Have your say on river management

Published on 13 May 2020

Locals are encouraged to have their say on how the NSW Government handled recent flows in the Murray-Darling system.

In mid-January to early February 2020, the NSW Government put in place water restrictions to manage the first major water flows following rainfall across the northern Murray-Darling after record drought conditions.

However the Government attracted criticism in early February when it allowed irrigators on the Namoi floodplain, the Gwydir floodplain, and parts of the Barwon floodplain to engage in floodplain harvesting for three days.

The NSW Government has now launched a survey to allow people to provide feedback on the measures that were implemented, and appointed an independent panel to assess what improvements can be made to better manage flows in the future.

Councillor Marion Browne, who chairs Council's 'Our Environment' key Direction Working Group, urged all locals to have their say.

"The Murray-Darling system is obviously critical to our community, and a topic that many people feel passionate about - particularly when it comes to the Darling River," she said.

"The only way to secure better outcomes for the Darling River is to continue advocating for the health of the Murray-Darling system, and stressing the importance of allowing water to flow down the river.

"I am confident many locals will join with Councillors in completing this survey and continuing the fight for the health of our waterways."

For further information, including the terms of reference for the assessment, and details on the different ways you can provide your feedback, please visit https://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/water/allocations-availability/northern-basin-first-flush-assessment