AUGUST 2020  |  ISSUE #18

NSW first in Australia measuring floodplain harvesting 

NSW will be the first state in Australia to measure floodplain harvesting as part of its historic water reform action plan.

The Floodplain Harvesting Measurement Policy outlines how floodplain harvesting will be measured and monitored, before floodplain harvesting access licences are issued in 2021. It will mean water harvested from northern Murray–Darling Basin floodplains can be accurately and reliably measured for the first time.

This new reform will give landholders access to near real-time data for storage volumes by using the latest in telemetry and metering technology. This will make it easier for landholders to work within their licensed water share volume.

Landholders will be required to comply with the floodplain harvesting measurement rules by July 2021 or July 2022, depending on their onsite storage capacity.

Read more about the Measurement Ready Program.

Drought update 

There have been good inflows into the major storages in NSW over the last month. These water stores have secured town, and domestic and stock supplies. They have also triggered some environmental releases.

The department has now lifted the remaining restrictions on carryover water in the Lachlan and Macquarie Valleys. The outlook is improving with recent rainfall, but the drought is still not over, with nearly half of NSW still affected by drought (as of 20 August).

The latest drought stages in the major river systems are pictured above.

Read more on our drought update webpage.

NRAR monitoring water utilities in three regions  

Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) officers will be inspecting local water utilities that administer town water supplies. The project is part of a proactive monitoring campaign to assess their compliance with water laws.

In ‘Operation Reservoir’, compliance officers will inspect 24 local water utilities in the Sydney, Hunter and Northern Rivers areas. Officers will check the utilities’ compliance with the conditions on their water licences and approvals.

Local water utilities hold Specific-Purpose Access Licences for town water supplies. They can also have water use approvals that mean the water can only be used for town water supply purposes. Most of these licences also require the utility to monitor, record and/or report their water use.

NRAR’s Director of Water Regulation (East) Graeme White said Operation Reservoir was about upholding the integrity of the regulatory system and ensuring fair sharing of water.

‘Doing this proactive regulatory work now is important. It prepares us for the summer months ahead, when demand is high and supplies may be scarce.’

Read the media release on our website.

Final report underway for the 2020 Northern Basin First Flush event

The Independent Panel assessing the management of the 2020 Northern Basin First Flush event is now finalising its report. The panel will submit the final report to the Secretary of the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment on Monday 7 September 2020. Once publicly released, the final report will be available on the Northern Basin First Flush Assessment webpage.

What are translucent environmental releases? 

Translucent releases from a dam are flows intended to mimic the varying daily, monthly and seasonal flow patterns of a river system by ‘passing through’ a portion of dam inflows. This helps support ecological processes, increase nutrient availability, and support the reproduction and spread of native fish.

In July and August 2020, translucent release rules were triggered under the water sharing plans in the Macquarie, Lachlan and Murrumbidgee valleys. This was because of the size of the inflows to major storages in these valleys.

In the Lachlan, the water was able to be released from Lake Brewster instead of Wyangala Dam because of flooding around Forbes and Jemalong. The department’s Energy, Environment and Science division agreed to this change because it reduced the risk of flooding and allowed more water to be conserved in Wyangala Dam while meeting important environmental needs downstream.

Read more about translucent flows on our website.

Release of environmental water from Chaffey Dam 

Despite good flows in July in the Peel River downstream of Dungowan, the river below Chaffey Dam was still very dry. This was because releases from the dam stopped while the pipeline supplying Tamworth directly was operating.

To wet the 7.5 km of river reach which had ceased to flow, 62 ML of water was released from Chaffey Dam over four days from 29 July. This special release reconnected platypus and fish habitat in this zone. Now that Chaffey Dam is back above 20% full, daily releases of 3 ML will help to maintain this connection into spring.

The photos below show a section of the Peel River before and after the release. 

Learn more about environmental water on our website.

Apply for the water carting rebate by 30 September 

The NSW Government has introduced a water carting rebate program to assist and support communities affected by drought.

Eligible water users can apply for a one-off payment of $2,000 to cover the cost of water carting or installing associated infrastructure, such as water tanks, to help secure their domestic water supplies.

You are eligible for the $2,000 rebate if you meet all the following criteria:

• You’re claiming the rebate for your primary residence.
• You hold either basic landholder rights or a domestic water access licence through WaterNSW that allows access to water for domestic supplies.
• The river you were accessing water from is a regulated river system or a section of an unregulated river system that receives periodic replenishment flows from regulated river sources.
• You were unable to access water from one of these river types for domestic supplies because flows ceased for extended periods due to the drought.
• You don’t have access to the town water supply.

While flows have returned in some of these river systems, eligible water users can still apply for the rebate to cover costs already incurred in meeting their domestic water needs.

To apply for the rebate or to find out more, visit the Service NSW website, or phone Service NSW on 13 77 88.

Applications close on 30 September 2020.

New on the Water website

See our website for details on how water is allocated and a new factsheet on available water determinations for groundwater. 

Watch our new video to learn more about water for the environment and river connectivity 

Latest water news from the department 

• Rising river alert - Snowy river below Jindabyne dam - September
• Macquarie general security water restrictions lifted
• NRAR expands presence in Regional NSW
• Lachlan general security water restrictions lifted
• NSW first in Australia measuring floodplain harvesting
• NRAR to investigate compliance within bottling industry
• Water regulator disappointed by court decision

View all

Contact

Water News is our monthly update on water planning, management and reform in NSW. If you have any questions or feedback contact us at:
c
NSW Government – Water Relations
Phone +61 2 9338 6600
water.relations@dpie.nsw.gov.au