Water Sharing Plans

In NSW, the regulator and policy maker for water resource management is the NSW Office of Water. The department develops natural resource management policy frameworks, strategies and plans related to water management.  The NSW Office of Water is accountable for water sharing plans (WSPs), which define the rules for sharing the water resources of each regulated river valley, between consumptive users and the environment.

WSPs determine how much water goes to users and how much to the environment and have been gazetted in seven regulated river valleys; Border, Gwydir, Namoi, Macquarie, Lachlan,  Hunter and Paterson.

State Water operates in accordance with these WSPs and delivers water to customers and the environment. Based on the WSP rules, the available water resources are shared throughout the year, allowing water for the environment and for consumptive use. Customers’ water accounts are credited with their shares of available water and, as they use their water, their usage is debited from their accounts.

More information about water sharing plans can be obtained from the NSW Office of Water at http://www.water.nsw.gov.au/Water-Management/Water-sharing/default.aspx

Gazetted Water Sharing Plans can be accessed by visiting http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_reg/toc-W.html