New South Wales Consolidated Regulations New South Wales Consolidated RegulationsThis Plan establishes the following planned environmental water rules:
(1) subject to Part 10 Division 2 of this Plan, the physical water contained in the storage component of this groundwater source, minus the supplementary access permitted under clause 28, as varied by clause 34 will be reserved for the environment,
(2) water in excess of the long-term extraction limit established in clause 32 of this Plan may not be taken and used for any purpose, thereby protecting a proportion of the total water available in the water source for fundamental ecosystem needs, from increases in water extraction over the long-term.
No portion of the long-term average recharge is reserved as planned environmental water meaning the long-term storage is the only planned environmental water. This is because:(a) the upward pressure resulting from artificial recharge (irrigation leakage) requires full extraction of the recharge to enable sustainable management of the resource, and(b) no groundwater dependent ecosystems have been identified to date.
Note: The Minister should undertake further studies of the groundwater dependency of ecosystems within this Groundwater Source, as recommended in the report “ Identification of Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems within Groundwater Management Area 016 ” (Department of Land and Water Conservation and PKK Environment and Infrastructure Pty Ltd., September 2000), as well as studies of the groundwater dependency of ecosystems, including any rivers, located beyond this Groundwater Source that may be affected by the management of this Groundwater Source. The Natural Resources Commission’s review of this plan should consider the outcomes of these studies.
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.
Note: Access to water under supplementary water access licences in this water source will not be permitted after the 30 June 2015 and all the physical water contained in the storage component of this groundwater source will be reserved for the environment.