The current Murrumbidgee valley floodplain management plan is set to be replaced by a new plan, remade to cover areas of several floodplains made under the 1912 Water Act.
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Based upon an independent review of 10 Southern Floodplain Management Plans, the Murray and Lachlan valleys will also join the Murrumbidgee in this remodeling.
Furthermore, of the total 11 Floodplain Management Plans reviewed by the Natural Resources Commission (NRC), only the Gwydir Floodplain Management Plan was found to be adequate.
"The 10 southern Floodplain Management Plans had not adequately implemented the water management principles and should be replaced and expanded," a spokesperson for the NRC said.
Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey said that after the completion by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment of the northern Basin under the Healthy Floodplains Project, they would now focus on the southern Basin.
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"Floodplain Management Plans do not deal with floodplain harvesting water take. They deal only with structures on the floodplain and how they are best managed to protect life and property, flood flow connectivity and environmental and cultural assets," Ms Pavey said.
"These plans are reviewed every five years to ensure they continue to provide adequate protection for the environment and property."
Member for Murray Helen Dalton was critical on the move to further police the southern Basin.
Typical that during a floodplain harvesting inquiry into illegal water diversions in the Northern Basin, Melinda Pavey wants to turn the focus onto policing the southern Basin," Mrs Dalton said.
"The Government has consistently turned a blind eye to water take from their mates in the northern Basin, while monitoring and regulating the south to within an inch of our lives.
"In saying that, this shouldn't be of a concern to southern Basin irrigators."
If they approach the south like they have the north, irrigators should be very excited about all the free water they are planning to hand out in southern valleys."
Key issues to be considered by the new floodplain management plans include:
- Addressing the ambiguity in plans that make it more difficult for WaterNSW to implement them and for NRAR to enforce them
- Aligning plans developed under the Water Act 1912 with the objectives of the Water Management Act 2000, ensuring they include details such as mapped existing works, ecological and cultural assets and information about flooding regimes.
- Ensuring the plans cover whole rural floodplain areas in the southern Murray-Darling Basin to better protect important wetlands susceptible to uncoordinated flood work development.
Work has commenced on the 10 replacement plans and the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment will consult with communities and stakeholders as the plans are developed.
More information on floodplain management planning can be found here.
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