New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

WATER SHARING PLAN FOR THE LOWER MURRUMBIDGEE GROUNDWATER SOURCES 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.

(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 these groundwater sources, 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 55,000 ML/yr of the average annual recharge to the Shallow Groundwater Source is reserved for the environment.

(c) subject to Part 10 Division 2 of this Plan 65,000 ML/yr of the average annual recharge to the Deep Groundwater Source 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 2016 and the physical water contained in the storage component of these groundwater sources plus the portion of the long-term average annual recharge identified in subclauses (1) (b) and (1) (c) will be reserved for the environment.

(2) The Minister may under section 45 (1) (b) of the Act, amend subclause (1) after 30 June 2011 to 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 of impact of this change on access by licence holders is limited by the provisions in clause 28.