Summary of current water allocations
Below are tables summarising current water allocations for regulated river, unregulated river and groundwater water sources.
Allocations that are normally expressed in megalitres per unit share – for example high security, general security and aquifer access – are expressed in the tables below as percentages. One megalitre (ML) per unit share equates to 100% allocation, whereas 0.05 ML per share equates to 5% allocation.
Tables for the unregulated rivers and groundwater sources report by exception, that is, only those water source licence categories that did not receive full allocations are listed.
Carryover water
Water users may have access to unused water in their account carried over from the previous year. Carryover rules vary between water sources and between licence categories. Towns, domestic and stock, and most high security licence categories cannot carryover.
Drought stage
The current drought stage for each inland river valley is included in the table. These range from Stage 1 (Normal operations) to Stage 4 (Critical drought). The drought stage is determined in accordance with the critical trigger levels outlined in incident response guides (IRGs) developed by the department. Further information on the IRGs is available at extreme events.
Drought stage per water source
Water source | System type* | Drought stage | Date of last stage change |
Lower Darling | Regulated river | Stage 2 | May 2020 |
Barwon-Darling | Unregulated river | Stage 2 | May 2020 |
Lower Namoi | Regulated river | Stage 3 | March 2020 |
Upper Namoi | Regulated river | Stage 2 | May 2020 |
Macquarie | Regulated river | Stage 3 | May 2020 |
Cudgegong | Regulated river | Stage 2 | July 2019 |
Gwydir | Regulated river | Stage 2 | April 2020 |
NSW Border Rivers | Regulated river | Stage 3 | March 2020 |
Belubula | Regulated river | Stage 3 | May 2019 |
Peel | Regulated river | Stage 4 | August 2019 |
Lachlan | Regulated river | Stage 3 | June 2019 |
Murray | Regulated river | Stage 1 | August 2020 |
Hunter | Regulated river | Stage 2 | August 2020 |
All other water sources | Various | Stage 1 | February 2020 |
* System type refers to regulated river, unregulated river or groundwater.
Current allocations - regulated rivers
River valley | Allocations 2020-21 | Licence category | Date of last allocation increase |
Murray* | 3% | General security | 3 August 2020 |
97% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
Lower Darling* | 30% | General security | 1 July 2020 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
Murrumbidgee* | 16% | General security | 3 August 2020 |
95% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
Lachlan* | 0% | General security | 14 August 2017 |
100% | High security | 10 August 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
Belubula* | 0% | General security | 21 December 2016 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
Macquarie and Cudgegong* | 0% | General security | 14 August 2017 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | High security (sub categories) | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
Lower Namoi* | 0% | General security | 7 August 2017 |
90% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
90% | High security (sub categories) | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
Upper Namoi* | 0% | General security | 21 April 2020 |
90% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
Peel | 0% | General security | 4 October 2018 |
50% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
70% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
70% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
Gwydir* | 1.7% | General security | 7 August 2020 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
NSW Border Rivers* | 7.3% | General security A Class | 1 July 2020 |
0% | General security B Class | 31 January 2018 | |
100% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
Richmond | 100% | General security | 1 July 2020 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
Paterson* | 100% | General security | 1 July 2020 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
Hunter* | 30% | General security | 1 July 2020 |
90% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 | |
Bega Brogo | 40% | General security | 1 July 2020 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2020 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2020 |
* Carryover water may also be available subject to s324 restrictions in some valleys.
Current allocations - unregulated rivers
River valley | Current allocation (2020-21) water year | Licence category | Date of allocation |
All unregulated river water sources* | Full allocations | All categories | 1 July 2020 |
Campbells River Water Source (Campbells River Downstream Management Zone) Burrendong Water Source (Macquarie River above Bathurst Management Zone) Fish River Water Source (Lake Oberon to Macquarie River Confluence) | 20% | Unregulated River access licences | 1 July 2020 |
* Carryover water may also be available, according to water sharing plan subject to s324 restrictions in the Barwon-Darling unregulated river water sources.
Current allocations - groundwater*
River valley | Current allocation (2020-21) water year | Water source / licence category | Date of allocation |
Eastern Recharge (NSW Great Artesian Basin) | 25% | Aquifer access | 1 July 2020 |
Peel Alluvium | 51% | Aquifer (general security) access | 1 July 2020 |
Murrumbidgee Unregulated and Alluvial (Gundagai Alluvial Groundwater Source) | 98.4% | Aquifer (high security) access | 1 July 2020 |
| Lachlan Unregulated and Alluvial (Belubula Valley Alluvial Groundwater Source) | 100% | Aquifer (high security) access | 1 July 2020 |
| Lower Lachlan Groundwater Source | 100% | Aquifer access | 1 July 2020 |
| Lower Murrumbidgee (Deep) | 65% | Aquifer access | 1 July 2020 |
| Macquarie Bogan Unregulated and Alluvial (Cudgegong Alluvial Groundwater Source) | 100% | Aquifer (high security) access | 1 July 2020 |
| Namoi Unregulated and Alluvial (Manilla Alluvial Groundwater Sources) | 85% | Aquifer (general security) access | 1 July 2020 |
| Upper Namoi Zone 1, Borambil Creek | 230% | Aquifer access | 1 July 2020 |
| Upper Namoi Zone 2, Cox’s Creek (Mullaley to Boggabri) | 100% | Aquifer access | 1 July 2020 |
| Upper Namoi Zone 5, Namoi Valley (Gin’s Leap to Narrabri) | 100% | Aquifer access | 1 July 2020 |
| Upper Namoi Zone 8, Mooki Valley (Quirindi-Pine Ridge Road to Breeza) | 100% | Aquifer access | 1 July 2020 |
All other groundwater sources | 100% | All other licence categories | 1 July 2020 |
* Carryover water may also be available, according to water sharing plan.