About the plan
The Floodplain Management Plan for the Gwydir Valley Floodplain commenced on 12 August 2016. The plan includes management zones, rules and assessment criteria for granting or amending approvals for flood works within the plan area.
Information on this plan, including amendments made in 2023, is available for viewing as detailed below.
Floodplain management plan
The Floodplain Management Plan for the Gwydir Valley Floodplain 2016 is a detailed legal instrument written in the required statutory framework.
Maps
The following maps are included within the plan and are available for download.
- Gwydir Valley Plan map (PDF, 379 KB)
- Gwydir Valley Management zones map (Version 2) (PDF, 1989.14 KB)
- Gwydir Valley Flood extent map
- Gwydir Valley Floodway network map (Version 2) (PDF, 1990.32 KB)
- Gwydir Valley Ecological assets map
- Gwydir Valley Existing flood works map
- Gwydir Valley Peak flood flow distribution (2012) map
You can view the plan boundary, management zones and ecological assets as a spatial map.
You can also find the floodplain management plan spatial dataset on the NSW Government’s SEED portal for use in your own geographic information system.
Rules and assessment criteria
An overview of the rules and assessment criteria for each management zone is provided in the summary sheets which are available for download below. The summary sheets are included as a guide only.
- Gwydir Valley Management Zone A (PDF, 186.27 KB)
- Gwydir Valley Management Zone B (PDF, 174.34 KB)
- Gwydir Valley Management Zone C (PDF, 157.7 KB)
- Gwydir Valley Management Zone D (PDF, 173.98 KB)
- Gwydir Valley Management Zone D1 (PDF, 147.49 KB)
A summary of the amendments made in 2023 is provided in a fact sheet (PDF, 453.96 KB).
For more information about how floodplain management plans work and the planning process refer to the Developing floodplain management plans.
Plan status
The plan commenced on 12 August 2016 and is due for replacement on 30 June 2027.
The department has completed a review of the plan under Section 43 of the Water Management Act 2000. The review report is now available.
The Natural Resources Commission has audited the plan under Section 44 of the Water Management Act 2000. The audit report is available on their website.
In response to the Section 43 review and the Section 44 audit, the department has amended the Gwydir Valley Floodplain Management Plan. These amendments were approved by the Minister for Lands and Water on 23 January 2023. The amended version of the plan (PDF, 1705.33 KB) is available for download.
Community consultation
The department road tested the major concepts of the plan with key stakeholders during a targeted (informal) consultation process over the period Wednesday 19 March 2014 to Thursday 3 April 2014.
Community input into the preparation of the plan was invited during public exhibition over the period Monday 8 September to Friday 24 October 2014. All submissions received during the exhibition period were considered by an Interagency Regional Panel prior to the preparation of the plan for commencement.
Public submissions on proposed amendments to the plan were invited over the period 26 September to 5 November 2022. A summary of the consultation activities, the feedback received, and the department’s response is provided in a What we heard report (PDF, 1368.24 KB).
The following respondents agreed to have their submissions published on this website. Note that not all respondents elected to have their submissions published.
Read the published submissions (PDF, 456.26 KB) for the proposed Gwydir Valley Floodplain Management Plan amendments.
The views expressed in the submissions are the views of the respondents. While the department seeks to ensure that offensive material is not published, the department is not responsible for the views expressed in the submissions.
Supporting documents
- Rural floodplain management plans: Technical manual (PDF, 2950 KB)
A general description of the method employed for the preparation of floodplain management plans under the Water Management Act 2000. - Background document (PDF, 15031.15 KB) to the Floodplain Management Plan for the Gwydir Valley Floodplain 2016 and Appendices (PDF, 2080.8 KB)
A detailed description of how the method as presented in the Technical manual has been applied across the Gwydir Valley Floodplain and should be read in conjunction with the Technical manual. The background document has been updated to include a section about the plan amendments made in 2023. - An overview of floodplain management plans under the Water Management Act 2000 (PDF, 145.17 KB)
A general, plain English explanation of the key provisions of floodplain management plans. - Floodplain Management Under the Water Management Act 2000: A guide to the changes (PDF, 143.12 KB)
A guide to the transition of floodplain management planning from the Water Act 1912 to the Water Management Act 2000 in NSW.
Acknowledgement
Floodplain management plans in the northern Basin were prepared under the NSW Healthy Floodplains Project which is funded by the Australian Government’s Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program as part of the implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in NSW.
Contact us
If you require assistance in reading these documents, please contact 1300 081 047 or water.enquiries@dpie.nsw.gov.au
Spatial map disclaimer
The spatial maps of floodplain management zones contained on this website (“Spatial Maps”) are produced for information purposes only. The authorised versions of the maps contained in floodplain management plans are published on the NSW legislation website.
The State of New South Wales, including the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (“the department”), does not give any warranty, guarantee or representation about the accuracy, currency or completeness of any information contained in the Spatial Maps (including, without limitation, any information included in the Spatial Maps which was provided by third parties). The State of New South Wales (including the department) provides the Spatial Maps without assumption of a duty of care to any person.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the State of New South Wales (including the department) excludes all liability in relation to the information contained in the Spatial Maps or for any injury, expense loss, or damage whatsoever (including without limitation liability for negligence and consequential losses) suffered or incurred by any person acting, or purporting to act in reliance upon any information contained herein.
Applicants for flood work approvals use the Spatial Maps at their own risk when making decisions relating to the Spatial Maps. They should make their own enquiries with the department to confirm the impact of management zones on their application.