GWYDIR VALLEY IRRIGATORS ASSOCIATION

News & Events

Conditions are looking better in the Gwydir Valley for farmers and the environment. Natural river flows in 2020 and early 2021 started the process, with further rainfall, flows and flooding in 2021 and ongoing river flows in 2022.  This has helped improved water availability for farmers but has also encouraged the return of many water birds to the region this year, which is the most significant bird breeding event since 2012.  NSW and Commonwealth agencies have been monitoring the environmental condition of the region and have provided updates following aerial surveys in December 2021 and January 2022 with five colonies of birds breeding and four of these containing 1,000 to 2,000 nests each.
The bird breeding event, triggered from natural inflows is being supported by existing water sharing rules as well as water owned by governments for environmental purposes.  For more information on water for the environment visit our page or the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office updates. 

DPIEW have announced the latest water availability with a 40% allocation bringing this years total to 160.4%; general security accounts have a 150% limit and the environmental contingency allowance has 200%.  All of these accounts are full, with 36,100 megalitres of surplus unallocated in Copeton Dam.

The Dam remains steady at 96% with deliveries from some stream flows occurring, dam releases equalled inflows of 215,000 megalitres with around 64,000 megalitres ordered by licence holders during the time.    

The Natural Resources Commission is undertaking their audit and review of the Water Sharing Plan for the Gwydir Unregulated Water Sources 2012, due every 10-years. Previous reviews by the NRC have been controversial as in the 5-year review of the Barwon Darling (here) resulting in significant changes including, active management, increased commence to pump thresholds and new restrictions following drought periods called resumption of flow rules.

The key areas as guided by the NRC are:

  • Environmental outcomes: examples of how the plan rules provide for environmental outcomes.
  • Social outcomes: examples of how has having ‘a plan’ allowed for improve social outcomes for you, your region and community.
  • Economic outcomes: examples of the value of a licence, clear rules and a trading market.
GVIA will be preparing a submission which is due on 6 February 2022.  You can provide your own submission or to see more see the NRC Review.

The NSW Government finally issued an exemption and outlined the process to apply for water users who do not have enough network connectivity (are in a black spot) to install a telemetry unit on their compliant water meter site. This exemption comes after raising this issue since 2017 and NRAR issuing letter of advice to water users who had not been able to be fully compliant because of this issue. 

There are three steps to apply for this exemption, which allow water users or duly qualified persons to identify whether a site is within network coverage and to apply using the standardised form.  Please ensure this exemption is added as an update to your file in the DQP portal so that all agencies have access. 

We are continuing to work through the remaining outstanding issues that require an exemption. 

WaterNSW have eased Copeton Dam releases and they remain steady since 14 December, with 1,500 megalitres per day being released.

Flood warnings have ceased for the Gwydir Valley in response, with the tail of the released water expected to pass through all of the effluent creeks and streams now that flow rates are within the scope of operations of the river infrastructure.

For information on river heights, visit WaterInsights. 

As flood waters continue to move along our river systems now reaching western communities such as Mungindi, Collarenebri and Walgett and spill operations for major storages continuing, including the recent addition of Menindee Lakes.  This flooding is occurring as the NSW Upper House report into Floodplain Harvesting[1] declared the historical practice is legal and should be measured and licenced.  

“The community rightly expect, is that whenever industry has access to water, it is only to our share, that the limits are policed and that it is very transparent, even in floods when there is water everywhere” she said.

“We agree and that is why we’ve supported the licencing of Floodplain Harvesting -  a long-standing, historical form of take that happens when rivers and our floodplains are spilling, so that all forms of take are consistently managed in our valley” she said.

“Our position was supported by the Upper House Committee report which highlighted the need for measurement of storages and our rivers to properly account for water use and licencing to ensure all limits in state and Federal legislation could be achieved and monitored”.

“These are all key elements of the reform which the majority of stakeholders agree, it is what the community expects and should be implemented state-wide” she said.

[1] https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/inquiries/2818/Report%20no.%201%20-%20Select%20Committee%20-%20Floodplain%20harvesting%20-%20December%202021.pdf

The Gwydir Valley is currently experiencing a once in a decade event with Copeton Dam filling and spilling, along with most rivers and streams flowing naturally. 

Zara Lowien, Executive Officer of Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association who represents water users in the valley said whilst it is rare to see Copeton Dam this full and spilling, this signifies the region is at the start of the boom, of our historical boom and bust cycle here in the Gwydir Valley.

“Copeton Dam filling and our rivers constantly flowing, as they have for nearly a year now, is exactly what happens here when it finally does rain” she said.

“These conditions are a far cry from those a few years ago, when environmental water and high security deliveries were the only sources of water keeping parts of our rivers flowing, while others just didn’t flow at all” she said.

WaterNSW advised releases from Copeton Dam have decreased to 5,000ML/day.  Copeton Dam remains steady at 99% capacity, with all accounts at their maximum allocation. 

The water releases take 4-5 days before reaching Pallamallawa.

The Gwydir River at Yarraman remains at a minor flood level, with additional inflows below Gravesend combining with spill releases from Copeton Dam.  Keep an eye on the BOM weather warnings for any flood warning updates. 

From 1 December 2021, along with the last stage of new metering requirements for the Valley the NSW Government also kicks of new reporting needs.

These are for water users that use their work for multiple purposes and they require you to report the split in your licensed water and Basic Landholder Rights use, to ensure water is not deducted off your license.  Without reporting, all the water use measured will be considered licensed.  The rules also include self meter reads for those water users who do not have telemetry.  The rules are explained here https://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/water/metering-archive/new-reporting-rules .

The rules are rather Draconian for water users that do not use water for irrigation but have a licensed attached to the work and therefore have the potential to irrigate, as you need to add up the water used each month and report it as BLR.  We would encourage you to write with your first report, complaining about these requirements as you are not an active irrigator but want to use the work for Basic Landholder Rights.  We did provide a submission at the time which was clearly ignored. 

The attached approved form, which also has to be used is provided in the below link.

WaterNSW advised that releases from Copeton Dam were increased to 16,000 megalitres per day and again, to 20,000 megalitres per day to account for recent rainfall upstream at Bundarra and with the current forecast.  

These flows are now meeting with existing inflows and the the flows are larger and more sustained than the stream capacity of any system, downstream (West) of Moree township being: the Lower Gwydir and Gingham, Mehi, Moomin and the Carole and Gil Gil systems. Flooding in low lying areas or known chokes in these systems is likely as a result of these flows and that is before any further inflows.  Flooding is already occurring along the Lower Gwydir, Gingham and Carole systems from earlier this week and local inflows.  

For a comparison of past floods, their heights and flow rates please visit our webpage History of Flooding, whcih was updated to reflect the flood already this week. 

For the first time since July 2012, Copeton Dam has reached 99% and WaterNSW have had to release water to make airspace for inflows, which are the tail of the current event at Bundarra on the Gwydir River.  This is only the fifth time since construction the dam has reached this level. 

Releases at this stage are 5,000 megalitres/day for the next few days, depending on the weather. WaterNSW will aim to maintain Copeton at 100%, no more or no less.  These flows are well within the operational capacity of WaterNSW downstream near Moree. 

All accounts associated with Copeton Dam are now full, with some unallocated water. 

Releases are considered unregulated events and shared accordingly.

The Bureau of Meteorology have issued a moderate flood warning again for the Gwydir Valley, with Major flooding expected at Yarraman of 7m by Tuesday. 

Follow the BOM Flood Warning updates here.

Follow and check in with river heights along the river via the BOM river network here.  WaterNSW systems (WaterInsights - the preferred platform, WaterLive app and Realtime data) are overloaded and at times have delayed data or cannot be displayed.

The Gwydir Valley is a distributary river system, which spreads our rivers and creeks across the Gwydir Floodplain which acts as a large inland delta. Our rivers spill out naturally to these floodplains when they are full and spilling.  Not every flood is the same, they range in magnitude of height and duration and can occur from locally generated rain or from rainfall further upstream of the catchment. 
Recent flood warnings in December 2020 were predicted because of upstream rainfall and inflows.  This was a short, sharp and small flow which has created limited flooding.  For example, the height at Pallamallawa was half of that experienced in 2011 and 2012 when the entire north-west was in flood. This flow also didn't contain a lot of water but its peak flow rate at Pallamallawa of 33,000 ML/day was still higher than the operating capacity of the regulator and cannot be managed.  Rather this water flows naturally, unmanaged by WaterNSW to the watercourse the lowest point of our inland delta and towards the Gwydir Wetlands.

DPIEW have updated the Metering Guidance Tool with a number of new questions to better guide you through the metering requirements.  We recommend everyone step through this process to help them work out whether they need to call a Duly Qualified Person or not about needing a meter.

Have your work approval and licence conditions on hand - you will need them to complete many of the questions.  Remember to watch our videos via Vimeo https://vimeo.com/showcase/8853111  which step through how to find these numbers and the information your need. 

Copeton Dam is currently at 95% capacity with inflows still occurring from recent rainfall above the Dam - the dam storage levels can be checked via WaterInsights. Copeton only needs to get to 96% capacity before all licences have full allocations, meaning that at 100% capacity there is unallocated water that sits until there is account space for it to be allocated.

However, for context, Copeton Dam has only reached 99% capacity for an extended period on four occasions since it was finished full construction in 1976. Being 1978, in 1984, 1998 and most recently in 2012.   

Please note, WaterNSW are not making airspace releases from Copeton Dam at this stage but this is occuring for Keepit Dam in the Namoi Valley.

With minor flooding in the Gwydir Valley, WaterNSW has issued an update to the 9 November supplementary announcement, today the 12 November 2021, increasing access to 100% of allocation for those interested with updated pumping volumes provided.

Anyone who did not participate in the EOI earlier this week and would now like to participate must call WaterNSW to discuss, do not just put in a water order you must email riveropsnorth@waternsw.com.au.

Reminder to place water orders via iWas or using the form and emailing water.orders@waternsw.com.au. 

The BOM have revised the Flood Warning for the Gwydir Valley down to minor via their updates here.  

Whilst the flood level has reduced.  The flow rate in the Gwydir River is currently above the safe operating level of the infrastructure at Tareelaroi Weir - this means that the gates are fully lifted, allowing the river to flow in its natural direction which temporarily limits the ability for WaterNSW to direct flows down the Mehi River. That is why there has been a drop in the Mehi River below the regulator late yesterday as the gates were required to be opened, the levels will rise with further water flows and/or when WaterNSW can close some of the gates on the regulator. 

River heights can be viewed via WaterInisghts and selecting the Gwydir Regulated River, below find your location.

Contact WaterNSW if you have any further questions.

The Bureau of Meteorology have issues a flood warning for moderate to major flooding of the Gwydir and Mehi Rivers, for the weekend.

The rainfall activity is storm based and very difficult to predict but its important to keep watch of updates vis the SES or the BOM websites.  

For an assessment of past floods and their heights including the most recent events in December 2020 and March 2021, visit our webpage History of Flooding. We will update this page with any new flood predictions if they occur.

Stay safe.

In the interests of keep our staff and community safe at the busy and important time, our office in Moree remains temporarily closed given the current COVID outbreak.  

Members can call the office to arrange a teleconference or video conference meeting for any inquiries.

Please stay safe.

The NSW Government has announced an additional 4.8% increase in general security and environmental contingency accounts following inflows into Copeton Dam.  Copeton Dam is sitting at 86% capacity, and on average general security accounts have 135% in accounts made up of 78.4% allocation provided this year plus carryover from previous years.  General security accounts have a maximum account limit of 150% this account limit is reached prior to Copeton Dam being at full capacity due to unallocated water.  

WaterNSW indicated during our recent Customer Meeting and River Operations meeting that any customer interested in supplementary water was to contact the  RiverOpsNorth@waternsw.com.au with ongoing unregulated flows downstream and limited interest, they will not be making announcements until further notice. 

Supplementary access usage and the updated rolling roster is available via our website.  To see a break down of supplementary events and sharing arrangements visit  https://waterinsights.waternsw.com.au/11985-gwydir-regulated-river/allocation 

Want to find our for yourself what the new NSW Metering Rules mean for you? The NSW Government is holding two virtual metering field days to help you understand the rules and what you need to do to be compliant.

You will be able to ask questions to a panel from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment - Water group, WaterNSW and NRAR staff.   Fee free to ask these questions when registering. 

Metering suppliers will also be presenting information on their products and available to answer your questions.

Session 1
Thursday 28 October
Session1: 12:30pm – 3.00pm

Session 2
Friday 29 October
Session1: 12:30pm – 3.00pm

Copeton Dam is a 86% percent capacity and General Security allocations including for the ECA and environmental water holders for this year  equal 73%, including carryover there is on average 126% in accounts.  This is a stark contrast to conditions 18-months ago for our region and others.  For all NSW northern valleys storages are on average at 83% of capacity, the central valleys have 91% and the southern valleys on 94%. There actually isn't a lot of room for more inflows.

The NSW Government has released excess licenses in some water sharing plan areas of NSW under a controlled allocation.  These areas include the fractured rock and GAB groundwater water source areas within our region if interested. 

This process sets a minumum price per megalitre and a total volume of unit shares available for each listed water source and/or zone. 

The majority of licenses are being released in coastal areas following the water sharing plan processes in those regions. 

Understanding the changes to the NSW Metering Rules for non-urban water users can be a challenge and often the information is spread across a number of Department and industry sources.  We have found, the most central point to visit is WaterNSW Metering page https://www.waternsw.com.au/customer-service/water-licensing/metering#stay

It has the three steps you should take and all the links to the forms, the rules and the Departments Metering Guidance tool which we encourage you to use. But importantly, its WaterNSW who manage the implementation and integration of the new rules on the ground, they collect information from your Duly Qualified Persons and they administer the licensing database if you determine you need to make amendments.  In most cases it is WaterNSW you will need to speak with about metering as they are the customer liaison group, plus they have a customer hotline 1300 662 077. 

It is this website that features heavily in our video series on metering.

The NSW Water Minister today announced the NSW Government will exempt up to 500 small water users who take water under a domestic and stock water access licence from non-urban metering rules, fixing an inconsistency in the NSW Government’s metering policy .  The announcement details are accessed below. 

Zara Lowien from the GVIA said while welcomed for some water users, the decision to not extend this exemption to groundwater sources such as the Lower Gwydir and the NSW Great Artesian Basin, will mean the majority of the region's stock and domestic groundwater works are still required to be metered in the Gwydir Valley.  This means many lifestyle blocks on the outskirts of towns like Moree and dryland farms still need a water meter by 1 December 2021.  This is over-reach by the metering reforms which should focus on water being actively used for irrigation and as such, the exemptions should be extended to these other water sources.

We are also calling on the NSW Government to prioritise solutions for land owners who hold a water access licenses but are not active irrigators before the deadline of 1 December 2021.  Again a large number of lifestyle blocks have small licenses that are inactive for irrigation but that may be used for stock and domestic or basic landholder rights, who without intervention are required to have a meter by December 2021.  

To assess if you need a meter, see our video series via https://vimeo.com/showcase/8853111

The NSW Select Committee Inquiry into floodplain harvesting has had an explosive start to public hearings this week with hearings due to wrap up on Friday, 24th September with the NSW Water Minister.

Zara Lowien, from the Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association said the next few days will be interesting as mainly stakeholders who are vocal against the licencing proposal and irrigation in the northern valleys, present their cases.

 “Since the drought we’ve seen floodplain harvesting which is water taken during a flood when rivers and streams are full and spilling onto the floodplains, being criticised as the cause of all the problems with water management and the environment during the drought”.

 “Everyone agrees current conditions are good – our rivers are flowing freely, with many storages including the Menindee Lakes full, which is in stark contrast to the recent drought, when our rivers stopped flowing.”

“With many these mistruths blown out of the water and some stakeholders refusing to accept the real facts.  Those destined to undermine this process have fallen back on highly nuanced and often contradictory arguments on what is the long-term legal limit and disputes on modelling results”.

“The analysis being used to support the claim that NSW is trying to update Cap without due process during this inquiry is not correct, nor is the claim that Cap is being increased.”

“The analysis used to make the claims, isn’t even comparing apples with apples” said Mrs Lowien.

Food and fibre production in the northern Murray Darling Basin is worth more than $6 billion a year, according to a report by leading Australian economic analysis company Macroplan. The report, commissioned by the Northern Valley Irrigators groups of which the Gwydir Valley contributed, sets out the value and flow-on benefits of investment in irrigated agriculture in the northern Basin.

“The report shows the economic and social value of irrigated and other agriculture in in the northern Basin,” explained Michael Drum, Executive Officer of Macquarie River Food and Fibre.

“Regional communities dominated by agriculture are circular economies, each sector relies on the other to be successful. Much of the irrigated product both primary and secondary uses, goes to feeding a highly valuable livestock industry as well the food we eat and the clothes we wear”.

Here is our third video in a NSW Metering Rules series - this is for active users, who want to work out if they need a meter and what type of meter, but also who they contact.
This video goes through some examples, for groundwater users and surface water users using the NSW Government Metering Guidance Tool.
It also then shows you how to find an approved expert to help provide you more specific advice, on what meter you may need and to install a new one or check the one you have via the Irrigation Australia database of Certified Meter Installers.
This video is available https://vimeo.com/610165753

Here is our second video in our NSW Metering Rules series - this is designed to help you make the administrative updates to your work approval.
1. For users who are not active users for irrigation or do not have infrastructure, we cover the steps to mark your site inactive.
2. For users who want to just pump stock and domestic or basic landholder rights water, we explain how you can remove your WAL and change the purpose of your work or just keep the works as they are but check if you need to install a meter.
3. For users who are active and there are differences between your on-farm infrastructure and the work approval, how to amend these.
You must not delay with undertaking these steps, there are price increases from 1 October 2021 for these applications. 
This video is available via vimeo https://vimeo.com/609659644

Within the IPART pricing review details revealed the metering reform policy established by the NSW Government in 2019, is not meeting its promised objectives.

“We’ve been watching the train-wreck that is the implementation and administration of the NSW metering policy and working on solutions, to iron out barriers to compliance[1]” said Mrs Lowien.

“Detail in the attachments of the IPART review has highlighted the policy is also failing to meet expected efficiency or cost savings too” she said.

“IPART has had to blend metering administration charges because it was going to be more expensive for customers to have telemetry ".

“The Government telemetry system is a complete farce, it’s not integrated properly within Government systems, water users cannot connect or utilise the data easily and now, IPART have also exposed there’s no financial savings or benefits either” she said.

 [1] Document in the comprehensive barriers to compliance document by NSWIC https://www.nswic.org.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021-09-01-NSWIC-Report-on-Barriers-to-Metering-Compliance-FINAL-.pdf

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) NSW handed down their new pricing structure for water charges in NSW to start from 1 October 2021 with no good news for farmers, struggling to recovery from the drought and the reform costs for metering already.

“The details within the determination confirms that Gwydir water users will see significant pricing change increases across the valley for the next four years.”

“The only water user to see a reduction in overall charges are inland groundwater users, largely due to cost shifting between agencies.”

“High security and unregulated users are the hardest hit with 46% and 66% increase in some charges respectively.  General security and supplementary users are not free from increases, usage charges for them increase 34%[1]” she said.

“There are also significant increases in administration charges through WaterNSW which the GVIA warn anyone with a water approval to be aware of the increase” said Mrs Lowien.

The recent resource assessment has increased general security allocation to 69.3% for the Gwydir Valley.  Copeton Dam is at 82% capacity and rising. 
A stark contrast to this time last year, when Copeton Dam was at 16% capacity. 
Total water available for general security irrgators in Copeton is 496,000ML with  213,000ML for held environmental water accounts, including the ECA.  This water is in the bank, so to speak and can be carried over if it is not needed this year.   All high security and other essential supplies are 100% and fully secured for two years.

In a scathing investigative report released today [HERE], NSW Irrigators’ Council found the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment-Water (DPIE-Water) and WaterNSW had failed to execute their administrative and technical responsibilities effectively.
 
“The industry supports this reform, which requires water users to upgrade their meters to a new, world-leading standard,” NSWIC CEO Claire Miller said.
 
“But irrigators are fed up with being blamed for non-compliance by deadlines while DPIE-Water and WaterNSW get away with glossing over the scale and impact of their poor planning.

GVIA helped inform the report and has been advocating to various Department's now for years, to address these barriers.

Executive Officer Zara Lowien said "We've been collating and communicating these issues directly to government for years, trying to work constructively, encourage action and implement the reform".

"But now,  water users are receiving NRAR advisory letters becuase the government has failed to provide them an approved device to install".

"Its not good enough to tell us the market will respond or don't worry,  just "evidence" your effort."

"Water users are sick and tired of providing "evidence" on multiple occasions, to multiple NRAR employees that don't even seem to speak to each other or keep this "evidence".  

"Water users just actually want to be compliant but the government agencies are letting them down".

"Enough is enough, its time they step up if they want this reform to work" she said.

The NSW metering rules apply to all works and compliance will be assessed against your work approval - not what is in the ground and whether you use it or not.  If you do not actively use these works or do not have any infrastructure installed, you are not required to have a meter.
Before a work will be tagged as inactive, YOU MUST demonstrate the work is not physically capable of taking water and REGISTER your work as inactive.  This is done through WaterNSW.
Registering your work inactive will ensure you avoid being non-compliant to these rules by the relevant due date; either 1 December 2020 for larger than 500mm sites or 1 December 2021 for all other sites.   This applies to both surface and groundwater works. 
The form required is vailable here https://www.waternsw.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/142628/Application-to-amend-approval-for-inactive-or-active-works.pdf

The realities of metering statistics are very different to the story being communicated by NRAR.  

Valley based tracking of progress is available via NRAR and is presented on our new page below.  Here we also capture the key barriers encountered by different users in these different categories.  We thank everyone for their efforts to comply and despite some of the media coverage, we encourage you to keep up the good work. 

There will be significant challenges for Stage 2 - administratively, as well as in terms of resourcing with 7,601 istes in the northern inland required to be compliant to the new rules by 1 December 2021.  Please do not leave contacting a DQP if you are in this next stage to the last minute.

WaterNSW would like to remind customers that supplementary water is available with unregulated inflows occuring downstream of Copeton Dam.  

These flows are providing water right along our river systems, the first 500ML/day are being delivered to the wetlands but any flows greater than that are being shared 50:50 between the environment and customers.  WaterNSW indicated downstream tributary inflows greater than the minimum flow to the wetlands are being diverted away from this area where possible, unless ordered by customers.  These rules and this operations, are enabling sharing of flows along our rivers and and beyond with more than 40,000ML flowing past Collarenbri from the Mehi alone this last month.  

Contact WaterNSW via email at RiverOpsNorth@waternsw.com.au, or alternately by contacting Roger Hunt or Ken Gee.  

Copeton Dam has been rising since December 2020 since catchment wide rainfall began to fall with around 600GL of inflows over this time.  This rising  trend is being followed right around NSW, with the current state-wide storage capacity at 74% (Copeton Dam just below the state average at 63%).

However, percentages don't tell the whole story in the context of total water available around the state. 

The northern basin has 71% availability equalling, 1,982GL of water, the central west is above the state average at 75% with 2,230GL of water available and the souther basin also above the state average at 77% full has 8,876GL of water available. We set up a new page on our website to explore this here.

Irrigators argue NRAR's statement was misleading given some works fell into that category due to factors outside their control - such as back-log in the supply and installation of government-approved meters and telemetry equipment.

Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) announcing they were taking enforcement action after statewide inspections found 45 per cent of inspected pumps were still not fitted with compliant meters.

GVIA said: "Its hard to be compliant to new rules when in some instances there isn't an approved replacement meter available or if your still waiting for it to arrive after ordering it.  Many of these replacement meter jobs you cannot just buy a meter and stick it in a pipe, they're custom built and designed and take significant planning and lead time.
 We'd like to thank our local service providers for their perseverance with these new rules, your patience in trying to solve these complex problems bought about by a poorly formed set of rules.  We are grateful for all your effort for the industry so far. "

DPIE is currently seeking watercourse landholder input to develop business cases for the Lower Gwydir and Gingham Watercourses, Lower Mehi River and Ballin Boora Creek.

Over the next few months they will be working with the local community to develop the business case. There will be a series of community gatherings followed by local workshops to: discuss project objectives and opportunities, bring local knowledge and community needs into the scoping of potential measures, create strategies for on-ground outcomes.

Landholders in the project area should have received information in the mail however if you are located in the project area and did not receive a letter please contact us.    The community gatherings from next Monday 19 July – 22 Thursday July 2021

Find out more:

Online: environment.nsw.gov.au/nbtk/gwydircmp

Email: gwydir.cmp@environment.nsw.gov.au

The resource assessment for Copeton Dam up to 30 June 2021 was made available with the first allocation for the year being granted to general security water users and the ECA of 11.1%.  This bring the irrigation total water availability for this year, including carry over to 264,400ML while environmental accounts hold 125,600ML. 

Supplementary water announcements are also ongoing with inflows below Copeton Dam being shared 50:50 with the environment after the first 500ML are provided to the Gwydir Wetlands.  

NSW DPIE - Water announced starting allocations for the 2021-22 water year, on 1 July 2021.
All groundwater and surface water users received their 1ML per unit share allocation, OTHER THAN general security users who are likely to receive a new resource assessment later this month and supplementary water users who received only 0.5ML per unit share.  This is the first time supplementary licences have been reduced below 1ML per unit share, and is in response to the recent disallowance of the government's proposed regulations to reduce, measure and account for floodplain harvesting in our water sharing plan see our previous media release.
General security carry over of  214,000ML from allocations previously will be available for this new year.

The Land's Olivia Calver reported: Gwydir Valley irrigators have hit out at the NSW Parliament after supplementary water users in the Gwydir and Border Rivers were informed their allocations would be reduced, as an apparent consequence of floodplain harvesting regulations being disallowed.

The floodplain harvesting regulations were disallowed by the NSW Upper House last month, with the opposition and cross-bench calling for downstream targets to be established before the government is given "a blank cheque" for floodplain harvesting legislation.


NSW Water Minister Melinda Pavey appeared to confirm the supplementary water restriction was a result of the disallowance in a statement from her office.

"Until floodplain harvesting licences and rules are implemented, any unmanaged growth in water use will have to be offset through reduced allocations for supplementary water licences, in line with Water Sharing Plan rules," the statement read.

"The FPH policy and regs apply to all water users across NSW."

“You don’t rob Peter, the supplementary licence holder to pay Paul, the floodplain harvester. It’s not a fair and equitable way to manage water and it’s not good policy”.  

This decision is in response to the failure of Minister Pavey to gain NSW parliament support of regulations to enable the licensing of a separate form of take, floodplain harvesting. Which in May 2021 the Legislative Council blocked regulation aimed at reducing floodplain harvesting to legal limits and ensuring all water taken from the floodplains was measured and accounted.  

GVIA, Executive Officer Zara Lowien said “we made it clear at the time that communities around the Murray Darling would be worse off without a floodplain harvesting licencing framework. We are now seeing the consequences of that misguided decision” she said.

Weir back up and operational

WaterNSW advises that Tareelaroi Weir on the Gwydir River is now operational.

Tareelaroi Weir was temporarily out of service as a result of the floods in late March. 

With the Tareelaroi Weir gates now operational, water in excess of the environmental provisions of the Water Sharing Plan may be diverted to the Mehi River.

Normal operations will resume, with downstream tributary flows expected to provide minor stock and domestic/riparian flows throughout the valley.

DPIE Water provided the last resource assessment for the 2020/2021 water year, with a 0.9% general security allocation.  This brings the total allocation for this water year to 58%.  Essential supplies are secured for two-years in advance.

The assessment is available here.

Starting allocations will be announced on 1 July 2021 with the next resource assessment to be available on 7 June.

The irrigation efficiency and automation research at Keytah this year has seen a large number of new innovations tested at a fild level. At our field day this year we interviewed many of the research and commercial partners in this project. Over the next few months we will be releasing these videos and loading them onto the GVIA website as well as the Smarter Irrigation for profit website. Here is one of the latest releases. 

Moree Plains Shire Council are asking all rate payers their view on the feasibility of a potential levee around part of the town of Moree via a survey in the mail this week.  Information on the proposal is located on their website and a frequently asked question document has been prepared.  The proposal is summarised within the FAQ document and this letter.

Dryside Engineering are available for face-to-face one-on-one meetings this week in Moree.  We encourage you if you are available to discuss your thoughts with the engineers.

As there remains a gap in understanding the impacts to the rural landholders downstream of Moree (located on the Gwydir and Mehi systems), I have arranged for a targeted group session with impacted landholders will be hosted in the GVIA office.  This will help inform the final benefit cost ratio of the proposal and is important an accurate account of impacts is assessed. 

The GVIA will not be engaging in debate regarding Mr Justin Field's, MLC decision to select statements from privileged and generic legal advice, to justify his motion to disallow regulations and ignite a new conspiracy.  

This information is not substantially inconsistent with previous advice issued by the Crown Solicitor, NSWIC or that received by individuals.  Albeit it does address a broader range of issues including case law precedents for leniency.  The regulations that Mr Field, MLC, led to disallow in the NSW Legislative Council were designed to address the known legal ambiguity with the Water Management Act once and for all, and provide a mechanism to licence, manage and meter this historical form of take in a consistent manner.

Our position remains unchanged.

Our statement regarding the mess that the disallowance creates for all NSW remains unchanged.  It can be found here. 

Mr Field should heed his own advice that the tit for tat over legal advice has to end and take productive steps to clean up the mess he helped create across all NSW.

NSW DPIEW increased general security allocations by 2.3% this month, bringing allocations to 57.1% for this water year.  This allocation with previous carry over, means water users have 210,500ML and environmental water managers have 69,300ML and ECA 36,800ML to utilise a later date. Essential supplies are secured for two-years in advance.

There have been continual low, small flows along the river systems.  Water sharing plan rules and infrastructure constraints (due to damage from the recent flooding) means these flows cannot be managed and this water is flowing through the lower sections of the Gwydir and Gingham, with some water being managed down the Carole creek.

GVIA, Executive Officer Zara Lowien who was at parliament house said she’s still dismayed.
"On Thursday, the NSW Legislative Council voted against improving environmental outcomes in our rivers, floodplains and wetlands and in doing so has lost the faith of industry and our support. Until this mess is sorted out, our legal advice is clear that the status quo leaves floodplain harvesting as unmanaged, unmeasured and unaccounted for right across NSW."
We just cannot see how this disallowance is a better deal for NSW” she said.
(Photo: NSW Legilstive Council photo via Facebook @nswupperhouse) .

Water users, their communities, and environments right around the Murray-Darling Basin had their calls to the NSW Government for better management of water, answered as the NSW Government made regulations to enable the management, measurement, and accounting of the final source of water in NSW which is taken off the floodplains.

Zara Lowien said “These three regulations outline the mechanics to enable the calculation, issuing and enforcement of limits in our local water plans through mandatory metering of floodplain take[1], which has not existed previously” she said

“They mean NSW Government can now manage all forms of water take, right across NSW consistently” she said.

[1] Refer to Fast Facts about Floodplain Harvesting for a description of this form of water take.

One week after saying two-thirds of water users were not making effort with metering reforms the Natural Access Resource Regulator has changed their mind.

The Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association stand firm saying the regulator was out of line in their approach to the media, using untested data from inadequate systems which have been proven wrong with new field data released today.  Mrs Zara Lowien from Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association said “this new information confirms how important on-site information and ensuring boots on the ground are used in compliance just not desk-top studies.”

The Gwydir Valley Floodplain Management Plan is due for it's five-year review as per the plan requirements.  The review is to determine whether its provisions remain adequate and appropriate for ensuring the effective implementation of the water management principles.  The public submission period provides opportunities for water users, stakeholders and other interested parties to inform the review of these plans. Comment is specifically being sought on:

  1. Is the floodplain management plan(s) adequate and appropriate for ensuring the effective implementation of the water management principles?
  2. Are there issues with the plan(s) that were identified since commencement and impact on effectiveness of implementation?
  3. Are there potential amendments to the plan(s) that should be considered?


Submissions are due Tuesday, 18 May 2021.

Irrigation Australia - the national organisation representing the Australian irrigation industry in all sectors from water users, manufacturers, retailers, consultants, designers and installers, finds it disappointing that this article conveys an impression that irrigators are deliberately avoiding their obligations under the new regulations. The facts are quite different and comments of this nature risk undoing much of the good work and goodwill that irrigators, irrigator groups and duly qualified persons (DQPs) have undertaken to support the NSW Government objective of accurately measuring water take in NSW

The Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association hit back saying the regulator was out of line in their approach to the media, using untested data from inadequate systems with suspicious timing.  They believe all this does, is confirm that the metering reforms was an overly ambitious and poorly planned policy from the beginning.
(Photo: Federal Senators from the Senate Select Committee members into the Multijurisdictional Management and Execution of the Murray Darling Basin Plan during their tour in Moree, this week looking at a fully compliant, transitioned meter)

Copeton Dam is at 40% and steady and as a result, general security allocations have increased by 39.12% resulting in 54.8% allocation for the year for environmental and production.  Most of this water will be carried over to be used at a later time.

Full supplementary allocations were also made available with up to 116,000 ML ordered by irrigators and 5,700 ML by environmental water holders during these events.

WaterNSW have initiated flood forecasting and reporting following the recent widespread rain and flooding in the Gwydir, Border Rivers, Macquarie and Culgoa.  This replicates and updates their reporting during the First Flush event in 2020.  The most recent update on 6 April revealed between 400-600GL to flow into Menindee Lakes from all the tributaries.  However, forecasting is limited due to the nature of the floodplain flows and natural breakouts along the Barwon River. 
Its great to see so many rivers full and spilling. 
How the water is managed once it reaches Menindee Lakes will be closely scrutinised given the likely volumes and the many competing interests there.  The NSW Water Minister recently said "NSW will be making decisions on how to manage the inflows into the Menindee System with the first objective being to improve water supplies in the Lower Darling coimmunities and ensure the top two Lakes are filled" via The Land ift.tt/3wybHSV.

The peak of the floods in the Gwydir Valley have passed through the township of Moree and are heading west. Many describe this event as being two floods, the one caused initially from local rainfall of between 100-200mm and then the flood from upstream water sources like the Horton River into the Gwydir and Mehi systems, that came at least three-days later.

Local rainfall and unregulated water is therefore, now being backed up by the major floodwaters from upstream, which is likely to result in sustained, major flooding in the lower sections of the Gwydir floodplain.  

All the rivers and creeks in the lower floodplain are flowing above capacity as water spills out.  There is 100% supplementary access available.  During this time, Copeton Dam has increased from 22% to 39% capacity during this event, with a resource allocation likely in early April in response.

There is a history of flooding in the Gwydir Valley and the peak height of the flood in Moree and surrounding gauges is provided on our page 'History of Flooding' and compared with previous large and major floods.

Disaster recovery funding has been declared for Moree, Gwydir and Inverell Shire areas in response to flooding.  

Assistance available under the Disaster Relief Funding Agreement with the Commonwealth may include:

  • help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged
  • support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets
  • concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations
  • freight subsidies for primary producers, and
  • grants to eligible non-profit organisations.
To apply for a concessional loan or grant, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au

Further information on disaster assistance is available on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website at www.disasterassist.gov.au and Service NSW at www.disasterassistance.service.nsw.gov.au

Also, we encourage you to fill out the Natural Disaster Damage Survey https://fal.cn/3ecfO. The survey is for NSW DPI and Local Land Services NSW staff, farmers and agricultural industry representatives can use to record damage to primary production and animals from natural disasters.

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