Partnering with Aboriginal peoples
Water for Country is environmental water use planned by the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and Aboriginal people to achieve shared benefits for the environment and cultural places, values and/or interests.
In 2026–27, we will partner with Aboriginal peoples and organisations across the Barwon–Darling. This includes:
- attending Toorale Joint Management Committee (JMC) meetings and sharing details of environmental watering actions, water infrastructure operations and associated monitoring
- advocating for Aboriginal cultural outcomes through water policy development and project delivery
- ensuring Water for Country considerations are included in the long-term water plan review
- supporting the development of a cultural watering plan at Toorale, recognising the JMC’s interest in both the Darling and Warrego rivers.
Key planned actions for 2026–27
Native fish
Fish populations are still recovering from significant fish kills in the Northern Basin, including at Brewarrina in late 2024, and at Menindee in 2023 and early 2026. A key priority is to support the remaining stocks of native fish and provide opportunities for them to breed and move through the system. This will be achieved by maintaining baseflows and supporting small fresh events to help supply food to native fish and other aquatic wildlife, including frogs.
Connectivity
With mostly low flows expected at the start of the 2026-27 water year and an El Niño outlook, cease-to-flow conditions are likely to return. A key priority will be maintaining low or baseflows and, if conditions are favourable, supporting small freshes. Under moderate rainfall conditions, small freshes and consistent baseflows are more likely.
Another priority is maintaining connecting flows between the Barwon-Darling rivers and the Baaka – Lower Darling to support the recovery of native fish populations. River connectivity is currently impeded by the lack of fish passage downstream of Menindee main weir. Maintaining connection along the length of the river will require moderate or wet conditions across the Northern Basin. During dry conditions, particularly from November to April, low or cease-to-flow conditions can result in poor water quality. Targeted releases from tributaries may mitigate these risks, if sufficient volumes are available to deliver flows at the end of the system.
Map of proposed annual priority targets in the water resource plan area 2026–27
For more information on each catchment's resource availability scenario and expected volumes, visit our Annual environmental watering priorities 2026-27 webpage.
