New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

WATER SHARING PLAN FOR THE UPPER AND LOWER NAMOI 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 (see subclause 11 (a)).

(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 Zones 1 to 12, 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, the long-term average storage component of the groundwater contained in the aquifers of the Lower Namoi 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.

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 will be reserved for the environment.

Note: The model calculation for the long-term average storage component and the recharge in clause 16 (m) has accounted for a 7.1 gigalitres per year out flow from the Lower Namoi Groundwater Source.

(2) The Minister may under section 45 (1) (b) of the Act amend subclause (1) after 30 June 2010 to include a portion of the average annual recharge to this groundwater source 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.