NSW Rivers Environmental Restoration Program
Macquarie Marshes, Gwydir Wetlands, Lowbidgee Wetlands and Narran Lakes, NSW
Total funding: $181.12 million, with $79.62 million from the Australian Government to support the New South Wales (NSW) Government's $101.5 million Riverbank program.
About the project
The primary activity has planned and acquired environmental water through purchase of entitlements from willing sellers. When water is not required for the environment it can be traded back to irrigators on the temporary market. The Australian Government funds will ensure best use of environmental water in NSW; by targeting projects to improve the science, water delivery and community engagement aspects of environmental water management. The project consists of a number of elements:
- acquisition and management of water for environmental benefit
- enabling better use of environmental water by modelling, monitoring and decision support system
- ensuring better delivery of environmental water using through works and river management measures
- boosting the benefits of environmental water on private land through conservation agreements.
The project builds on the NSW Wetland Recovery project also funded through the Water Smart Australia Program.
Project benefits
The project will:
- recover environmental water to improve and maintain wetland habitat and protect in-stream hydrology
- develop a framework for water trading
- improve the science base for adaptive management of water
- improve the release, management and delivery of environmental flows
- protect important wetlands on private land
- improve land and water management practices on private land
- provide opportunities for Aboriginal communities to undertake cultural pursuits in important wetlands.
The project also advances the National Water Initiative objectives of returning over-used systems to sustainable levels of extraction and protecting surface-water systems of high conservation value.
Water Smart Australia projects are funded by the Australian Government's Water for the Future initiative.
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