GWYDIR VALLEY IRRIGATORS ASSOCIATION

Events

Guides How-to-guide - Nominating a measurement period (PDF, 1308 KB)
 FPH resources



Click on the links below to reference how to: Works Classification
  • To classify your work (water supply work or floodplain harvesting), please login or register in the Customer Portal and complete the ‘Amend the status of your work’ form. Please see our how-to guide (PDF, 507.85 KB) for assistance.

WaterNSW Have added FPH invalley triggers into the gauges where they apply on WaterInsights. The target volumes are noted in Table B of the Section324 order. 
To determine if you can access FPH you will need to confirm on you licence which water source you are in, you will also need to confirm which management zone you are in. Cross check with the Section 324 order to see how the order restricts your access. 
WaterInsights 

Thirty years of reform in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) has focused on ‘rebalancing’ water use. These reforms began in the 1990s, in response to concerns at the time of ‘over extraction’, and the need to tip the balance back towards water remaining in rivers for the environment.
The question is where is that balance now - between water diverted for human uses, and water not-diverted to remain in rivers.
This goes to the original purpose of the Basin Plan. The Report’s key finding is clear: just 23% of available water is diverted for human uses, leaving 77% in rivers, wetlands, and floodplains to support the environment.

Today the NSWIC launched Growing NSW: Irrigated Food & Fibre Calendar 
The calendar highlights the diversity of NSW produce and the ag events at the heart of our regional communities. It supports the position that “Water policy is food policy. The decisions we make about water today will shape our ability to grow food and fibre, support regional communities and provide for future generations,” the full media release is available following.
 Water policy is food policy: NSWIC launches new irrigated ag calendar – New South Wales Irrigators’ Council

If you have good photos to add to the calendar, please send them to gvia@gvia.org.au
Do't forget #irrigationmatters  if you are on social media

Please note that the s324 embargo is inforce. This means that while Menindee Upper lakes are below 250GL there is no access to the following:
- Gwydir regulated FPH and Supplementary
- Gingham unregulated FPH and river access
- Mallawa and Mehi Water Source unregulated river access

Details are available via the NSW Government link included. These restrictions are in place until June 2027. 

Menindee storage levels are currently at 232GL, 

The Natural Resources Commission  has commenced its statutory review of the         Water Sharing Plan for the Gwydir Alluvial Groundwater Sources Order 2020

This is your opportunity to share your views on how the plan is working with regards environmental, social, cultural and economic outcomes.
The NRC is interested in stakeholders sharing their thoughts Have your say.     Submissions are due by Friday 6th November 2026.

As water sharing plans approach expiry, they are supposed to be independently reviewed by the NRC to assess how well they contribute to environmental, social, cultural and economic outcomes, and whether changes may be needed to improve outcomes.
The NRC findings provide advice to the Minister for Water to inform decisions about whether to extend or replace the plans. 

The most recent NSW Irrigators Council newsletter is here now. It features

  1. #IrrigationMatters in NSW
  2. Works classification fee-free period extended to 1 December
  3. Upcoming NSW Water Sharing Plan replacements
  4. Consultations open (MDBA, IGWC, IPART) 

The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, Dr Simon Banks, is selling up to 15 gigalitres of annual water allocations in the Gwydir Catchment in New South Wales via a competitive tender process. A media release announcing the sale can be seen here.

Important information about this sale:

  • The tender opens at 10:00 AM (AEST) on 29 September 2026 and closes at 05:00 PM (AEST) 1 October 2026. Bids can only be submitted during the tender open period.
  • Bids must be submitted via the Commonwealth Environmental Water Trading Portal. This online portal is hosted on the ‘360’ tender platform. To gain access to the Bid Form, potential Bidders will first need to create an account on the 360 platform with a username and password. 
  • The sale will have minimum Bid volume of 5 megalitres (ML) and a maximum Bid volume of 5,000 ML.
  •  No agents (including water brokers) have been appointed to represent the Commonwealth in this process. Bidders may, at their discretion, submit a Bid through the online portal using an agent of their choice.
Please see the water trading webpage for more information regarding this trade and how to submit a Bid

You can contactthe CEWH at ewater@dcceew.gov.au

Water NSW have announced that the free fee period for recording a work/s classification has been extended until 1 December 2026, giving water users more time to ensure each water supply work has a work classification recorded without paying an application fee.
There is now more time available to learn more about works classifications and how to apply. More information is available on the Water NSW our website, with customers encouraged to book a one-on-one appointment to discuss their situation.

Today the MDBA released an information pack outlining emerging policy directions for the Basin Plan review. It is available on the MDBA website and highlights several areas.
1. climate risk and adaptive response
2. The Northern Basin and Menindee
3. Native fish and Water Quality
4. Optimising outcomes from water for the environment
5. Sustainable Diversion Limit assessments where the Gwydir is mentioned 
NSWIC and NIC will be attending a roundtable next week to discuss these areas. 

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