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 Border Rivers catchment. This includes focusing on engagement with communities from Ashford and Toomelah to Mungindi. For example, we will:
- establish and invest in long-term ways of working with communities
- prioritise Aboriginal engagement activities across the Border Rivers catchment
- foster partnerships that work for rivers, rather than state boundaries, and reduce unnecessary duplication.
Key planned actions for 2026–27
Native fish
The bubble plume project in Pindari Dam will, for the first time since the dam was built, ensure that dam releases will not produce cold water pollution and poor water quality for native fish. Our focus is to provide optimal conditions in the Severn River for Murray cod and eel-tailed catfish during spring when these species spawn and nest.
To prepare for dry conditions, water releases in the Dumaresq River are likely to be conservative so that refuge sites can be topped up when conditions deteriorate.
A plan will be developed, in partnership with the Northern Basin Environmental Water Group, to use Border Rivers environmental water to support system-scale connectivity. This may allow dam releases to better support silver perch distribution at appropriate times. This is an emerging priority in the Border Rivers catchment.
Waterbirds
Waterbirds use muddy banks, floodplain wetlands and vegetation for breeding and foraging habitats. These habitats are supported by flows within the regulated and unregulated river systems across the Border Rivers catchment. Baseflows or freshes are generally provided by river system demands, and larger bankfull or overbank flows are the result of natural events.
Understanding how different flow regimes influence waterbird habitat helps environmental water managers support beneficial flows. Water management may include influencing irrigation deliveries or replenishment flows, and the use of environmental water where it can be protected to the end of the system. Maintaining river connectivity and supporting native fish also benefits waterbirds.
Vegetation
Water managers will prioritise avoiding cease-to-flow and prolonged periods of very low flow, which can stress aquatic and riparian vegetation and reduce habitat quality. Environmental water will be protected or delivered to support vegetation.
The delivery of large flows is constrained by regulating infrastructure and the total volume of environmental water available for management. Water managers will continue to explore new delivery methods and improve knowledge of assets and targets. Natural events, such as supplementary and flood flows, will also help inundate wetlands and floodplains when they occur.
Connectivity
Environmental water remains important for providing low, coordinated flows that connect the Macintyre River to the Barwon River past Mungindi. The demand for this connectivity is increasing and is triggered by low flows in the lower Macintyre River and drops in water quality in those areas. Previous years have shown these releases are essential for replenishing and refreshing pools.
Holdings of supplementary environmental water further enhance connectivity when natural events occur. These holdings are actively managed and protected from extraction as they move downstream into the Barwon–Darling system.
Water sharing rules also contribute to connectivity by prioritising downstream flow targets over some types of irrigation take, when river flows arise from rainfall events. Replenishment flows will be delivered to the Boomi River by WaterNSW under water sharing plan rules.
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.
