Water resource plans
Water resource plans are a key requirement of the Commonwealth Basin Plan 2012.
Twenty water resource plans have been developed in NSW following two years of public consultation and discussion with stakeholder advisory panels.
Each plan area varies in the number of resources, their level of development, number of environmental assets, and geography affecting the water resources in each area. These plans and processes were developed to ensure the department achieves the right balance of community, environmental, economic and cultural outcomes.
These plans provide a clear framework and rule set for managing our NSW Basin surface water resources for the benefit of regional communities and water dependent industries, and to ensure we maintain healthy and resilient water ecosystems. These plans will help us to achieve the right balance of community, environmental, economic and cultural outcomes.
A report titled 'What we heard' has been prepared post consultation to capture key areas of feedback and provide transparency around how these issues are being addressed. This feedback has informed the water resource plans submitted to the federal government on 29 June 2020. It also outlines further plans and processes for addressing water sharing and management issues going forward.
A short supplementary report has also been prepared to respond to the specific feedback and issues raised in relation to the Murray Lower Darling Water Sharing Plan.
The 20 plans have now been submitted to the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to assess the plans against accreditation requirements of the Basin Plan 2012.
-
Water Resource Plans - status
Search and view water resource plans in NSW and see their current status. Includes links to information and facts sheets on a water resource plan basis.
-
General resources
A series of fact sheets have been developed to help the community provide informed feedback on the various elements of the water resource plans.
-
Planning process
Read about the process involved in developing water resource plans and download a roadmap which shows how the plans will be developed.
-
LTDLE (CAP) factors
Read about the LTDLE factors, an accounting tool to keep track of how much water has been recovered for the environment as required under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan.
-
Water Resource Plans issues papers
Read previous Water Resource Plan status and issues papers.
-
Stakeholder Advisory Panels
Read about how we undertake stakeholder and community consultation in developing water resource plans.