New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

WATER SHARING PLAN FOR THE MURRUMBIDGEE REGULATED RIVER WATER SOURCE 2003 - REG 72

72 Review of environmental water and provisional storage volume rules

(1) The Minister may, under section 45 (1) (b) of the Act and by notice published in the Gazette amend the planned environmental water rules under clause 15 and the provisional storage volume rules under clause 62 following completion of a review of the provisions under clauses 15 and 62 against the objectives of this Plan and those identified in subclause (2).

(2) The review under subclause (1) should consider and make recommendations on changes to clauses 15 and 62, which would:

(a) simplify their operation,

(b) maximise the accrual of water and early season access to environmental water allowances, and minimise forfeiture from environmental water allowances,

(c) improve environmental outcomes, in particular by:

(i) providing flow patterns which better match natural variability and seasonality in the upper river,

(ii) improving the extent and seasonal timing of mid and lower river wetland inundation, and

(iii) better matching natural flow variability and seasonality in the end of the system.

(3) The review made under subclause (2) should also consider and make recommendations in relation to any changes that should be made if the Mundarlo bridge is replaced by a structure that permits the targeting of flows in excess of 30,000 megalitres per day past Gundagai.

(4) Any amendment to clauses 15 or 62, under subclause (1) shall not result in a change to the long-term extraction limit of this Plan of greater than 0.5% of that limit.

(5) Before making an Order under subclause (1) the Minister should obtain the concurrence of the Minister for the Environment to the making of the Order.

(6) Any changes to clauses 15 or 62 under subclause (1) shall come in to effect for the water year immediately succeeding the Order under subclause (1), or upon gazettal if the Order is made before 1 September.

(7) The review under subclause (1) shall be undertaken before 1 July 2005.