New South Wales Consolidated Regulations New South Wales Consolidated Regulations
| Performance indicators for the Water Sharing Plan for the Macquarie and Cudgegong Regulated Rivers Water Source | |||
| Performance indicator | Related objective | Assessed by | Commentary |
| (a) Change in low flows. | 11 (a) | • Number of days per water year where flow is below natural 95 th and 80 th percentiles.• Average and maximum number of days per water year of continuous periods of flow which is below natural 95 th and 80 th percentiles.• Measurement at end of system and specified key sampling sites. | • River Flow Objectives (RFOs) 1 and 6. RFOs are the objectives agreed to by the NSW Government aimed at safeguarding river flows for environmental health. Note: Not every objective is relevant to every river in NSW.• Analysis would need to incorporate reference to seasonal indicators.• Long-term modelling will reflect the influence of climate on flows.• Appropriate data relating to flow distribution, such as summer/winter cropping balance, agronomical practices, on farm storage development, management and operation of environmental releases etc.• Baseline audit should be the modelled water sharing plan scenario (rather than natural flows). |
| (b) Change in moderate to high flows. | 11 (a) | • Number of days per water year where flow is above natural 30 th, 15 th and 5 th percentiles.• Average and maximum number of days per water year of continuous periods of flow which is above natural 30 th, 15 th and 5 th percentiles.• Measurement at end of system and other key sampling sites in the water source. | • RFO 3. |
| (c) Change in water quality in this water source. | 11 (a) | • Assessment and statistical analysis of key water quality parameters, and relationship to flow. | • Plan rules will contribute to a long-term change in water quality by affecting flow regimes and flow management to address issues such as algal management.• There are many non-water sharing plan related factors that affect water quality (eg land-based activities and thermal pollution). |
| (d) Change in ecological condition of this water source and dependent ecosystems. | 11 (a) | • Monitoring of ecological response to changed flow regimes, by integrated monitoring of environmental flows (IMEF). Each water source will have specific hypotheses from the set developed under the IMEF model.• Other relevant studies as may be undertaken in specific water sources. | • The Integrated Monitoring of Environmental Flows program tests a number of hypotheses to indicate how elements of river ecology respond to different aspects of the flow regime, including environmental flow regimes, irrigation flows, and floods and wetland connectivity. |
| (e) Change in economic benefits derived from water extraction and use. | 11 (b) 11 (c) | • Change in regional gross margins versus annual total extractions based on year 1 benchmarks (as represented in IQQM).• Movement of water to higher value crops as measured by increases in area and/or water taken by these enterprises versus lower value uses.• Change in unit price of water transferred.• Annual total volume of access licence transferred (ML) in each water year. | • There are many factors affecting economic status of a region, for example commodity prices and other sources of water (eg groundwater).• The performance indicator is intended to isolate as much as possible the effects of water availability and price on the gross margin returns at a regional level.• Assessment undertaken as part of plan performance monitoring will make assumptions to attempt to identify the impact of the plan’s provisions. |
| (f) Extent to which domestic and stock rights requirements have been met. | • Basic rights allowances made according to plan provisions/implementation program requirements.• Flows adequate to meet basic rights requirements (taking into consideration allowances for delivery). | • Basic rights usage figures in this water sharing plan are estimated volumes (not actual use).• Basic rights represents a very small proportion of water extraction in regulated systems. | |
| (g) Extent to which local water utility and major utility requirements (where major utilities are involved in urban water provision) have been met. | • Percentage of years that reserves were adequate to satisfy urban water requirements. | ||
| (h) Extent to which native title rights have been met. | • Native title rights allowances made according to plan provisions and implementation program requirements. | ||
| (i) Extent of recognition of spiritual, social and customary values of water to Aboriginal people. | 11 (c) 11 (d) | • Assessment of amount and type of information collected to identify the range of values of water to Aboriginal people. | • The collection of information on the values associated with water is considered the first step in addressing the objects of the Act. It would be expected that at the end of 5 years there should be relevant information collected for each water source, as a minimum requirement. |