The discovery and use of this water resource has been vital in the development of many industries and has been pivotal in the settlement of many arid areas overlying the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) through providing a reliable water supplies for stock, domestic, town water, industrial and mining purposes. In addition, there is a range of cultural and environmental heritage values associated with the Basin, largely focused on areas where water emanates at the surface in the form of artesian springs, baseflow to rivers and streams and other groundwater dependent ecosystems.

To ensure the long-term sustainable management of this resource, including the protection of existing users, the environment and investments made under capping and piping programs, a framework for groundwater resource allocation and management in the Basin is now provided for under the Water Resource (Great Artesian Basin) Plan 2006 (WRP) and the GAB Resource Operations Plan for the Queensland section of the GAB. Under the WRP, access to limited amounts of new groundwater may be available in accordance with the established criteria. The plan also includes the protection of springs, the take of water for existing use and maintaining and improving long-term trends in water pressure.

In addition, since 1989 in Queensland, rehabilitation work on eligible water bores and open bore drains has been undertaken in the GAB through a partnership approach between landholders and government. The programs have focused on the rehabilitation of free flowing bores and the replacement of open bore drains with closed distribution systems and have resulted in significant pressure and water savings in many areas across the GAB.

If the GAB is to continue to provide water for future generations and allow the industries and communities that rely on this resource to continue to flourish, careful and sustainable management of this valuable natural resource is required. Through continued investment in capping and piping programs and the establishment of an appropriate regulatory framework, sustainable management of this resource will be achieved.