Program measures

If the program proceeds to delivery, we may establish flow easement agreements with landholders within the flow corridors.

Establishing flow easements on private property would assist river operators to periodically deliver higher flows for environmental purposes. Inundation impacts would be the primary concern of any agreement being considered by the program, with landholders able to continue existing farm management within the flow corridor unless the land is inundated.

Compensation may also be considered by the program. If the program proceeds, any compensation measure would be agreed, fairly and equitably with landholders, to allow the NSW Government to inundate the environmental flow corridor on their land with environmental water releases .

Private landholders in a flow corridor would be given fair and reasonable opportunity to negotiate enduring agreements and would be entitled to compensation in accordance with the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991.

To see if your property is within a proposed flow corridor visit the program’s inundation mapping.

If the program proceeds to delivery, works may be considered for affected public infrastructure within flow corridors, to assist local government and other land management agencies to provide essential services. This would include where there are impacts to public health and safety, or where it could be demonstrated there is a significant public benefit.

Program measures may also be considered, on a case-by-case basis, to achieve First Nations outcomes on public land within the flow corridors.

There may also be additional works required in individual Local Government Areas to assist the delivery of flows, such as the widening of bridges or culverts.

We are consulting with First Nations communities across the program area to understand how connection and access to Country could be improved through the program, and the health of Nations could be supported.

We are working to better understand First Nations people’s vision for Country, identify potential measures and support mechanisms enabling First nations benefits along the flow corridor. We have heard from our First Nation’s reference group some beneficial measures could include improved access to Country through agreements and co-management, physical access works (e.g., improved roads, tracks, culverts, etc) as well as measures to support Nation building.

We will continue to consult and to build our understanding of how the program can help realise benefits for First Nations people over the coming months.

If a decision is made to fund and proceed with the program, assistance may be considered for landholders engaged in negotiations, in-line with the NSW Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991

Examples of this assistance include:

• legal costs reasonably incurred
• valuation fees of a registered valuer, reasonably incurred
• other reasonably incurred financial costs related to the actual use of the property resulting from the easement.

An additional fixed amount may be considered in recognition of the time required to undertake the negotiation. No fixed amount has been determined but would be a consistent across the program