New Water Sharing Plans for the Gwydir Valley

The NSW Water Minister and NSW Environment Minister agreed to amendments to the Water Sharing Plan for Gwydir Regulated River Water Source and the Unregulated Water Sources.  Plans in the Border Rivers and Macquarie were also amended. 

Water Sharing Plan for the Gwydir Regulated River Water Source:

This plan underwent extensive review and remake as part of the Water Resource Plan development process and hence, there have been many amendments and changes to contemporise this plan consistent with the Basin Plan rules but also stakeholder input.
Key updates for replacement floodplain harvesting licences have also been made following the consultation in March 2021.
Amendments include:

• The establishment of the following Management Zones for managing access and dealing rules associated with regulated floodplain harvesting licences (Cl 5 - Management Zones).

a) Carole Creek management zone, (b) Gingham management zone, (c) Moree management zone, (d) Gwydir management zone, (e) Mallowa Creek management zone, (f) Mehi River Tributaries management zone, (g) Thalabah Creek management zone. Note. The management zones established in this clause are relevant to the management of floodplain harvesting (regulated river) access licences.

• Share components for regulated floodplain harvesting licences (Cl 25).
• Growth in use compliance actions that allow for separate options for supplementary licences and general security licences, as well as, floodplain harvesting rather than the current rules with target only supplementary and general security licences (Cl 34).
• Available water determination for regulated floodplain harvesting licences (Cl 40).

At the commencement of each water year, the Minister is to make an available water determination for floodplain harvesting (regulated river) access licences of 1 ML per unit share, unless a lower amount is determined under clause 34.

• New rules for water supply works that align with the Floodplain Management Plan for the Gwydir Valley which restricts new works or an increase in capacity of works in sensitive areas (Cl 43).
• Allowance of carryover for regulated floodplain harvesting licences up to 5ML per unit share (Cl 45 (1)(d).
• Rules that outline the application of the rainfall runoff exemption (Cl 50).
• Access rules restrictions when Menindee Lakes is less than 195GL capacity and flows are not forcast to be higher than the end of system triggers (Cl 51).

(3)The Minister must not announce that the taking of overland flow water is permitted if the volume of water stored in Menindee Lakes Storage is less than 195 gigalitres.
(4) Subclause (3) does not apply in the following management zones during periods for which, in the Minister’s opinion, the corresponding flows in the water source will remain at or above those specified:
(a) Carole Creek management zone – 550 ML/day in Gil Gil Creek at Galloway gauge (416 052),
(b) Gingham management zone – 250 ML/day in Gingham Channel at Teralba gauge (418 074), Published LW 29 July 2022 (2022 No 429) 28
(c) Moree management zone – 250 ML/day in the Gwydir River (South Arm) at d/s Tyreel Offtake Regulator (418 063),
(d) Gwydir management zone – 250 ML/day in the Gwydir River (South Arm) at d/s Tyreel Offtake Regulator (418 063),
(e) Mallowa Creek management zone – 1,200 ML/day in the Mehi River at Near Collarenebri gauge (418 055),
(f) Mehi River Tributaries management zone – 1,200 ML/day in the Mehi River at Near Collarenebri gauge (418 055),
(g) Thalabah Creek management zone – 300 ML/day in the Thalaba Creek Belarre gauge (418 091).

• Active Management rules to protect held environmental water for the Mallowa Management Zone (Cl 52 and 53). 
• Access dealing rules with trade restrictions for each of the Management Zones for regulated floodplain harvesting licences (Cl 55, 57 and 59).

The Water Sharing Plan for the Gwydir Unregulated Water Sources:

This plan had minor updates as part of the Water Resource Planning process is and currently under review by the Natural Resource Commission as part of their statutory review process. 
The amendments include:

•  Updated share compenents for unregulated floodplain harvesting licences (Cl 23A)

It is estimated that on 1 July 2022, the share components of floodplain harvesting (unregulated river) access licences authorised to extract water from these water sources total 10,579 unit shares, distributed as follows— (a) 3,348 unit shares in the Gingham Watercourse Water Source, (b) 493 unit shares in the Mehi River Water Source, (c) 907 unit shares in the Slaughterhouse Creek Water Source, (d) 5,831 unit shares in the Thalaba Creek Water Source

• Compliance action rules which allow for the reduction in AWD to unregulated floodplain harvesting licences as well as unregulated licences if growth in use action is triggered (Cl 31B (1A)).
• Account management rules allowing 1 ML per unit share AWD and upto 3 ML per unit share carryover for unregulated floodplain harvesting licences (Cl 34A and 39).
• New rules for water supply work approvals that align with the Floodplain Management Plan for the Gwydir Valley which restrict new work or an increase in capacity of water in sensitive areas (Cl 47).
• Access dealing rules which restrict trade to within the Gwydir Valley for unregulated floodplain harvesting licences (Cl 57 and 62)