Water recovery programs
Environmental water programs and expenditure in NSW
Most wetlands in inland NSW have been in poor condition during the last decade, so the NSW Government has invested with its partners in programs to improve the health of rivers and wetlands through RiverBank, Rivers Environmental Restoration Program, Hawkesbury-Nepean River Recovery Program, NSW Wetland Recovery Program and The Living Murray Initiative.
NSW RiverBank
Announced in 2005, the $105 million NSW Environmental Trust-funded NSW RiverBank program is the first program dedicated to the purchase of environmental water entitlements in Australia to recover the most stressed and valued inland rivers and wetlands in NSW. Due for completion in June 2011.
Rivers Environmental Restoration Program
The $181 million Rivers Environmental Restoration Program (RERP) is funded by the NSW and Australian Governments (NSW RiverBank funding of $101.5 million plus $79.62 million Australian Government funding), to arrest the decline of some of the most important and threatened wetland habitats in NSW.
View footage and information about a Great Egret waterbird breeding event at Yanga National park wetlands, which is supported by the Rivers Environmental Restoration Program and hear from our partners by watching the Aboriginal Use and Values Projects in the Lowbidgee and Lower Lachlan Wetlands video.
Hawkesbury-Nepean River Recovery Project (water licence purchase project)
As part of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River Recovery $77.4 million program a water licence purchase project component was completed by the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) to purchase river extraction entitlements from willing sellers to recover water for the environment. The Hawkesbury Nepean River Recovery Program is administered by the NSW Office of Water and funded by the Australian Government through the Water for the Future initiative. The Program aims to improve river health below the major water supply dams by increasing the water available for environmental flows in the river and reducing nutrient loads.
Pipeline NSW
The $7 million Pipeline NSW program was established to improve efficiency of rural stock and domestic water supply delivery by substituting channels and dams with piped systems, tanks and troughs. This program is jointly funded with $3.5 million from the NSW Environmental Trust RiverBank Fund and $3.5 million from the Australian Government's Water Smart Australia program. Due for completion by December 2012.
Wetland Recovery Program
The $26.8 million Wetland Recovery Program (WRP) is jointly funded with $13.4 million each by NSW and the Australian Government (Water Smart fund) to improve the health of the Gwydir Wetlands and Macquarie Marshes. This program invested in wetland research and management tools, wetland management plans, water purchase and infrastructure projects to recover water and improve environmental water flow control, weed control and grazing projects.
The Living Murray Initiative
In 2003 the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council established the Commonwealth-Basin State partnership to return up to 500,000 ML of water to improve the environmental health of six icon sites along the Murray River. On behalf of the NSW Government, OEH has been a key partner in recovering water with other jurisdictions of the The Living Murray Initiative (TLM), recovering 221,487 ML to benefit icon sites such as the Barmah–Millewa Forest Ramsar listed wetlands.
In the NSW southern Murray-Darling Basin the regulated water sources of the Murrumbidgee, Murray and Lower Darling rivers were included in this initiative. NSW investment of $115 million in TLM was increased by investment from other jurisdictions in NSW projects for these rivers to a total of $300 million.
Page last updated: 16 December 2011
