Water Management
Sustaining the Basin
On 29 April 2008 the Commonwealth Government announced a $12.9 billion investment plan to take action on climate change, use water wisely, secure future water supplies and to support healthy river systems. Under this Water for the Future Plan the States were requested to submit a State Priority Project submission for funding under the $5.8 billion 'Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure' component. NSW submitted a suite of possible projects and on 3 July 2008 the Commonwealth gave in-principle approval to NSW for $1.358 billion in funding for the following projects:
- Basin Pipe North and South – up to $137 million for the piping of stock and domestic water supply systems. This project to be implemented by DWE would replace delivery through natural ephemeral streams with a piped supply, allowing these streams to return to natural wet / dry regimes and reducing transmission losses.
- Irrigated Farm Modernisation – up to $300 million for projects which will increase water use efficiency of irrigated agriculture in NSW. This project, to be implemented by the Department of Primary Industries, will be achieved by investing in management, information and technological farm infrastructure where it improves water use efficiency, makes water savings and increases water related productivity of the irrigated farming system.
- Regulated River Metering – up to $90 million for the replacement of 6,000 existing meters that are used to measure the amount of water irrigators take from NSW regulated rivers, with the new high-tech meters to be owned by State Water. New meters will be high accuracy, tamper-proof and low maintenance, reducing in-accurately metered extractions and minimising water theft. This project will be jointly implemented by State Water and DWE.
- Groundwater and Unregulated River Metering – up to $131 million for the installation and upgrading of metering for groundwater and unregulated water sources. The project, implemented by DWE, will install or upgrade about 9,500 meters. It will provide more accurate information on water usage.
- Healthy Floodplains – up to $50 million for the delivery of a project which will reform the management of water on floodplains through modifications of floodplain structures and control of extractions. This project will be implemented jointly by DWE and DECC.
- Private Infrastructure Upgrades - about $650 million for water saving upgrades of private infrastructure. The Commonwealth will manage this project and work directly with NSW irrigator groups