NSW MDB Fractured Rock Water Resource Plan

What area does the plan cover?

The NSW Murray-Darling Basin Fractured Rock Water Resource Plan covers groundwater stored within the fractures, joints, bedding planes, faults and cavities within the geological rock mass of the NSW Murray-Darling Basin as well as alluvial sediments that overlie these fractured rock systems that have not been explicitly captured elsewhere.

The NSW Murray Darling Basin Fractured Rock (GW11) is composed of the following nine sustainable diversion limit resource units (SDL resource units):

• Adelaide Fold Belt (GS10)
• Inverell Basalt (GS18)
• Kanmantoo Fold Belt (GS19)
• Lachlan Fold Belt (GS20)
• Liverpool Ranges Basalt (GS22)
• New England Fold Belt (GS37)
• Orange Basalt (GS39)
• Warrumbungle Basalt (GS49)
• Young Granite (GS51)

Commonwealth accreditation process

The NSW Government first submitted the NSW Murray-Darling Basin Fractured Rock Water Resource Plan to the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) in April 2020 and resubmitted it with changes in July 2022. The plan is now operational, following its accreditation by the MDBA in November 2022.

Changes made to the draft plan based on feedback from public consultation and the MDBA’s preliminary advice are provided in the summary of changes fact sheet PDF, 264.69 KB.

You can read the final accredited plan on the MDBA website.

Public exhibition

Public exhibition of the NSW Murray-Darling Basin Fractured Rock Water Resource Plan is now closed. Public information sessions were held at Gunnedah, Orange and Yass in August 2019. All submissions have been reviewed by the department.

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