New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

WATER SHARING PLAN FOR THE DORRIGO PLATEAU SURFACE WATER SOURCE AND DORRIGO BASALT GROUNDWATER SOURCE 2003 - REG 87

87 Amendment of very low flow provisions

(1) The Minister may, under section 45 (1) (b) of the Act and by notice published in the NSW Government Gazette, vary the very low flow levels established in clause 17, and consequently the bottom of A class established in clause 17, following field verification.

(2) Any variation made under subclause (1) should not result in the very low flow level being less than that stipulated in clause 17 and no greater than:

(a) 109 ML/day in Zone 1,

(b) 36 ML/day in Zone 2,

(c) 20 ML/day in Zone 3, or

(d) 27 ML/day in Zone 4.

(3) The Minister should undertake the field verification study in subclause (1) as soon as is practical, but before the review of this Plan under section 43 (2) of the Act.

(4) The field verification should assess the degree to which the following objectives of the Water Quality and River Flow Interim Environmental Objectives (NSW Government 1999) are met:

(a) Objective 1-to protect water levels in natural river pools and wetlands during periods of no flow, and

(b) Objective 2-to protect natural low flows.

(5) In undertaking the field verification the Minister should:

(a) consult with the NSW Environment Protection Authority, NSW Fisheries, NSW Agriculture and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and

(b) cause a report to be prepared documenting:

(i) the methodology adopted,

(ii) the hypotheses tested,

(iii) the field results and conclusions in terms of the degree to which the objectives in subclause (4) are met,

(iv) the flow level recommended to meet the objectives in subclause (4), and

(v) the socio-economic impacts of the recommended changes to the flow level, including farm dam feasibility, availability of funding and other adjustment mechanisms, barriers to change for access licence holders and ecological implications.