Information for developers and consultants
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation manages a large network of groundwater monitoring bores across the state. These bores are located in state forest, regional parks, crown land, road reserves and freehold land.
Groundwater monitoring bores are used to assess the quantity and quality of the state’s groundwater resources.
It is inevitable that from time to time these bores will be in areas where new developments are proposed.
As a developer planning to widen existing roads, build new roads, or construct new residential or commercial infrastructure, you may come across groundwater bores.
Identifying monitoring bores
For advice on how to identify and manage department-owned groundwater monitoring bores in development areas please refer to the guidance note Groundwater monitoring bores in development areas – Information for developers and consultants.
This guidance note outlines the process for managing department-owned groundwater monitoring bores for all of these outcomes, including information we need to inform decision making and requirements of drilling a replacement bore, and bore decommissioning work.
There will be one of three possible outcomes for each bore:
- Modify the development footprint to avoid disturbing the bore.
- Drill and install a replacement groundwater monitoring bore at an approved location and decommission the existing bore (once a relationship between groundwater levels of the old and new bores has been established).
- Decommission the bore (where the we consider the existing bore is not required).
Drilling and installing a replacement bore
The Groundwater monitoring bore replacement information template should be used to provide us with all the required information when drilling and installing a replacement groundwater monitoring bore.
