Barossa Water Allocation Plan Amendment

Share your views about how to manage water resources in the Barossa by providing feedback on the draft Barossa Water Allocation Plan amendment.

What's being decided?

The Northern and Yorke Landscape Board is undertaking statutory consultation for the amended Barossa Water Allocation Plan (the Plan). The Plan sets the rules for the sustainable use of prescribed water resources and community feedback is being sought on the proposed content. The Plan was developed using updated science and information about recent levels of consumptive demand, declining trends in water resources, the status of ecosystem health, and cultural and amenity values.

Background

The Barossa Water Allocation Plan is a legal document that provides the regulatory framework for responsible, fair and equitable water allocations for users of surface, watercourse and ground water resources, whilst supporting the health of our landscapes and ecosystems.

Work on reviewing and amending the Plan began in 2016 and has been undertaken separately but in parallel with other significant processes including the Barossa Water Security Strategy and the Barossa New Water project. Management approaches in the Plan are based on up-to-date science, monitoring, and modelling information for the current and future availability of water, the impacts of different levels of extraction, and the effects of climate change on local water resources.

The Northern and Yorke Landscape Board is seeking the community’s feedback as part of statutory consultation in order to finalise the amended Plan. Following consultation, the amended Barossa Water Allocation Plan is expected to be finalised ready for adoption in late 2025.

Get involved

Find out more:

• Read the draft Water Allocation Plan
• Read the Overview and Adaptive Management fact sheets (also available in the Documents)
• Read the technical reports (available in the Important Links)

Have your say by:

• Providing comments or asking a question via the ‘Questions and Answers’ tool
• We welcome your feedback on the draft WAP and invite you to attend one of four drop-in sessions (Lyndoch, Tanunda, Angaston or Nuriootpa) to find out more.

  Click on the links below to register your attendance at one of the drop-in sessions:
  

  • Lyndoch - Thursday, 31 July 2025, 12pm-2pm
  • Tanunda - Thursday, 31 July 2025, 4.30pm-6.30pm
  • Angaston - Friday, 1 August 2025, 12pm-2pm
  • Nuriootpa - Friday, 1 August 2025, 4.30pm-6.30pm
• Post your written submission to: Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, 318 Main North Road, Clare SA 5453
• Email a submission to: ny.landscapeboard@sa.gov.au

What are the next steps?

We will consider your feedback as part of completing the final version of the draft Plan, which will be made available via this YourSAy page following the consultation period. The final amended Barossa Water Allocation Plan will then be submitted to the Minister for approval for adoption in late 2025.