New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

WATER SHARING PLAN FOR THE HUNTER REGULATED RIVER WATER SOURCE 2003 - REG 32

32 Volume of the long-term extraction limit

(1) This Plan establishes a long-term extraction limit for this water source of an average of 217,000 ML/year.

Note: The long-term extraction limit established by this Plan is sufficient to allow water extractions to grow by 30% above their current level, and full use of all access licences referred to in Part 6. Should there be a demand for greater volumes of water to service industry or agriculture in the future, the Plan limit may be reviewed. However, any increase would only occur after an assessment of the various ways in which additional water supply could be provided and full consideration of potential environmental effects socio-economic benefits and the impacts, if any, on the rights under existing access licences.

(2) At the end of each water year the Minister may, under section 45 (1) (b) of the Act alter the volume referred to in subclause (1) as a result of any access licence dealing under section 71R of the Act during that water year.

(3) For the purposes of auditing compliance with the long-term extraction limit, the following will be included:

(a) all water extractions under all categories of access licences,

(b) domestic and stock rights and native title rights extractions,

(c) volumes of water delivered as adaptive environmental water,

(d) floodplain harvesting extractions determined to be taken for use in conjunction with extractions from this water source, and

(e) assignment of water allocations from the water allocation accounts of access licences in this water source to the water allocation accounts of access licences in other water sources.

(4) For the purposes of auditing compliance with the long-term extraction limit the assessed volume of extractions shall be reduced by the volume of water allocations being assigned from the water allocation accounts of access licences in any other water source to the water allocation accounts of access licences in this water source.