To classify your work (water supply work or floodplain harvesting), please login or register in the Customer
Portal
and complete the ‘Amend the status of your work’ form. Please see our how-to
guide (PDF, 507.85 KB)
for assistance.
WaterNSW Have added FPH invalley triggers into the gauges where they apply on WaterInsights. The target volumes are noted in Table B of the
Section324 order.
To determine if you can access FPH you will need to confirm on you licence which water source you are in, you will also need to confirm
which management zone you are in. Cross check with the Section
324 order
to see how the order restricts your access. WaterInsights
Thirty years of reform in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) has focused on ‘rebalancing’ water use. These reforms began in the 1990s, in response to concerns at the time of ‘over extraction’, and the need to tip the balance back towards water remaining in rivers for the
environment.
The question is where is that balance now - between water diverted for human uses, and water not-diverted to remain in rivers.
This goes to the original purpose of the Basin Plan. The Report’s key finding is clear: just 23% of available water is diverted for human
uses, leaving 77% in rivers, wetlands, and floodplains to support the environment.
Please note that the s324 embargo is inforce. This means that while Menindee Upper lakes are below 250GL there is no access to the
following:
- Gwydir regulated FPH and Supplementary
- Gingham unregulated FPH and river access
- Mallawa and Mehi Water Source unregulated river access
Details are available via the NSW Government link included. These restrictions are in place until June 2027.
This season Cotton Australia is sharing the story of production in the Gwydir through "A season with the Winters". It will
introduce people to the decisions a family farm makes through the growing season. https://youtu.be/35ioVi7TlsA?si=KspVDrD5phyVey2U
This is your opportunity to share your views on how
the plan is working with regards environmental, social, cultural and economic outcomes.
The NRC is interested in stakeholders sharing their thoughts Have
your say.
Submissions are due by Friday 6th November 2026.
As water sharing plans approach expiry, they are supposed to be independently reviewed by the NRC to assess how well they contribute to
environmental, social, cultural and economic outcomes, and whether changes may be needed to improve outcomes.
The NRC findings provide advice to the Minister for Water to inform decisions about whether to extend or replace the plans.
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, Dr Simon Banks, is selling up to 15 gigalitres of annual water
allocations in the Gwydir Catchment in New South Wales via a competitive tender process. A media release announcing the
sale can be seen here.
Important information about this sale:
The tender opens at 10:00 AM (AEST) on 29 September 2026 and closes at 05:00 PM (AEST) 1 October 2026.
Bids can only be submitted during the tender open period.
Bids must be submitted via the Commonwealth
Environmental Water Trading Portal.
This online portal is hosted on the ‘360’ tender platform. To gain access to the Bid Form, potential Bidders will first need to create
an account on the 360 platform with a username and password.
The sale will have minimum Bid volume of 5 megalitres (ML) and a maximum Bid volume of 5,000 ML.
No agents (including water brokers) have been appointed to represent the Commonwealth in this process. Bidders may, at their
discretion, submit a Bid through the online portal using an agent of their choice.
Please see the water trading
webpage for more information regarding this trade and how to submit a Bid
Water NSW have announced that the free fee period for recording a work/s classification has been extended until 1 December 2026,
giving water users more time to ensure each water supply work has a work classification recorded without paying an application fee.
There is now more time available to learn more about works classifications and how to apply. More information is available on the Water
NSW our website, with customers
encouraged to book a one-on-one appointment to discuss their situation.
The upper lakes at Menindee have reached 250GL active storage. This means that the s324 embargo will again become active. This information sheet details the restrictions
The restrictions cover access to both supplementary and FPH.
Today the MDBA released an information pack outlining emerging policy directions for the Basin Plan review. It is available on the MDBA
website and highlights several areas.
1. climate risk and adaptive response
2. The Northern Basin and Menindee
3. Native fish and Water Quality
4. Optimising outcomes from water for the environment
5. Sustainable Diversion Limit assessments where the Gwydir is mentioned
NSWIC and NIC will be attending a roundtable next week to discuss these areas.
This week NSW Irrigators Council launched #irrigationMatters This will primarily be a social Media campaign, please share as our communities and our irrigation businesses do matter,
“Our growers are not just producing for today – they are investing in the future of Australian agriculture. They are growing the food we
eat, the fibre we rely on and building farms they want to hand on to the next generation.
“Water policy must give them the certainty to keep producing for Australia, now and into the future.” Media
available here
The August newsletter from NSW Irrigators council provides information on
1. The water Act review: including a link to their submission which focuses on
a) Strengthen the tripple bottom line
b) Ensure consistency between all licenced water and
c) Maximising the outcomes of the CEWH porfolio
2. NSW budget estimares
3. The release of the National Water Agreement (which has not been signed by any states)
Nominations for the GVIA Committee are due on Wednesday 26th August 2026. If you would like to be part of the team to help guide the direction and set policy for the organisation, Please complete the form or let be know by Wednesday.
Thank you Nomination form
The NSWIC monthly newsletter reinforces the importance of getting policy settings right to support regional NSW into the future. The endless
process of reviews and reforms continues. The newsletter includes comment on the following:
Water Act Review discussion paper consultation underway
2024-25 SDL accounting shows perfect score
NSWIC GM July event wrap up
Productivity Commission Review into National Water Iniative
The August Water Allocation Statement makes no changes to ECA or General security allocations. An account reconciliation reduced the General security balance by 10GL.
The s324 remains in place for access to FPH and Supplementary entitlements, however restrictions are temporarily lifted as there
is approximately 264GL in the upper lakes at Menindee.
The restriction will come back into force if the upper lakes drop to 250GL.
There is an average 86% account balance for General Security and a 135% account balance for the environmental allowance.
The Management zones and ecological assets associated with the Gwydir
Floodplain Management Plan are now available on an intereactive map.
This will be useful to help identify which parts of your landholding fit in which zone, and the location of ecological assestsas determined
by the government.
Submissions on the Gwydir Plan review have been extended and are due on Tuesday 18th August. Submission can be made following links on this
department page.
Summary of changes are available
here
Critical items to consider include: 1. Management of historical works
2. Additional requirements for works in management zones A and D (details
available here)
The Floodplain Management Plan for the Gwydir Valley Floodplain 2016 is currently being reviewed. This plan set the rules for flood work
development on the floodplains, including what type of flood works can be constructed and where.
Under the Water Management Act 2000, floodplain management plans must be reviewed in the 5 years before they expire to ensure they
continue to effectively support the needs of communities, landholders and the environment. An initial review was undertaken in
2022, There is currently the opportunity to provide feedback on how the plan is working and wherer it can be improve Submissions are open from Monday 20th July 2026 and have been extended to 11:59 pm on Tuesday 18th August 2026
WaterNSW have released a fact
sheet
providing information on water use data..
Water-use data recorded through pulse outputs, Local Intelligence Devices (LIDs) and the Data Acquisition Service (DAS) may not always
exactly match the meter reading displayed in the field.
The fact sheet explains how the systems work together to capture and transmit water-use information, why differences between DAS data
and meter readings can occur, and what steps to take if you notice something that doesn’t look right.
The July Water Allocation Statement came out today. No surprises with 0% allocation. There is 449GL in the General Security accounts (88%)
and 61GL in the Environmental allowance (135%). High security, Supplementary and FPH licence holders received their maximum 9100%) allocation.
During June approx. 2.1GL of ECA water was delivered.
In the 2025-26 water year GS began with 69% of entitlement, there were three allocation increments made resulting in total allocation of 67%
for the 2025-26 year. There was a useage of approx 39% of entitlement (198GL). Supplementary access licences received 40% of entitlements
(72GL).
Good rainfall early in the water year saw Copeton dam storage increase from a starting point of 53% to a leak of 82% with end of year
capacity of 60%,
The full statement is available here for
the Gwydir Valley and here for the
opening allocations for NSW regulated sources
Water supply works approved for Floodplain Harvesting operate as a system, each work contributes to harvesting the water, unless they are clearly excluded.
Under FPH metering rules:
• Only storages and points of intake need meters
• Other works (such as channels and lift pumps) do not need meters
• These other works should be classified as constructed, as they as they are involved in taking floodplain harvesting.
This is different from non-urban metering rules, where most works that take water need a meter unless exempt. If an approval holder has a work that is on a Floodplain Harvesting Water Supply Works approval which is also on another non-floodplain harvesting approval – they may
have different classifications because of the different rules.
The DCCEEW factsheet is available in the link
Water Prices set to soar with over cumulative changes of 33% to 42% over next four years:
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has approved water bill increases of almost 50 per cent, excluding inflation, across
many NSW valleys over the next four years, despite acknowledging that many customers have limited capacity to absorb them.
Water bills in the Gwydir will increase between 7 and 10 per cent plus CPI each year for the next four years. This is a cumulative change of
33 to 42 per cent over the next four years.
Typical General Security bills will increase from $18,863 to $26,724 a 9.1 per cent annualised
increase.
Entitlement prices will incur an annualised increase of 9.9 per cent for General Security and 6.1
per cent for High Security.
While usage prices will see and annualised 8.8 per cent increase.
Local Water Utilities in the Gwydir will also see increases.
The GVIA currently has ground water available for temporary trade. Please email Lou at gvia@gvia.org.au
if you have any questions.
Current Tenders 2025-2026:
1 x 38 ML (megalitres) of Lower Gwydir Groundwater allocation for sale. You can bid in price/megalitre by emailing gvia@gvia.org.au before
5pm Tuesday 16th June 2026
WaterNSW have offered to assist members who are Floodplain Harvesting customers to better understand their obligations under the NSW FPH
Policy.
WaterNSW have offered informal one on one sessions, by appointment so that each customer can discuss their specific concern and
queries, and address any issues that may exist. This is a practical step by WaterNSW to try and help ensure everyone is ready to go when we
get the next FPH opportunity.
The planning is for the week of the 20July either in Moree (at the GVIA office) or
possibly at other sites if needed.
Please contact gvia@gvia.org.au to arrange a meeting. Please include details as shown below such
as Registration of Interest (ROI’s) and Work Approvals so we can start to plan sessions.
Please register by the end of the week 3 July Thank you
The MDBLP brings together people from across the Basin who are ready to work beyond their own interests and contribute to strengthening
understanding of how the Basin’s water resources are managed.
This is a leadership experience designed for people who care about the future of the Basin and the communities, industries and water
dependent ecosystems it supports.
You will join a diverse cohort of people from across regions, sectors and backgrounds.
Together, you will build the skills, relationships and mindset to work through complexity, navigate difference and take action where it
matters most. This includes engaging your communities, supporting informed dialogue about water use, and helping educate Australians about
the Basin’s water resources and the pressures they face .
Social Media on the
program
WaterNSW is making releases from Copeton Dam to target flows at Tyreel Weir in the Gwydir River. The expected peak flow at the site is about
100 ML/day from 30 May 2026
Additional information is available in the link
Classification of works for FPH in the WaterNSW customer portal cannot yet be completed correctly.
The appropriate classification for all active works included in a FPH entitlement is Constructed. Unfortunately the
customer portal does not have this as an option yet.
Please register on the portal, but please wait until it is updated to include the Constructed classification before classifying works associated with your FPH entitlement.
In Summary:
1. Storage Measurement - For approval holders who elect storage measurement, each active storage used to take FPH water will require
metering. Each of these storages needs to be classified as constructed.
2. Point-of-intake measurement - For approval holders who elect point-of-intake measurement, each pipe or pump that is used to take FPH water require metering. Each of these pipes or pumps needs to be classified as constructed
3. Any other work on the statement of approval that is used to convey FPH water can also be classified as constructed. For example, channels, internal lift pumps, pipes, regulators or block dams*. These works can be classified as constructed and not require
metering
as the FPH rules specify only storages or point-of-intake require metering.
We are working with DCCEEW and WaterNSW to get the classifications distributed to you and the portal updated as quickly as we can.
In May the GVIA completed our submission to the NSW connectivity program.
We have significant concerns about this program and the implications it has for members and the communities we live in.
The concept of connectivity should not be pursued by NSW in isolation from Queensland. This is a whole of basin concept and should be
facilitated by balanced conversations with the MDBA.
GVIA members will be provided update in the coming weeks.
The GVIA recently completed a submission for WaterNSW pricing to IPART. Our overall requests were as follows:
1. GVIA supports a 5% annual price cap (plus inflation), consistent with IPART's WAMC pricing decision and to balance affordability pressures facing irrigators already under significant net margin strain.
a. We do NOT support the proposed 10% increase.
2. A fundamental review of WaterNSW's operating model, regulatory framework and funding arrangements should be undertaken during the draft 3-year price determination period.
3. No further WaterNSW pricing proposal(s) or IPART determination(s) be undertaken until the review is completed.
Included is a link to the NSWIC may
newsletter.
The topics covered in the newsletter include;
FPH compliance update and NRAR media
IPART pricing review
Northern NSW connectivity program
Easements inundation Bill and Changes to water take: attestation requirements
Environmental flows are currently being released targeting the Gingham. These will last for approximately 6 weeks, or until the Gingham waterhole has filled.
The embargo has been temporarily lifted as the upper
Lakes at Menindee are above 250 GL
The WSP states under Clause 51: Taking of water under floodplain harvesting (regulated river) access licences
(3) The Minister must not announce that the taking of overland flow water is permitted if the volume of water stored in Menindee Lakes
Storage is less than 195 gigalitres.
This means that if your works approvals are fully compliant you are free to access FPH entitlement.
The WSP can be accessed here.
On Monday the NSW government released their "Non -urban metering Stage 2 Regulation amendments" for Public Exhibition.
There will be a webinar on proposed changes on 3 June 2026 – click
here to learn more and register.
The public exhibition perior will close at 10am on Monday 15th June 2026.
Attitional information is available on the department website.
The main area of concerns is associated with the introduction of a requirement for access licence holders whose access licence has
3,000 or more unit shares or ML at the commencement of the water year to attest by 30 September to the volume of water taken in the previous
water year. We cannot support this regulation as we see it as unjustified and are actively working on this aspect of the draft
regulation.
I suggest members have a look at the fact sheet and that they attend the webinar.
