Overland flow
- What is overland flow?
- How overland flow is managed
- Development approval applications
- Where the taking of overland flow is regulated
- Moratoriums on development
- Contact details
What is overland flow?
Overland flow is water that runs across the land after rainfall, either before it enters a watercourse, after it leaves a watercourse as floodwater, or after it rises to the surface naturally from underground.
It does not include:
- water that has naturally infiltrated the soil in normal farming operations
- irrigation tailwater if its recycling meets best practice requirements
- water collected from roofs for rainwater tanks.
Most water in rivers and underground reserves originates as overland flow. If too much water is intercepted before it reaches a watercourse, or if too much floodwater is intercepted before it returns to a watercourse, there can be serious implications for:
- towns, industries and farms that rely on watercourses for water supplies
- landholders who rely on beneficial flooding
- the maintenance of healthy waterways
- groundwater recharge
- ecosystems relying on periodic inundation.
How overland flow is managed
A person may take overland flow for any purpose unless there is a moratorium notice, a water resource plan or wild river declaration that limits or alters the water that may be taken. Rules in water resource plans established under the Water Act 2000 (Water Act) regulate the building of works that take overland flow either actively or passively.
Works that take overland flow actively include:
- pumps, storages, sumps, drains and pipes used to take or store it
- any storage connected to another one used to take overland flow, and the connecting infrastructure
- structures used to hold overland flow for ponded pastures.
Works that take overland flow passively include:
- embankments or diversion banks used to direct it into dams, or to slow it down to increase the amount taken. This does not include works used in soil conservation.
Water resource plans do not regulate works that ‘interfere’ with, but were not built specifically to take overland flow. However, local planning laws may still regulate the building of these structures which include:
- levees
- contour banks
- fences
- roads.
Where the construction of overland flow works is regulated, the development may be either assessable or self-assessable development under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009. See Codes for assessable and self-assessable development for information on constructing works for taking overland flow.
You must also ensure that you comply with any other relevant state and federal laws when constructing works under these codes.
Development approval applications
Where overland flow works are assessable development an application for development approval must be lodged on an approved form under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009.
Where the taking of overland flow is regulated
Currently, the taking of overland flow is regulated in the following water resource plan areas:
- Baffle Creek (PDF)*
- Border Rivers (PDF)*
- Burdekin Basin (PDF)*
- Calliope River Basin (PDF)*
- Condamine and Balonne (PDF)*
- Cooper Creek (PDF)*
- Fitzroy Basin (PDF)*
- Georgina and Diamantina (PDF)*
- Gulf (PDF)*
- Mitchell (PDF)*
- Moonie (PDF)*
- Moreton (PDF)*
- Warrego, Paroo, Bulloo, and Nebine (PDF)*
- Whitsunday (PDF)*
In all of these areas, you will require:
- an authorisation to take overland flow
- a development permit under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 for most works for taking overland flow.
Contact your local departmental business centre listed below for specific requirements in your catchment.
Moratoriums on development
Moratoriums can be declared to suspend construction of new works for taking overland flow. This ensures that all existing uses are properly accounted for and that no further development takes place while a water resource plan is being developed. Moratorium can continue to have effect until a resource operations plan is in place.
While a moratorium is in place, the government strives to minimise disruption of normal farming activities. The Water Act provides for landholders to continue to have access to water for stock and domestic requirements.
Moratoriums regulating both existing works and proposed new works to take overland flow water are in place in the following areas:
- Burnett—18 January 2010
- Condamine and Balonne—December 2008.
Contact details
For further information on overland flow, contact the department business centre in the relevant water resource plan area.
Baffle Creek and Burnett
Water Services Office
PO Box 1167
Bundaberg QLD 4670
Phone: 1800 135 531
Fax: 07 4131 5896
Border Rivers; Condamine Balonne; Moonie; and Warrego, Paroo, Bullo and Nebine
Water Services Office
PO Box 318
Toowoomba Qld 4350
Phone: 07 4529 1394
Fax: 07 4529 1555
Email: Waterservices.Toowoomba@dnrm.qld.gov.au
Burdekin Basin and Gulf
Water Services Office
PO Box 591
Ayr Qld 4807
Phone: 07 4761 2223
Fax: 07 4761 2211
Email: waterinfonorth@derm.qld.gov.au
Fitzroy and Calliope River Basin
Water Services Office
PO Box 1762
Rockhampton Qld 4700
Phone: 1800 822 100
Fax: 07 4927 3079
Georgina and Diamantina Rivers; Cooper Creek
Longreach Office
PO Box 210
Longreach Qld 4730
Phone: 07 4650 1900
Fax: 07 4650 1902
Mitchell River
PO Box 156
Mareeba Qld 4880
Phone: 07 4048 4850
Fax: 07 4092 2366
Email: waterinfonorth@derm.qld.gov.au
Moreton
Gatton Research Station
Warrego Highway
Locked Mail Bag 1009
MS 437
Gatton QLD 4343
Phone: 07 5466 2222
Fax: 07 5466 2282
Whitsunday
PO Box 63
Mackay Qld 4740
Phone: 07 4967 0995
Fax: 07 4999 6904
* Requires Adobe Reader
Last updated 6 December 2012
