Water access licence purchase
What is NSW RiverBank?
NSW RiverBank is a $105 million environmental fund set up by the NSW Government to buy water for our most stressed and valued inland rivers and wetlands for five years up until 2011. The program is part of the broader City and Country Environment Restoration Program, announced by the NSW Premier in November 2005.
In 2007 the Australian Government also announced that it will support investment in environmental water purchases through RiverBank, funded by the National Water Initiative Water Smart Australia Program.
In 2008 RiverBank is managing NSW water purchase for The Living Murray water recovery program through an Expression of Interest Process.
Why do we need to buy water?
Many of the state's iconic rivers and wetlands are suffering the effects of too much water being taken from them over recent decades. Wetlands dependent on these river systems, such as the Macquarie Marshes, wetlands along the Gwydir and Lachlan rivers, the Lowbidgee wetlands and the Narran Lakes, are declining in area and health.
The Macquarie Marshes and Lowbidgee wetlands now only cover about half the area they once did, and the Gwydir wetlands less than a quarter. The number of waterbirds which breed in these wetlands has collapsed over the last few decades, threatening the survival of some species. Large areas of redgum forest on our inland floodplains are in poor health and century-old trees are dying for want of water. Native fish, frogs, reptiles and the vast array of other animals and plants that rely on rivers and wetlands are all affected, as is the productive use of wetland areas for grazing.
NSW water law provides for secure water entitlements and an opportunity to use water markets to buy more water for the environment. This will mean we can begin to redress the balance for the environment by directing water into our rivers and wetlands, without jeopardising the water allocations that irrigators or other water users rely on.
Expressions of interest in the sale of a water access licence to NSW RiverBank
Public Expressions of Interest in the sale of a water access licence to NSW RiverBank are invited from time to time, and the forms will be available online here on this page.
The RiverBank Expression of Interest for May 2007 has closed.
If you wish to offer water sales to the current 'The Living Murray' NSW Market Purchase Water Recovery Expression of Interest, download and complete an Expression of Interest form (LivingMurrayEOIform.pdf, 28 kb, requires Acrobat Reader) or if you wish to offer water sales to RiverBank before the next public call, expected in April 2008, please contact us with your water details at riverbank@environment.nsw.gov.au or at the address below (the RiverBank Expression of Interest for May 2007 has closed):
NSW RiverBank
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
PO Box 733
Queanbeyan NSW 2620
Phone: (02) 6298 0337
Fax: (02) 6299 3221
For more information on selling water access licences to RiverBank, visit Expressions of interest: Questions and answers.
Why are wetlands important?
Wetlands help keep rivers and groundwater systems healthy. In themselves they are areas of great environmental, social and economic significance. As well as being biological treasure troves, wetlands provide drought refuge for wildlife and stock, help maintain water quality and reduce the severity of floods, act as a sink for greenhouse gases, recharge groundwater systems, and support grazing, timber and honey production, tourism and other industries.
Wetlands often have special social and spiritual significance to Aboriginal people. They can support totemic plants and animals, represent areas related to Dreaming stories or connected with important people, and provide natural resource gathering areas.
How does NSW RiverBank work?
An important element of the Australian National Water Initiative is to return water extraction in overused systems to environmentally sustainable levels. Water Sharing Plans have made an important first step towards this objective in NSW, but the task is not complete.
NSW RiverBank uses funds raised from the NSW Waste and Environment Levy to buy water for our most stressed and valued rivers and wetlands. This provides the means for city people to share in the task of restoring the heart of country NSW.
NSW RiverBank takes a commercial and staged approach to acquiring water from willing sellers within the existing water sharing and water management regulatory framework. While it seeks innovative means and partnerships for water access, the program operates in the water market on the same footing as other market participants. This allows unsustainable levels of extraction to be addressed over time without compromising the rights of existing water users or changing existing Water Sharing Plans.
The volume of water acquired in any year will be subject to the availability of water in the market and varies across valleys. Water acquisition is carefully managed by NSW RiverBank to minimise any effect of its operations on water prices. While purchase through existing markets is the main focus, other cost-effective means of recovering water are also considered.
NSW RiverBank's initial focus has included the Macquarie Marshes, wetlands along the Gwydir and Lachlan rivers, the Lowbidgee wetlands and the Narran Lakes. Water may also be acquired for other rivers and wetlands of high ecological value, particularly where RiverBank is able to collaborate with others or where market opportunities arise.
Business plan
The RiverBank Business Plan outlines the vision, objectives and expected outputs of RiverBank and establishes the basic philosophy, processes and business model that is applied. It sets out the specific activities that are being undertaken by RiverBank in each financial year, and specifies the program monitoring, evaluation and reporting required to provide both the Government and the public with a means by which to gauge the program's success.
NSW RiverBank Business Plan: Part A Program Plan 2006-2011: 0843rbbusplanA.pdf (164 kb; requires Acrobat Reader)
NSW RiverBank Business Plan: Part B Annual Plan 2007-08: 0844rbbusplanB.pdf (90 kb; requires Acrobat Reader)
Who is managing NSW RiverBank?
NSW RiverBank is administered by the Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW (DECC) with funding through the NSW Environmental Trust. The Trust has established a special environmental water subcommittee to advise it; its independent members have water market, environmental water management and ecological expertise. Key stakeholders are also involved in implementation of the program.
DECC's Environmental Water and RiverBank Branch reports to the Environmental Trust and to the NSW Government. Water purchased by NSW RiverBank will be actively managed by DECC to protect and restore our most valued river and wetland environments, both within and beyond our reserve system, and within the framework of existing Water Sharing Plans.
DECC will work with other organisations interested in the management of environmental water to improve its management over time.
More information
Contact Derek Rutherford, Director Environmental Water and RiverBank Branch, riverbank@environment.nsw.gov.au, or phone (02) 6298 0340