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Macro Water Sharing Plans

Benefits of macro water plans

What will the macro water plans provide?

Macro water plans are water sharing plans which apply to a number of water sources across catchments or different types of aquifers in New South Wales.

Water sharing plans set rules for sharing water between the environment and water users. They bring water users still operating under the Water Act 1912 into the one licensing system managed under the Water Management Act 2000 and are current for ten years.

The plans clearly define shares in the available water for licence holders. They also provide irrigators and farmers with continuing or 'perpetual' licences, which have a title separate from the land, enabling better water trading opportunities.

Water sharing plans support the long-term health of rivers and aquifers by making water available specifically for the environment.

On 1 July 2004, water sharing plans commenced for 31 river and groundwater systems in New South Wales. These plans account for about 80 per cent of water extraction and cover some of the most stressed rivers and aquifer sources in the state.

Macro water plans are now being prepared for most of the remaining unregulated rivers1 and groundwater sources in New South Wales and will include up to 28 surface water plans and up to 12 groundwater plans.

They will include an indicative set of water sharing rules which can be adjusted to suit local circumstances.

1 Regulated rivers are declared by the Minister for Natural Resources. They include those rivers with major storages which provide water mainly for irrigation. All other rivers are unregulated.

For commercial water users

Water taken for commercial uses must be licensed. Commercial uses include irrigation, mining, manufacturing, power generation, snow making, dairies, intensive animal production, tourism facilities and aquaculture.

Macro water plans will benefit commercial water users, as licences held under the Water Act 1912 will be converted to access licences under the Water Management Act 2000. In general, commercial licences under the Water Management Act are granted in perpetuity. The macro plans will also define the rules for access to water by commercial users for ten years. This supports greater business certainty and will assist commercial licence holders in planning for the future.

The plans also strengthen water trading, which allows users to purchase water from licensed users who are not extracting their full entitlement or to sell the licensed water that is surplus to their needs. Water trading may also allow new industries to develop in areas where it was previously restricted and new licences were embargoed.

All macro water plans will define rules for when a river has very low flows. These rules will state when pumping is not permitted. Some unregulated river plans will also specify daily limits on how much water can be taken during different flow levels. These rules will create equity for licensed water users when they take water, while still protecting environmental flows in rivers.

If you currently take water from a licensed dam that is not on a river, these new pumping conditions will not apply to you (but other parts of the plans will). Similarly, the flow sharing rules in a plan will not apply to dams constructed as part of your harvestable right.

There will be an exception to the ban on pumping when river flows are very low for existing licence holders who need water for animal health and hygiene (e.g. for washing of a dairy after milking or cooling of chicken sheds). The plans will list those licence holders granted this exemption.

For the environment

Under the plans, water must be reserved for the health of a river or aquifer and the ecosystems that depend on it, such as wetlands and floodplains. The share of water reserved for the environment is intended to sustain the living components of rivers or groundwater such as plants, fish, other aquatic animals and birds.

The current level of demand on a river or aquifer and its environmental, social and economic values will assist in determining the environmental flow rules in a plan. All plans will include water sharing rules which set an annual limit on extractions.

In addition, the macro water plans for unregulated rivers may include rules that:

  • require a visible flow at licensed pump sites or other locations before water users can extract water - a minimum level of environmental protection that will apply to all plans
  • introduce a 'cease to pump' condition when river flows drop below a specified level - all plans will include 'cease to pump' conditions for licensed users
  • set daily limits on extraction for different flows (low, medium and high flows)
    - where there are a high number of extractors or there is a high level of environmental protection required.

Groundwater may contribute to ecosystems such as wetlands, springs, caves, terrestrial vegetation and coastal sand dune systems and provide important base flows to rivers and tidal creeks. Water sharing rules to protect ecosystems that depend on groundwater will include an overall annual limit on extractions.

In addition, the macro groundwater plans will include rules that:

  • reserve the storage component of the aquifer
  • protect a proportion of the natural recharge - that is, the volume of water added to a groundwater system naturally, usually by infiltration from rainfall and river flows
  • refine recharge estimates and, if necessary, reduce entitlements in those systems that are over-allocated
  • set distance limits between any new bores and groundwater dependent ecosystems.

For basic landholder rights and licensed domestic and stock use

If your rural property fronts a river or overlies a groundwater aquifer, you are entitled to pump water to meet your reasonable domestic and stock requirements without a licence as part of your basic landholder right. If you want to pump groundwater, however, you will need a licence for the pump.

Where established under Commonwealth law, native title rights to water are also protected by the plans. The water sharing plans protect these rights by allowing you to continue to take water even when licensed users must cease to pump.

However, in very dry times, restrictions may be imposed on the amount of water that can be taken, recognising the impacts of extraction on the environment and other users. These restrictions are described in the Water Management Act 2000 and are not generally defined in the plans.

If you take water from a farm dam according to your harvestable right, your access is not affected by the rules in a macro water plan.

Access to a reasonable supply of water for licensed domestic and stock use has a higher priority than any other licence type. Water sharing plans recognise this priority by ensuring that a full share of water is allocated for domestic and stock use, except where exceptional drought conditions prevent this. In an unregulated river system, access may still be limited by the daily variations in river flow. When a river has very low flows, pumping by licensed domestic and stock users may be reduced or not permitted. These rules will be specified in each macro water plan.

For town water supplies

Towns have a higher priority for access to water than commercial licences. Macro water plans recognise this priority by ensuring that a full share of water is allocated for annual town water supplies, except where exceptional drought conditions prevent this.

The annual share for every town water supply will be specified on the town's licence. This share will be based on either existing volumes or an assessment of reasonable use. The Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability will assist in determining this share. Towns may be permitted to sell part of their annual account water to other towns but, unlike commercial users, will not be able to sell their licence outright. Towns will not need to change their existing licensing arrangements unless their current infrastructure (e.g. a dam) is unable to meet their water needs and requires upgrading. In this case, town water utilities will need to meet conditions specified in the macro water plans to ensure that there is enough water flowing to protect the environment. They will also need to demonstrate that the Best-Practice Management of Water Supply and Sewerage Guidelines published by the Minister for Utilities are being implemented.

For Aboriginal communities

All water sharing plans recognise the importance of rivers and groundwater for Aboriginal people. All plans will allow Aboriginal communities to apply for a water access licence for drinking, food preparation, washing and watering domestic gardens, and for Aboriginal cultural purposes such as manufacturing traditional artefacts, hunting, fishing, gathering, recreation, and cultural and ceremonial purposes. A licence may be granted as long as the uses are not associated with commercial activities.

Some plans for coastal rivers and groundwater systems may also allow applications for licences for Aboriginal commercial purposes.

How can you contribute to the plans?

Consultations run by catchment management authorities around the state will ensure opportunities to comment and provide feedback on the draft plans. All issues raised in submissions will be considered before plans are finalised.

For more technical information on the macro water plans, contact

For more information on consultation in your cartchment contact a Catchment Management Authority office: www.cma.nsw.gov.au

Disclaimer: While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that this document is correct at the time of printing, 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.