New South Wales Consolidated Acts

WATER MANAGEMENT ACT 2000 - SECT 46

46 Making or amendment of management plan

(1) If the Minister makes a replacement management plan or amends a management plan and the replacement plan or amendment will result in a reduction of water allocations in relation to which compensation might be payable under section 87AA, the Minister is to include in the order in which the replacement plan or amendment is made, or in another order, a statement as to whether:

(a) the purpose of the reduction to water allocations is to restore water to the environment because of natural reductions in inflow to the relevant water source, including but not limited to changes resulting from climate change, drought or bushfires, or

(b) the purpose of the reduction to water allocations is to provide additional water to the environment because of more accurate scientific knowledge that demonstrates that the amount previously allocated to the environment is inadequate, but not if that purpose is also the purpose referred to in paragraph (d), or

(c) the reduction to water allocations results from a change in State government policy, or

(d) the purpose of the reduction to water allocations is to enable the replacement plan or amended plan, as the case may be, to be accredited under the Water Act 2007 of the Commonwealth.

(2) A statement referred to in subsection (1):

(a) need not be made if the reduction concerned arises from circumstances referred to in section 87AA (3) (a) or (b), and

(b) in a case where the reduction is made for more than one of the purposes referred to in subsection (1), is to specify each of the relevant purposes and the extent to which the reduction relates to each of those relevant purposes.