BASIN PLAN 2012 NSW Murray and Lower Darling Surface Water Resource Plan SW8 Water Resource Plan Area NSW Murray and Lower Darling Surface Water Resource Plan Published by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment NSW Murray and Lower Darling Surface Water Resource Plan First published September 2019 INT18/161346 More information Industry.nsw.gov.au/water Acknowledgments NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment – Water would like to thank NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment – Environment, Energy and Science Group (formerly NSW Office of Environment and Heritage), NSW Department of Primary Industries - Agriculture, Fisheries and Local Land Services, WaterNSW, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority, and members of the NSW Murray and Lower Darling Stakeholder Advisory Panel who have provided input into this water resource plan. New South Wales Government proudly acknowledges the Aboriginal community of NSW and their rich and diverse culture and pays respect to their Elders past, present and future. The NSW Government acknowledges Aboriginal people as Australia’s First Peoples practising the oldest living culture on earth and as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands and waters. We acknowledge that the people of the Barkandji, Barapa Barapa, Maljangapa, Maraura, Muthi Muthi, Ngiyampaa, Tati Tati, Wadi Wadi, Weki Weki, Wemba Wemba, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta Nations hold a significant connection to the lands of the NSW Murray and Lower Darling Water Resource Plan Area. The NSW Murray and Lower Darling Water Resource Plan Area holds great areas of spiritual, cultural and economic importance to First Nations people and NSW recognises the connection of the water to the people of these nations. We recognise the intrinsic connection of Traditional Owners to country and acknowledge their contribution to the management of the NSW Murray and Lower Darling Water Resource Plan Area landscape and natural resources. NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment understands the need for consultation and inclusion of Traditional Owner knowledge, values and uses in water quality planning to ensure we are working towards equality in objectives and outcomes. NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment is committed to continue future relationships and building strong partnerships with our First Nations People. We thank the Elders and representatives of the Barkandji, Barapa Barapa, Maljangapa, Maraura, Muthi Muthi, Ngiyampaa, Tati Tati, Wadi Wadi, Weki Weki, Wemba Wemba, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta Nations and Aboriginal community members who provided their knowledge throughout the planning process. © State of New South Wales through the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, 2019. You may copy, distribute and otherwise freely deal with this publication for any purpose, provided that you attribute the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment as the owner. However, you must obtain permission if you wish to charge others for access to the publication (other than at cost); include the publication in advertising or a product for sale; modify the publication; or republish the publication on a website. You may freely link to the publication on a departmental website. Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing (September 2019) and may not be accurate, current or complete. The State of New South Wales (including the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment), the author and the publisher take no responsibility, and will accept no liability, for the accuracy, currency, reliability or correctness of any information included in the document (including material provided by third parties). Readers should make their own inquiries and rely on their own advice when making decisions related to material contained in this publication. NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment | INT18/161346 | i NSW Murray and Lower Darling Surface Water Resource Plan Glossary Abbreviation Description ANZECC Australian and New Zealand Environment Conservation Council APT Annual Permitted Take AWD Available Water Determination BDL Baseline Diversion Limit BLR Basic Landholder Rights BWS Basin-wide environmental watering strategy CEWH Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder CEWO Commonwealth Environmental Water Office DO Dissolved Oxygen DWMS Drinking water management system EMPLAN NSW State Emergency Management Plan HEVAE High Ecological Value Aquatic Ecosystem HEW Held Environmental Water IQQM Integrated Quantity and Quality Model IRG Incident Response Guide LLS Local Land Services (NSW) LTAAEL Long-Term Annual Average Extraction Limit LTWP Long-Term Water Plan MLDRIN Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations MDBA Murray–Darling Basin Authority MER Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting NBAN Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations PEW Planned Environmental Water PPMs Prerequisite Policy Measures SAP Stakeholder Advisory Panel SDL Sustainable Diversion Limit SEED NSW Sharing and Enabling Environmental Data (Portal) NSW Department of Industry | INT18/161346 | ii NSW Murray and Lower Darling Surface Water Resource Plan Abbreviation Description TN Total Nitrogen TP Total Phosphorous WMA 2000 Water Management Act 2000 (NSW) WQMP Water Quality Management Plan WRP Water Resource Plan WRPA Water Resource Plan Area WSP Water Sharing Plan NSW Department of Industry | INT18/161346 | iii NSW Murray and Lower Darling Surface Water Resource Plan Contents How to read this document .........................................................................................................1 1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................3 1.1 Purpose .......................................................................................................................3 1.2 Status and scope .........................................................................................................3 1.3 Objectives and guiding principles ................................................................................4 1.3.1 WMA 2000 and water sharing plan objectives ...................................................5 1.3.2 Objectives and outcomes based on Indigenous values and uses ......................5 1.4 Relationship between this Plan and other instruments ..............................................14 1.5 Form of water resource plan and responsible persons .............................................18 1.5.1 NSW Murray and Lower Darling regulated rivers water sources .....................18 1.5.2 Murray unregulated river water sources ...........................................................19 1.5.3 Lower Murray-Darling unregulated river water source .....................................20 1.6 Enforcement ..............................................................................................................21 1.7 Consultation undertaken ............................................................................................22 1.7.1 Aboriginal consultation .....................................................................................23 1.8 Review and amendment ............................................................................................28 2 Identification of water resource plan area and other matters ......................................29 2.1 Identification of WRP area, SDL resource unit and water resources .........................29 2.2 Regard to other water resources ...............................................................................31 3 Risks to water resources .................................................................................................34 3.1 Risk identification and assessment methodology ......................................................35 3.2 Description of risks ....................................................................................................37 3.3 Strategies for addressing risks ..................................................................................37 4 Environmental water, cultural flows and sustainable management ............................39 4.1 Identification of environmental water .........................................................................39 4.1.1 Identification of Planned Environmental Water (PEW) .....................................40 4.1.2 Register of Held Environmental Water (HEW) .................................................43 4.2 Priority environmental assets and priority ecosystem functions ................................45 4.3 Planning for environmental watering .........................................................................50 4.4 Environmental watering between connected water resources ..................................52 4.4.1 Pre-requisite policy measures (PPMs) .............................................................53 4.5 No net reduction in the protection of PEW ................................................................53 4.5.1 Demonstrating no net reduction in the protection of PEW ...............................54 4.5.2 Changes proposed to PEW rules in the NSW Murray and Lower Darling WRPA .........................................................................................................................55 NSW Department of Industry | INT18/161346 | iv NSW Murray and Lower Darling Surface Water Resource Plan 4.6 Cultural flows and retention of current