Lachlan Surface Water Resource Plan

Commonwealth accreditation

All NSW Water Resource Plans (WRPs) were submitted in 2020 to the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to assess the plan against accreditation requirements of the Basin Plan 2012. Where plans have been submitted (and not withdrawn), a copy of the submitted Plan and the schedules and appendices is available on the MDBA website. The MDBA is progressing its assessment of NSW WRPs and notifying NSW on the outcome of this assessment. Where further work is required to address accreditation requirements, NSW WRPs are being withdrawn and will be resubmitted. At the time of withdrawal, the submitted documents are removed from the MDBA website. Refer to the Water Resource Plans–status: Water in New South Wales page for the status of each plan.

Changes made to the draft plan based on feedback from public consultation and the MDBA’s preliminary advice is provided in the summary of changes (PDF, 291.57 KB) fact sheet.

What areas does the plan cover?

This plan covers all the surface water resources of the Macquarie and Castlereagh Valleys. It includes the regulated river system; unregulated rivers flowing into the regulated river system; unregulated effluent rivers flowing out of the regulated river system on the plains; and water captured through farm dams and floodplain water harvesting. The Macquarie Cudgegong Regulated Rivers Water Source is between the banks of all rivers, from Windamere Dam water storage downstream to the junctions of the Macquarie River and its effluent rivers with the Barwon River, that have been declared by the Minister to be regulated. The Macquarie Bogan Unregulated Water Sources and the Castlereagh River Unregulated Water Sources are within the Central West Water Management Area.

Public exhibition

The draft Water Resource Plan, and proposed changes to the existing Water Sharing Plans, were on public exhibition from 22 November 2018 to 1 February 2019. All submissions received during this period have been reviewed by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment. Public information sessions were held in Mudgee and Narromine in November 2018.

The public exhibition period provided valuable feedback that helped develop and inform proposed changes to the Water Sharing Plans and Water Resource Plan.

The following respondents agreed to have their submissions published on this website. Note that not all respondents elected to have their submissions published.

Water sharing plans

The progress of changes to the water sharing plans as part of the water resource plan development can be found below.