New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

WATER SHARING PLAN FOR THE LOWER GWYDIR GROUNDWATER SOURCE 2003 - REG 18

18 Planned environmental water

Note: It is anticipated that the planned environmental water provisions in this Part and management of local impact provisions in Part 10 of this Plan will also protect the cultural and spiritual values of groundwater (see clause 11 (h)).

(1) This Plan establishes the following planned environmental water rules:

(a) subject to Part 10 Division 2 of this Plan, the physical water contained in the storage component of this groundwater source, minus the amount required for supplementary water access permitted under clause 25, as varied by clause 29 will be reserved for the environment,

(b) subject to Part 10 Division 2 of this Plan, 15% of an amount that is equal to the long-term average annual recharge to this groundwater source minus basic landholder rights requirements at the commencement of this plan, being 5,700 ML/yr, is reserved for the environment.

Note: Access to water under supplementary water access licences in this water source will not be permitted after the 30 June 2015 and the physical water contained in the storage component of this groundwater source plus 15% of the long-term average annual recharge to this groundwater source minus an amount for basic landholder rights requirements at the commencement of this Plan will be reserved for the environment.

(2) The Minister may under section 45 (1) (b) of the Act amend subclause (1) (b) after 30 June 2010 vary the proportion of recharge reserved as planned environmental water based on further studies of groundwater ecosystem dependency undertaken by the Minister.

Note: The studies may recommend management options other than reservation of a portion of recharge to protect groundwater dependant ecosystems.

Note: The extent to which this change may impact on access licence holders is limited by clause 28.