Draft Regional Water Strategy North Coast: Strategy March 2021 Published by NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment dpie.nsw.gov.au Title: Draft Regional Water Strategy Subtitle: North Coast: Strategy First published: March 2021 Department reference number: PUB20/309 Cover image: Image courtesy of Destination NSW. More information: www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/north-coast-regional-water-strategy Acknowledgements: The input and collaboration of these NSW Government agencies is acknowledged: WaterNSW, NSW Health, Office of Local Government and Aboriginal Affairs NSW. The feedback of these groups on the Aboriginal Water Advisory Group is also acknowledged: NSW Aboriginal Land Council, NTSCORP, Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations and Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations. Acknowledging Aboriginal people: The NSW Government acknowledges Aboriginal people as Australia’s first people 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 Anaiwan, Biripi, Bundjalung, Dunghutti, Githabul, Gumbaynggirr and Yaegl Nations hold a significant connection to the lands in which the North Coast Regional Water Strategy falls upon. The North Coast Region holds areas of great spiritual, cultural and economic importance to Aboriginal people and the NSW Government 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 North Coast Regional Water Strategy 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 continuing future relationships and building strong partnerships with Aboriginal people. We thank the Elders, representatives of the Anaiwan, Biripi, Bundjalung, Dunghutti, Githabul, Gumbaynggirr and Yaegl Nations and Aboriginal community members who provided their knowledge throughout the regional water strategy development process. © State of New South Wales through Department of Planning, Industry and Environment 2021. You may copy, distribute, display, download and otherwise freely deal with this publication for any purpose, provided that you attribute the 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 (March 2021) 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. 2 Draft Regional Water Strategy Image courtesy of Destination NSW. Draft Regional Water Strategy 3 Minister’s foreword The NSW Government made a commitment local jobs into the future. While COVID-19 has before the last election to undertake impacted our ability to engage with Aboriginal comprehensive modelling that would enhance communities in a culturally appropriate way, we the management of water to improve water are committed to including their voices in the security and better prepare our communities North Coast Regional Water Strategy. for future droughts. I appreciate the engagement by local Water is our most precious and valuable government in the development of the draft resource—for our towns and industries and strategies. Their continued partnership is very maintaining our natural and cultural assets. important to ensure the strategies respond to the needs of catchments that may extend Our water management and understanding has across many local government boundaries. improved considerably in recent times—if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Australia is no stranger to extremes; we have always had to manage our water resources The knowledge we have garnered in the through prolonged floods and droughts. development of these draft regional water strategies will underpin future investments In preparing these strategies, we’ve engaged through a better understanding of optimum leading academics at a number of universities. water management. The paleoclimate-informed rainfall and evaporation modelling was largely undertaken Engaging with our Aboriginal communities is by the University of Newcastle and the vital, given water is an essential part of their University of Adelaide to help understand and connection to Country and culture, and their mitigate risk in the most extreme circumstances. cultural water holdings will be vital to creating 4 Draft Regional Water Strategy The climate modelling in this draft strategy In short, the better evidence and information is based on a deliberately conservative we now have means we can better plan for the scenario that is intended to ‘pressure test’ the future to ensure this precious shared resource effectiveness of these strategies in a worst-case is managed to sustain secure regional lifestyles, scenario. They do not account for changes in create jobs, support industry and protect our how we operate the system moving forward, precious natural environment. where in reality we will respond actively to ongoing drought conditions to prolong the There is no one size fits all policy to manage availability of water for critical human needs. water in our regions, and I encourage all stakeholders to take part in giving us your views These climate scenarios will not necessarily on how to improve these draft strategies to eventuate, but they give us an idea of the ensure our water management policies support possible climate risks and allow us to begin the future of NSW. planning to mitigate these risks if they arise. The recent drought has taught us a great deal about managing our water resources and we need to put these lessons to good Melinda Pavey use in preparing for possible future extreme Minister for Water, weather events. Property and Housing Draft Regional Water Strategy 5 6 Draft Regional Water Strategy Image courtesy of Destination NSW. Contents Overview 10 Chapter 1: Context 24 1.1 Purpose of regional water strategies 26 1.2 Objectives of regional water strategies 28 1.3 What has informed the draft regional water strategies? 30 1.4 Building on existing commitments and reforms 34 1.5 Policy and planning context 36 Chapter 2: The North Coast region, its opportunities and challenges 38 2.1 What we know about the North Coast region’s climate 44 2.2 The landscape and its water 56 2.3 People, industries and water use 98 Chapter 3: Options for the North Coast Regional Water Strategy 134 3.1 Our vision for the North Coast Regional Water Strategy 137 3.2 Identifying and developing the options 138 3.3 Which options will be progressed? 140 3.4 North Coast: Long list of options 142 Chapter 4: Where to from here? 150 4.1 Finalising the strategy 151 4.2 Implementing the strategy 152 Attachments 154 Attachment 1 Targeted stakeholder engagement 155 Attachment 2 Glossary 168 Draft Regional Water Strategy 7 Snapshot Snapshot The North Coast region Aboriginal Nations: 302,000 42,000 Anaiwan, Biripi, population km2 area Bundjalung, Dunghutti, Githabul, Gumbaynggirr and Yaegl Nations Regional centres include: Smaller towns include: Main rivers: Grafton, Armidale, Coffs Guyra, Bellingen, Clarence, Macleay, Harbour, Kempsey and Maclean, Yamba, Bellinger, Nambucca, Port Macquarie Wauchope, Macksville and Hastings, Camden Haven Nambucca Heads as well as adjoining coastal catchments and many unregulated rivers Major town water storages: Critical State Signifi cant Groundwater sources: Shannon Creek Dam with a Infrastructure: Alluvial, coastal storage capacity of 30 GL Oven Mountain sands, porous and Pumped Hydro Energy fractured rock Karangi Dam with a Storage project storage capacity of 5.6 GL Key sources: Comboyne Basalt Groundwater Malpas Dam with a storage Source, Stuarts Point capacity of 13 GL Groundwater Source and No state-owned dams Macleay Coastal Sands Key environmental assets: Nearly 16,000 km2 of national park and wilderness area, including the Gondwana Rainforest World Heritage Area and Oxley Wild Rivers National Park as well as nationally important wetlands. Threatened native species including the endangered Eastern Freshwater Cod, the Green-thighed Frog and the vulnerable Bellinger River snapping turtle. Gross Regional Product: $1.6 billion 8 Draft Regional Water Strategy Image courtesy of Destination NSW. Draft Regional Water Strategy 9 Overview Across NSW, our valuable and essential water resources are under pressure. Changing industry and employment patterns, and a more variable climate mean we face difficult decisions and choices about how to balance the different demands for this