• water management
  
  • Water overview
  • Legislation and policies
  • Water data online
  • Water access and trade
  • Water sharing plans
  • Water for the environment
  • Water quality
  • Water Compliance
  • Across the State
• vegetation
  
  
  • Vegetation overview
  • Native vegetation in NSW
  • Plantations
  • Private Native Forestry
  • Vegetation Compliance
• soils
  
  
  • Soils overview
  • Soils in NSW
  • Soils data online
  • Soil survey
  • Maps for land managers
  • Soil Conservation Schemes
  • Acid sulfate soil
  • Salinity
• wetlands, coast and floodplains
  
  • Coast and floodplains overview
  • The coast
  • Estuaries
  • Floodplains
  • Wetlands

• Basic Water Rights
• Sinking a bore
• Farm Dams »»
• Where does the Water Management Act apply? »»
• Licensing and trading under the Water Management Act »»
• Licensing and trading under the Water Act
• Searches
• Water Licensing of Major Utilities
• Water Pricing

• Site search:

DWE Home > Home > Water Management > Water access and trade >

Water access and trade

Floodplain Harvesting Policy Framework

What is floodplain harvesting?

Floodplain harvesting is the capture and use of water flowing across a floodplain that is not covered by another extraction category, such as high or general security water, supplementary water, harvestable rights or appropriate on-farm recycling. Harvested floodwaters are generally pumped, channelled or piped into on-farm storage systems. The volume of water extracted is limited by the availability of flood water and the type of on-farm infrastructure present.

The Department of Water and Energy is developing a Floodplain Harvesting Policy to be applied state-wide to bring floodplain harvesting activities into a statutory framework for water management under the Water Management Act 2000.

The Minister for Water Nathan Rees announced the draft Floodplain Harvesting Policy on 3 July 2008: media release.

How is floodwater harvested?

Floodplain harvesting can generally be put into one of three categories:

1. Purpose built structures: divert or capture floodplain flows using purpose built structures or extraction works to divert water into storages, supply channels or fields or to otherwise retain flows.
2. Other structures: capture floodplain flows using works built for purposes other than floodplain harvesting.
3. Natural features: used for opportunistic diversion from floodplains or depressions. This may include the use of temporary pumps or other means.

Floodplain harvesting occurs in both regulated and unregulated river systems and in both coastal and inland catchments

Why do we need a Floodplain Harvesting Policy?

Floodwaters play a vital role in replenishing the floodplain and wetland environment and are an important water source for many NSW irrigators.

The NSW Government is developing the Floodplain Harvesting Policy to ensure that floodplain harvesting is appropriately licensed, is sustainable for the long-term and to meet requirements under the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council Cap and the National Water Initiative. The National Water Initiative requires NSW to establish a framework for managing activities that have the potential to intercept significant volumes of water.

Under the Policy, the amount of floodwater available for extraction in NSW will be capped and shared amongst existing water users. All works undertaking floodplain harvesting extractions will require an approval.

Works such as levees, banks and diversion channels will require an approval by the Department of Water and Energy before being used to capture floodplain harvesting water.

In NSW, landholders have a basic right to capture and store 10% of the runoff on their property without a licence. There are strict rules regarding the capacity and location of farm dams that don’t require a licence. Dams that are larger than the allowable capacity or are storing water above the 10% allowable limit must be licensed and operated in compliance with licence conditions.

More information about waterfront land works approvals and farm dam licensing is available.

No new floodplain harvesting works

From 3 July 2008 no new additional works will be considered for an approval to take floodplain harvesting water. This will help cap floodwater extraction at water sharing plan levels and will ensure that the share of floodwater available to existing users and the environment is not diminished by new water extraction.

Key messages

• The draft Floodplain Harvesting Policy replaces the Advice Number 3 to Water Management Committees.
• From 3 July 2008, no additional works will be considered for approval to take floodplain harvesting water.
• Floodplain harvesting is recognised and accounted for under the Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Cap.
• There will be no additional water available for floodplain harvesting activities.
• The release of the draft Floodplain Harvesting Policy demonstrates the NSW Government’s commitment to ensuring that the State’s valuable floodplains and associated wetlands continue to receive the benefit of historical floodwaters.
• All floodplain harvesting activities will require an approval and a licence pursuant to the Water Management Act 2000.
• The Department of Water and Energy will develop trading rules and mechanisms as part of the targeted consultation phase.
• The relevant Water Sharing Plans within NSW will be amended to determine access conditions and access limits for floodplain harvesting activities.
• There will be no compensation as a result of the amendment of Water Sharing Plans to include floodplain harvesting provisions.

Consultation and final Policy

The NSW Government will consult the key stakeholders to further develop the draft Floodplain Harvesting Policy.

Key stakeholders, such as irrigator and landholder representatives, floodplain graziers and environmental bodies, will play a key role in further developing the draft Policy. This will ensure that the views and values of stakeholders are taken into account early in the process, with a better policy being delivered to manage floodplain water.