Concerned Waterways Alliance submission to the Essential Services Commission Water Price Review 2023

CWA welcomes the release of GM 2030 and its commitment to sustainable groundwater use that protects ecosystems and supports living cultural environments. We support the emphasis on scientific, evidence-based management but have several questions and concerns about the framing of the groundwater management scheme, how the strategy deals with the critical issue of vertical connectivity (interconnection between ground and surface water) and the apparent weight given to groundwater extraction within the hydrologic cycle as a whole. Further, GM2030 document lacks detail and defers key decisions and plans to subsequent processes.