Peats Ridge Springs - Update

 CCA operates a water bottling business called Peats Ridge Springs in Peats Ridge on the Central Coast of NSW. This site is subject to strict daily monitoring and reporting conditions. CCA monitors and reports daily water levels on a quarterly basis to Gosford City Council, the NSW Department of Water and Energy and our immediate neighbour.

In October 2007, CCA lodged a Section 96AA Application with Gosford City Council to make permanent the development consent issued by the NSW Land and Environment Court for 66ML per annum extraction.

As required by the Court, a detailed interpretive hydrogeological report was prepared by consulting company GHD to assess groundwater response to extraction. Based on GHD’s assessment, the Department of Water and Energy (DWE) considered that there was sufficient evidence to indicate that extraction of up to 66ML of groundwater from the site should not adversely affect the aquifer in the long term provided the existing monitoring and management plan was continued. Consequently DWE recommended that the extension of the licence to 66ML be granted on a permanent basis.

In February 2008, the Application was rejected by Gosford City Council and CCA lodged an appeal with the Land and Environment Court of NSW.

On 1 October 2008, The Land and Environment Court of NSW upheld CCA’s appeal. The Court modified CCA’s development consent to permit extraction of water at the rate of 35 ML per annum on an ongoing basis, with a further trial period permitting extraction at the rate of up to 66ML per annum. The trial period will continue until 2011.

In 2006, CCA put out an offer to other water users in the Peats Ridge area to fund the installation and maintenance of equipment to monitor water use. CCA has been working with Landcare Australia, the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority and the National Centre for Groundwater Management at the University of Technology Sydney to scope out how a monitoring and regeneration program might work.

If you live or work near our Peats Ridge site and are interested in participating in a community monitoring program, please contact us via e-mail.

The information would ensure an accurate source of data for use by the NSW Department of Water and Energy and Gosford City Council in better managing the groundwater resource over the long-term.
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 Background

1.The Peats Ridge area is covered by the Kulnura Mangrove Mountain Water Sharing Plan.  Peats Ridge is within Zone 8 of the Plan which indicates that on a long term average, each year 9,007 megalitres of water is recharged into the aquifer from rainfall and river flows.  Under the plan 2,444 megalitres of this recharge is allocated for water users, while the bulk remains for environmental flows.

2.CCA’s allocation per annum is 66 megalitres.  We are required to monitor our usage and water levels daily and report these quarterly to the Department of Water and Energy, Gosford City Council and our immediate neighbour.

3.Under conditions determined by the Land and Environment Court, in the event that the cease to pump level licence condition has been activated, CCA shall not resume any pumping from the production bores until directed in writing by the department, or the water levels of the subject monitoring bores recover to a level less than 15 metres.