With the recent heavy rain across the state and additional rain expected in coming weeks, the NSW Government is continuing to prioritise the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme.

Residents, businesses, Aboriginal groups and other stakeholders are being encouraged to have their say on the NSW Government’s recently released options report which aims to simplify the regulatory framework of coastal floodplain drainage works

Landholders and Aboriginal communities along the Murrumbidgee River are being encouraged to reach out to the NSW Government’s Reconnecting River Country program and provide feedback to improve the way water for the environment is delivered.

To reduce the risk of over allocation, the NSW Government has announced changes to take a more measured and sustainable approach to the licensing of floodplain harvesting.

The NSW Government is calling for photos, drone footage and historical data from last year’s record flooding and previous years to underpin vital floodplain management plans being updated in the Murray, Murrumbidgee, Billabong Creek and Lachlan

The local community will have extra time to get involved, share knowledge and give feedback during the Reconnecting River Country Program’s first feedback stage, with the deadline to apply extended to 15 October.

Private landholders, First Nations people and community organisations are invited to share their local knowledge and expertise to help shape the future of the Reconnecting River Country Program.

New floodplain harvesting regulations will enable the rollout of the NSW Government’s first-ever floodplain harvesting licensing and measurement scheme.

The NSW Government is calling for community feedback on the five-year review of the Gwydir Valley floodplain management plan.

The Bureau of Meteorology advises that widespread rainfall, including possible heavy localised falls, is forecast across much of inland northern NSW river valleys over the next 12-18 hours.

There are reports of heavy rain in the Gwydir region which could lead to overland flows.

An independent panel commissioned to assess the management of the 2020 Northern Basin first flush event has released its final report, Secretary for the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Jim Betts has announced.