Reconnecting River Country Program

The program focuses on delivering local community benefits first and foremost, as part of the NSW Government’s continued commitment to delivering sensible, community driven Murray-Darling Basin Plan outcomes. It reimagines the previous Constraints Measures Program and has been developed based on extensive feedback from the local community.

About the Reconnecting River Country Program

The program aims to achieve a balance of economic, social, cultural and environmental outcomes across southern NSW by improving wetland and floodplain connectivity. The NSW Government has gone back to the drawing board, looked at the lessons learned from previous consultations and has designed a program focused on working collaboratively and extensively with the community to meet local needs, using the best available and most recent science and modelling. There are a number of opportunities for communities to participate in and contribute toward the ongoing development of the program with further details to come.

The program focuses on relaxing or removing some of the constraints or physical barriers that impact delivering water for the environment in the following areas in the southern-connected Murray Darling Basin (the basin), including:

• Hume to Yarrawonga (Murray River)
• Yarrawonga to Wakool (Murray River)
• Murrumbidgee River.

A constraint is any physical, policy or operational barrier limiting the flow of water in river systems. There are a range of flow constraints in the Murray-Darling Basin, meaning rivers connect to their floodplains less often than is needed to maintain healthy river, wetland and floodplain ecosystems. The program aims to remove or relax these constraints.

Removing or ‘relaxing’ constraints allows water for the environment to be delivered at higher levels and at more appropriate times. This will enhance the outcomes achievable with water for the environment.

Solutions for the Lower Darling that were previously included in the former Constraints Measures Program are being considered as part of the rescope of the Menindee Lakes Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism project. More details will be available over the next few months and comprehensive community engagement will be carried out regarding any potential project options. 

Program benefits

The Reconnecting River Country Program will potentially deliver important economic stimulus and benefit to regional economies in southern NSW. Importantly, it will also create healthier river systems providing generational benefits for local communities.

Implementation of the program will also potentially deliver a range of outcomes benefitting Aboriginal communities, such as improved connection between healthy Country and a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable Aboriginal culture and community.

Landholders, land managers and communities will see the benefits through investment in infrastructure and on-farm works, the potential for improved agricultural productivity for graziers due to floodplain flows, as well as improved recreational fishing and tourism.

The first step is completion of a Business Case for Commonwealth approval to implement the program.

Stakeholder engagement

The NSW Government will collaborate with stakeholders to ensure issues are identified and a suite of tools developed to mitigate any potential effects before making changes to existing rules, policies or infrastructure.

This may include new or upgraded infrastructure, easements or changes to river operating rules, which will be developed collaboratively with stakeholders as the program progresses.

Visit the program website to register your details for updates, ask a question and access further information.

Program partners

The program is funded by the Australian Government and is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

It is being led by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s (the department) Water Infrastructure NSW in partnership with the department’s Environment, Energy and Science Division and the Department of Regional NSW’s Local Land Services.

In delivering the program we are also working with:

• WaterNSW
• NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
• NSW Department of Primary Industries - Fisheries
• Murray-Darling Basin Authority
• Victorian Government.

We are committed to collaboration across all program communications and stakeholder engagement activities. Because of this commitment, all activities presented in this plan will be influenced by feedback from our stakeholders.