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 Murray and Baaka – Lower Darling catchments to develop new and existing programs. For example:
- co-development of the operating plan for environmental water delivery into the Kolety – Edward River, Colligen Creek and Niemur River, and onto Werai Lands with the Werai Land and Water Aboriginal Corporation
- strengthening Aboriginal peoples’ role in monitoring on-Country outcomes on the Flow-MER 2.0 long-term monitoring program with Charles Sturt University
- working with various Aboriginal groups and land management agencies to deliver environmental water into the NSW Living Murray icon sites
- working with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Cummeragunja and Moama local Aboriginal land councils, Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation and Bangerang Aboriginal Corporation to deliver water into key Australasian bittern breeding sites in the Murray Valley National Park
- engaging with the Barkindji Nation to deliver water for the environment into the Murray River and Baaka – Lower Darling River
- engaging with the Kureinji Nation when planning and delivering water into Lake Gol Gol and Bottle Bend Reserve.
Key planned actions
Native fish
Up to 200 gigalitres in flows are planned for the annual Murray River multi-site event to provide suitable nesting conditions for Murray cod. Directed releases of environmental water from Hume Dam target environmental water requirements for native fish in the Murray River downstream from Yarrawonga Weir; the Kolety – Edward River downstream from Stevens Weir; Wakool and Niemur rivers; and Gulpa, Yallakool and Colligen creeks.
For the Baaka – Lower Darling River, the Menindee Lakes storages are forecast to be full by 1 July 2025. Elevated baseflows for Murray cod nesting and recruitment along with pulses for golden perch dispersal are likely to be delivered into the Baaka – Lower Darling River from these storages. These flows will reconnect to the Murray River.
Waterbirds
Up to 10 gigalitres will be delivered into the Murray Valley National Park from September to December 2025. This will provide optimal nesting and foraging habitats for the nationally threatened Australasian bittern at key wetlands, including the Gulpa Creek wetland complex.
Vegetation
Water managers will focus on successive waterings into waterways and wetlands to support vegetation, particularly at:
- river systems in Murray Valley national and regional parks
- ephemeral creeks and wetlands located on private property using the Murray Irrigation supply system
- wetlands and waterways located along the lower Murray River, such as Gol Gol Lake, Bottle Bend Reserve and private property wetlands in the Rufus River region.
Connectivity
Longitudinal and lateral connectivity outcomes are likely for around 3,000 km of waterway with system-scale events in the Murray, Kolety – Edward, Wakool, Niemur and the Baaka – Lower Darling rivers. Floodplain inundation will also be achieved with coordinated releases into the Murray and Edward rivers for areas of The Living Murray icon sites and NSW Central Murray Forest Ramsar site.
Proposed annual priority targets in the Murray Baaka – Lower Darling water resource plan area
For more information go to our Annual environmental watering priorities webpage 2025–26, which includes each catchment’s resource availability scenario and expected volumes of environmental water available.
