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 2025–26, we will partner with Aboriginal peoples and organisations in the Macquarie catchment. This includes:
- incorporating the views of the environmental water advisory group member who represents part of the Wiradjuri Aboriginal Community into annual planning and prioritisation
- supporting Aboriginal organisations as they establish themselves as cultural water managers in the catchment
- continuing to build positive relationships with local Aboriginal communities.
Key planned actions
Native fish
A spring 2025 flow pulse to the Macquarie Marshes will support native fish growth before the breeding season and provide flow during key breeding months, particularly October and November.
A flow event in the Cudgegong regulated river will target river processes that include flow variation and river productivity, which will provide opportunities for native fish to feed, breed and disperse.
Waterbirds
The proposed spring 2025 pulse will provide between 19,000 and 25,000 hectares of temporary waterbird habitat within the Macquarie Marshes. This will support waterbird foraging and provide breeding opportunities for generalist waterbirds like ducks, magpie geese, brolgas, waterhens, bitterns and other species.
This event is not expected to trigger the breeding of group-nesting species such as ibis, egrets, herons and spoonbills.
Vegetation
The spring 2025 flow pulse will support wetland groundcover in the core 19,000–25,000 hectares of the Macquarie Marshes. This will inundate key wetland communities including reedbeds, water couch and mixed marsh, as well as some inner river red gum forest and woodland areas.
Connectivity
Temporary flow connectivity to the Barwon River is expected from other water actions in the Wambuul – Macquarie River, particularly the spring 2025 wetland flow pulse.
The spring flow pulse, along with normal irrigation operations over summer 2025–26, is expected to help create upstream fish movement opportunities over some low-level obstructions, such as north Dubbo weir and possibly Narromine weir. Without large natural flows, major barriers would still prevent upstream fish movement, including Gin Gin Weir, Mudgee Weir and Warren town weir.
In addition to providing benefits for connectivity, the spring flow pulse will provide habitat for various wetland and river species including frogs, rakali and aquatic fauna such as mussels and yabbies.
Proposed annual priority targets in the Macquarie water resource plan area
For more information, go to our Annual environmental watering priorities 2025–26 webpage, which includes each catchment’s resource availability scenario and expected volumes of environmental water available.
