New water allocation plan for Alice Springs
The Minister for Water Resource recently declared the Alice Springs water allocation plan 2026-2036.
This new plan will guide water management in the Alice Springs water allocation plan area for the next 10 years.
The plan ensures there is enough water for people, the environment, cultural needs, and economic development, now and into the future.
The final plan reflects advice and feedback from the local community which has shaped the new water plan. This included targeted discussions with key groups and a public consultation period held from 16 February to 17 March 2026. Key updates since the draft include:
- re-inclusion of Wanngardi and Inner Farm management zones
- revision of the estimated sustainable yield across management zonesw
- water available for economic development aligned to policy.
The plan is built on decades of scientific research. Since the 1950s, Northern Territory water scientists have been studying and monitoring the water systems of Alice Springs. This long-term work has helped build a strong understanding of how the region’s water behaves, and the new plan reflects the best available knowledge today.
In a first for the plan area, water has been allocated to the Aboriginal Water Reserve, allowing eligible aboriginal landholders to access water for economic development.
The largest water use in the Alice Springs plan is public water supply, drawn from the Mereenie Aquifer System. Though the resource is extensive, the plan acknowledges that it is being drawn down slowly over centuries, due to limited modern recharge. It will continue meeting Alice Springs’ long-term public water supply.
Other water resources in the plan area will be managed to ensure the long-term survival of river red gums and other groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
For more information on the water plan documents, including frequently asked questions, go to the Northern Territory Government website.
