The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) released the “Review of the condition of Great Artesian Basin water and its environment” report on 26 February 2025. We were asked to contribute to the independent assessment, updating our 2016 examination of the economic output of groundwater dependent sectors in the Great Artesian Basin (GAB). This updated assessment was a key input into the report.
Our Economist David Appels shared “Water from the GAB supports a diverse range of communities and industries. The economic output of groundwater-dependant sectors in the GAB has almost tripled from our assessment in 2016.”
We found that GAB water dependent businesses and industries generate approximately $33.2 billion of economic output per year. Whilst also noting that environmental values could not be monetised in this report, a further estimated $1.6 billion was generated from tourism with visitors enjoying GAB based attractions such as thermal pools.
Please contact David Appels and Hugh McCormack for more information on our work in this sector.
