Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (GABSI)
The Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (GABSI) is a joint program between the Australian Commonwealth Government, the Queensland, South Australian and New South Wales State Governments, and the Northern Territory Government, providing assistance to landholders to rehabilitate bores and replace bore drains with piped systems.
Financial assistance is provided to projects that:
- reinforce sustainable groundwater management strategies
- reduce negative environmental impacts
- augment efficient land management practices resulting in improved agricultural and pastoral productivity.
GABSI provides significant subsidies towards bore rehabilitation and bore drain replacement, (piping). Bore rehabilitation is subsidised to a maximum of 80%, this includes all investigation, project plan and design, materials and contract work, with the remaining 20% of costs met by the landholder.
A subsidy for bore drain replacement includes the survey costs, design, materials and supervision components of the project; installation costs of the piping scheme are at full cost to the landholder. Landholders in the Warrego and Surat zones are responsible for 25% of the cost, and in all other management zones 30%.
How to participate
Applications are open all year round. The Department advertises for applications through local radio and newspapers. For further information on how to apply please call 13 74 68 (13 QGOV).
When submitting an application, you may be requested to provide a map of the property showing:
- the location of all infrastructure, fences, paddocks, current watering points, and bore drains; and
- the proposed location of pipelines and watering points.
More information
- Fact sheet The Great Artesian Basin (PDF, 222K)*
- Fact sheet The Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (PDF, 83K)*
- Fact sheet The Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative—Bore Rehabilitation (PDF, 80K)*
- Fact sheet The Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative—Bore Drain Replacement (Piping) (PDF, 88K)*
For more information on GABSI contact the Queensland Government on 13 74 68 (13 QGOV).
* Requires Adobe Reader
Last updated 29 April 2011