Water Sharing Plan for the Murrah-Wallaga Area Unregulated and Alluvial Water Sources – Background Document December 2010 ISBN 978 1 74263 109 7
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The Office manages the policy and regulatory frameworks for the State’s surface water and groundwater resources to provide a secure and sustainable water supply for all users. The Office also supports water utilities in the provision of water and sewerage services throughout New South Wales. Water Sharing Plan for the Murrah-Wallaga Area Unregulated and Alluvial Water Sources – Background document December 2010 ISBN 978 1 74263 109 7 © State of New South Wales through the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, 2010 This material may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational and non-commercial use, providing the meaning is unchanged and its source, publisher and authorship are clearly and correctly acknowledged. Disclaimer: While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that this document is correct at the time of publication, the State of New South Wales, its agents and employees, disclaim any and all liability to any person in respect of anything or the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done in reliance upon the whole or any part of this document. NOW 10_327C Water sharing plan for the Murrah-Wallaga Area Unregulated and Alluvial Water Sources - Background document Contents Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 1 Purpose of the plan ............................................................................................................................... 3 Why are water sharing plans being prepared? ............................................................................. 3 Benefits for water users................................................................................................................. 3 Environmental considerations ....................................................................................................... 4 Unregulated water sources ................................................................................................. 4 Alluvial water sources ......................................................................................................... 5 Description of the plan area................................................................................................................... 6 Land use history ............................................................................................................................ 6 Rainfall........................................................................................................................................... 6 Streamflows................................................................................................................................... 7 Groundwater.................................................................................................................................. 8 Historical droughts......................................................................................................................... 8 Climate change and variability ...................................................................................................... 9 Entitlement and use..................................................................................................................... 10 Local water utility requirements................................................................................................... 11 Agricultural water use.................................................................................................................. 11 Developing the plan............................................................................................................................. 13 Scope of the plan ........................................................................................................................ 13 Water management units ............................................................................................................ 13 Project groups ............................................................................................................................. 14 State Interagency Panel (formerly the Project Control Group) ......................................... 14 Interagency Regional Panel.............................................................................................. 14 Policy context .............................................................................................................................. 15 National Water Initiative .................................................................................................... 15 Natural Resources Commission ....................................................................................... 15 Catchment Action Plan ..................................................................................................... 16 Previous water planning.................................................................................................... 17 Other considerations ................................................................................................................... 17 Protecting Aboriginal values ............................................................................................. 17 Protecting environmental values....................................................................................... 18 Protecting estuary health .................................................................................................. 19 Maintaining ecosystem functions...................................................................................... 20 i | NSW Office of Water, December 2010 Water sharing plan for the Murrah-Wallaga Area Unregulated and Alluvial Water Sources - Background document Protecting basic landholder rights..................................................................................... 21 Water interception activities .............................................................................................. 22 Protecting town water supply access................................................................................ 22 Defining water extraction limits ......................................................................................... 22 Water sharing rules ............................................................................................................................. 24 Classification method .................................................................................................................. 24 Exceptions to generic classification approach .................................................................. 25 Access rules ................................................................................................................................ 26 Environmental flow rules................................................................................................... 27 Water sharing rules for GDEs ........................................................................................... 27 Dual cease-to-pump.......................................................................................................... 27 Total Daily Extraction Limits.............................................................................................. 27 Access to very low flows ................................................................................................... 28 Mandatory conditions.......................................................................................................