Aboriginal tradies are picking up their tools along with new skills as training kicks off to boost the number of qualified people who can install non-urban water meters across NSW.

The NSW Government is getting a clearer picture of how residents in regional NSW are using water to help improve water efficiency by putting a spotlight on how often we are turning on the taps or flushing the toilet.

Residents across the NSW central Murray region are invited to have their say on key elements of the draft Murray Floodplain Management Plan, an important tool to manage rural flood works and their valley-wide effects on flows and connectivity.

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

Aboriginal tradespeople including apprentices are being urged to pick up the tools and register to take part in a free practical training course to upskill and boost the number of certified people who can install rural water meters across regional

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 inviting the community to provide its feedback on non-urban metering rules as part of a robust review into metering regulation and compliance across the state.

The NSW Government will conduct a thorough review into non-urban metering rules to make it easier for water users across the state to become compliant and to ensure water use is being measured and managed fairly and sustainably.

The NSW Government has announced the release of a robust new metering framework to measure and meter non-urban water take in NSW, which commenced last weekend on 1 December.

The NSW Government has commenced public exhibition of the draft floodplain harvesting monitoring and auditing strategy and announced community meetings in Moree, Narrabri, Narromine, Bourke and Sydney next week.

The NSW water regulator has sent a clear message to the community that lying to its investigators will not be tolerated, after a case heard at Walgett Local Court this week.

The department will meet with the community in Dubbo next week as part of a state-wide consultation and community engagement program on non-urban metering.