken under entitlements during the year does not exceed the total water available to licence holders.
Key points on compliance against entitlements in 2024-25
Entitlement volume did not exceed the PCV
The volume of entitlements (3,889 ML) in the Cardigan GMA did not exceed the PCV (3,967 ML).
Total volume extracted under licences was within the available volume
The total volume extracted under licences (1,261 ML) was within the volume available for the year (3,889 ML).
Table 4: PCV vs total entitlement volumes, Cardigan GMA
Management responsibilities
Management of water in the Cardigan GMA is undertaken by Southern Rural Water.
| Authority | Management responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Southern Rural Water |
|
