About the plan
The rules for floodplain harvesting access licences to be included in the Namoi Valley water sharing plans are currently being developed.
The draft rules for floodplain harvesting access licences to be included in Namoi Valley water sharing plans were released for comment through public consultations held from 1 December 2022 to 29 January (regulated river) and 28 February 2023 (unregulated river), respectively.
Consultation
Public meetings were held in Wee Waa on 13 December 2022 and in Gunnedah on 7 February 2023. A public webinar was held on 6 December 2022.
These sessions aimed to provide an overview of the implementation of the NSW Floodplain Harvesting Policy and proposed rules for floodplain harvesting access licences in the Namoi. There were opportunities to ask questions and get information about how to share feedback.
The consultation process
Find out more about the consultation process.
Read presentations, watch webinar recordings and read reports and summaries about consultation sessions on our outcomes from the consultation page.
Reports
The department developed the technical reports listed below to help inform the development of the draft floodplain harvesting licensing rules in the Namoi Valley.
Report to assist community consultation
The Namoi: Floodplain harvesting in water sharing plans – Report to assist community consultation report (PDF, 3219.31 KB) aims to assist the community in understanding the proposed types of rules for floodplain harvesting access licences in the Namoi Valley. It also provides a summary of the other technical reports and explains the interaction between the rules, modelling, and the expected environmental outcomes once they are put in place.
Modelling reports
The NSW Floodplain Harvesting Policy requires that individual entitlements in regulated river systems will be informed by a capability assessment that considers the works used for floodplain harvesting and the opportunity to access floodplain flows based on location and climatic variability. This capability assessment is undertaken through river system models.
Building the river system model (PDF, 11.4 MB) for the Namoi Valley regulated river system describes the development of the Namoi Valley river system model. The model was developed using multiple lines of evidence and best available industry data. The report provides evidence and assessments to demonstrate that the model is fit for purpose.
Floodplain Harvesting Entitlements for Namoi Regulated River System: Model Scenarios Report describes how the Namoi Valley river system model was used to estimate the extraction limit, and to subsequently estimate individual floodplain harvesting entitlements.
- Building the river system model for the Namoi Valley regulated river system (PDF, 11660.69 KB)
- Floodplain Harvesting Entitlements for Namoi Regulated River System: Model Scenarios Report (PDF, 742.37 KB)
The modelling reports for the Namoi are being independently peer-reviewed. A report on this review will be provided once it’s finalised.
Environmental outcomes report
Harvesting water from floodplains reduces the volume, frequency and duration of floods and can change the timing of flood events, impacting the health of floodplains and downstream waterways. The NSW Floodplain Harvesting Policy will provide a more sustainable level of water diversions from the floodplain.
Hydrological metrics and environmental flow requirements (EFRs) for fish, floodplain native vegetation, waterbirds, key ecosystem functions and wetlands were modelled. Implementation of the policy is predicted to provide minor environmental improvements in the Namoi Valley.
The technical report below (PDF, 10.7 MB) provides a detailed assessment of the likely benefits for the environment of implementing the policy in the Namoi Valley.
Downstream effects report
The NSW Floodplain Harvesting Policy will restrict the volume of water that can be taken from the floodplain, providing gains to the system through foregone diversions.
Any gains in upstream systems such as the Namoi Valley will translate into the downstream with additional volumes contributing to connectivity between the broader northern Basin system and provision of increased flows towards Menindee Lakes and into the Murray river.
The report below quantifies the potential downstream impacts of these increased flows. This report includes work completed for the NSW Border Rivers, Gwydir, Macquarie, and Barwon-Darling valleys.
Summary of draft rules for floodplain harvesting in the Namoi
Summaries of the proposed rules for floodplain harvesting (regulated river) access licences and floodplain harvesting (unregulated river) access licences in the Namoi Valley are provided below.
Rules will be included in the Namoi water sharing plans once finalised, based on the outcomes of previously-held public consultation.
Floodplain harvesting (regulated river) access licences – rule summary
Type of rule | Proposed rule for floodplain harvesting |
|---|---|
Account management | Account limit: Maximum of 5 ML per unit share at any time. |
Available water determination | Initial available water determination of 1 ML per unit share. Available water determination of 1 ML per unit share every year after that, subject to decreases to respond to growth. |
Permanent trade | Establishing management zones that largely reflect existing unregulated river water source boundaries, with some being merged to create trade opportunities. No permanent trade of floodplain harvesting (regulated river) access licences between management zones. No nomination of works located outside the relevant declared floodplains. No nomination of new works located in management zones A, AD or D of the relevant floodplain management plan. |
Granting or amending water supply works approvals | No modification of works located in management zones A, AD or D established under the relevant floodplain management plan if it results in an increased capacity. No new works constructed in management zones A, AD or D of the relevant floodplain management plan. No new or modified works outside management zones A, AD or D of the relevant floodplain management plan if the construction or modification would result in an increased rate of take for works located within these management zones. No new works in management zone AID of the relevant floodplain management plan if the work is also a flood work and a flood work approval, has not been obtained. |
Access rules | Access is not permitted when Menindee Lakes is below 195 GL except during periods when there is a flow of at least 4,500 ML/day in the Namoi River at the Bugilbone gauge. |
Floodplain harvesting (unregulated river) access licences – rule summary
Type of rule | Proposed rule for floodplain harvesting |
|---|---|
Account management | Take limit: 3 ML per unit share over three consecutive years. Account limit: Maximum of 3 ML per unit share at any time. |
Available water determination | Initial available water determination of 1 ML per unit share. Available water determination of 1 ML per unit share every year after that, subject to decreases to respond to growth. |
Permanent trade | Application of trade rules that currently exist for unregulated river access licences. No nomination of works located outside the Lower Namoi Valley floodplain or Upper Namoi Valley floodplain. No nomination of works located in management zones AD or D of the relevant floodplain management plan. |
Granting or amending water supply works approvals | No modification of works located in management zones AD or D of the relevant floodplain management plan if it results in an increased capacity. No new works constructed in management zones AD or D of the relevant floodplain management plan. No new or modified works outside management zones AD or D of the relevant floodplain management plan if the construction or modification would result in an increased rate of take for works located within these management zones. No new works in management zone AID of the relevant floodplain management plan if the work is also a flood work and a flood work approval, has not been obtained. |
What we heard
We will publish a What we heard report summarising the feedback we received during public consultation sessions and from written submissions for the Namoi Valley. We anticipate publishing the report in 2024.
It will also be accompanied by a Namoi Submissions Report that details the approved submissions received online.
Contact us
If you require assistance in reading these documents, please contact 1300 081 047 or water.enquiries@dpie.nsw.gov.au