The Basin has been Bill Bode’s life – his father was a driller and Bill followed him into the trade – and he was one of the vocal contributors to the last of the scheduled 21 public meetings held around the state in the past five weeks to seek input prior to preparation of a new plan.

Saving every drop of water that can be saved is a priority for Bill, and he told last Thursday’s meeting in Hughenden that water table reductions in his area were suggesting people were taking water out they were not supposed to be.

“Other people are not piping their water after capping it,” he said. “Up to 1.5 metres is lost in evaporation here each year, so a lot of water is going to waste.

“We need to have more compliance officers. Five years ago, bores were monitored regularly. Now we’re flat out getting flow and pressure readings.

“People could use these and look up the records and see what the difference is.”

Mr Bode was also concerned at the government’s recent release of unallocated water in the Great Artesian Basin, saying he didn’t think any more should be given out until the Cap and Pipe scheme had been fully completed.

“Another 70,000 megalitres can be saved yet,” he said.

The man charged with coordinating the development of a new Great Artesian Basin plan, Mark Foreman has heard from people from Normanton to Birdsville to Gatton and said that while every area had different issues, all wanted to ensure existing users were protected and that the GABSI capping program continued.

“Mining came up, particularly the management of petroleum and gas extraction,” he said.

“A lot of the time we were explaining how those impacts are managed, under a different legislative framework. We have to be aware of that when we’re making our plan, and make sure any take (of water) is accounted for in our plan.”