Councils have their say on Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy

The NSW Government is commencing consultation with local councils this week on the shortlisted options in the Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy.

The NSW Government is giving councils the opportunity to review the strategy ahead of it being released publicly in October.

We take the views of Mayors, Councillors and Council staff seriously because they’re on the ground, they understand what matters to the people who live and work in their communities, and they know first-hand the water challenges facing their region.

We have taken on board their feedback from the first round of consultation in 2020 and 2021 to develop a suite of shortlisted options for their region to consider.

Working proactively with councils will give them an opportunity to have the first say on how water is managed before we move into a four-week community consultation process.

The strategy outlines the final shortlisted options for improving water security and drought resilience for Macquarie-Castlereagh over the next 20 to 40 years to meet the needs of our local economy, communities and the environment over the long term.

It includes a mix of infrastructure and non-infrastructure solutions to put us in a stronger position to manage the next drought, along with advanced water treatment technologies, demand management and future augmentation measures to diversify town water sources and reduce demand on dams and rivers.

Some of the key areas for consultation include:

• creating water savings through the changed operation of regulated effluent creeks
• investigating, and carrying out further analysis on replacing the ageing and damaged Gin Gin weir
• using flood mitigation storage in Burrendong Dam for water supply
• building a regional pipeline connecting Dubbo to Nyngan and other towns
• innovative water supply options such as stormwater harvesting, recycled water and managed aquifer recharge
• improving the way we manage groundwater resources
• supporting Aboriginal people to be more involved in water management by sharing their traditional knowledge and contributing to decision making

Through better strategic planning, we will be able to provide and manage water for towns and communities, unlock the economic potential of the region, safeguard the environment and protect Aboriginal culture and heritage.

The meetings with local councils over the next few weeks build on the extensive consultation that was carried out during the drafting process in 2020 and 2021 that included webinars, face-to-face meetings, information sessions, phone calls and emails with hundreds of people including Councils, residents, farmers, businesses and Aboriginal groups.