A NSW Government website

Water
Regional projects

Wilcannia Weir Replacement Project

The new weir will provide long-term town water supplies for Wilcannia.

New site for Wilcannia Weir

About the project

Water Infrastructure NSW is designing and constructing a new weir for Wilcannia on behalf of the NSW and Australian Governments under the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program.

Funding has been jointly committed to replace the weir at a new site location, which was supported and agreed upon by the community during previous investigations and consultation by the Department of Planning and Environment’s Water Group.

The new weir will provide long-term town water supplies to preserve and enhance the social, economic and environmental benefits for Wilcannia, its people and its surrounds.

Water Infrastructure NSW is currently undertaking the detailed design and environmental assessments for the new weir so it can progress to the construction phase if all environmental and planning approvals are received.

Benefits

The new weir aims to deliver a range of benefits including:

  • improved water security for Wilcannia
  • enhanced cultural connection to the river
  • improved water management of the weir pool
  • increased tourism opportunities and investment
  • better recreational amenity to walk, swim, picnic and fish
  • improved native fish migration.

Project status

Work is still progressing on the Wilcannia Weir Replacement Project, with both the Australian and NSW Governments committed to delivering this project and its associated benefits for the local community.

Unfortunately, persistent rainfall, high river flows and wet site conditions are hampering the new weir’s pre-construction site-based activities and investigations.

A clearer idea of the new weir’s construction timeline will be available once its detailed design and Environmental Impact Statement are further progressed.

Further geotechnical studies are needed to complete the detailed design of the new weir. These investigations can only be undertaken properly and safely when river, weather and site conditions allow.

The public exhibition of the new weir’s Environmental Impact Statement finished in mid-August 2022. Water Infrastructure NSW is now working to assess the issues raised in the submissions and to develop responses (including identifying where further studies are required).

Community consultation

Water Infrastructure NSW understands the importance of the river to the community and wants to design and construct a weir meeting community needs and expectations and maintaining the strong connection people have to the river.

Community drop-in sessions, to share information and get feedback on the development of the project, are being held at key milestones. Regular updates to the community via newsletter, fact sheets, newspaper and radio are also being made available.

Why Wilcannia needs a new weir and the benefits of its installation

Learn about the history of the existing Wilcannia Weir, what the new weir will look like and how the team worked with the community on its planning.
October 2021

How the new weir will work

Understand the innovative design proposed for the new weir site and how it will benefit both the people of Wilcannia and the environment.
December 2021

What planning processes does the weir need to go through

Learn about the rigorous environmental planning process the weir project has to go through ahead of construction.
November 2021

What the Wilcannia Weir Replacement Project means to the community

Hear about what the project means to the Wilcannia community and how they will contribute to the weir’s development.
December 2020

How the project is creating local employment opportunities

Learn about the Union Bend Road upgrade and how it is supporting employment in the Wilcannia region.
March 2022

The training initiatives as part of the project

Water Infrastructure NSW continues to work closely with key stakeholders to provide the local community with employment training opportunities. Hear from some of the Wilcannia locals who have completed training and development programs as part of the new weir project.
April 2021

Project updates

Media articles

A Baaka Adventure with Gillie

To further support community engagement and awareness of the weir replacement project, a children’s activity booklet A Baaka Adventure with Gillie was developed. The booklet provides educational information on local river life and ecology. Individual booklet pages or a set of 6 combined pages can be downloaded as PDFs from the links below:

Contact us

For more information about the project, email us at wilcanniaweir@dpie.nsw.gov.au or call 1300 081 047.