A NSW Government website

Current water holdings

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is responsible for the delivery of all water for the environment in NSW. This includes water held by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office.

 

The tables below summarise current NSW 'held' water for the environment.

Note: this does not include 'planned' water for the environment which is allocated under Water Sharing Plans.

Cumulative water for the environment holdings ('held') recovered to June 30 2022 (megalitres) by the Living Murray (TLM)
ValleyHigh SecurityGeneral SecuritySupplementaryUnregulatedAquiferTotal
Murrumbidgee85,011.085,011.0
Murray5,123.583,006.0100,000.012,965.0201,094.5
Darling500.047,800.0250,000.0298,300.0
Total5,623.5215,817.0350,000.012,965.0584,405.5
Cumulative water for the environment holdings ('held') recovered to June 30 2022 (megalitres) by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)
ValleyHigh SecurityGeneral SecuritySupplementaryUnregulatedAquiferTotal
Gwydir1,249.017,092.03,140.521,481.5
Macquarie48,419.01,451.52,916.052,786.5
Lachlan1,795.037,595.039,390.0
Murrumbidgee31,424.06,700.09,948.01,857.049,929.0
Lowbidgee148,087.0148,087.0
Murray2,027.030,157.032,184.0
Barwon-Darling1,730.01,730.0
Total5,071.0164,687.0159,379.014,594.01,857.0345,588.0

Notes

  • These figures have been rounded up, and the department considers them to be accurate at the time of printing.
  • The tables are operational records, so some minor adjustments may need to be incorporated when the data is verified by audit.
  • The Living Murray licences are listed separately as they are held under a joint venture arrangement with parties to the Murray Darling Basin Agreement.

The NSW Government purchased water for the environment at market rates through existing water markets.  

Previous use of water for the environment

The graph below identifies the total use of water for the environment in New South Wales over time.

Bar graph showing the annual volume of water for the environment delivered to NSW targets from 2010/11 to 2021/22. Categories include NSW Licensed, NSW Planned, Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH), and The Living Murray (TLM) programs. The vertical axis ranges from 0 to 1,600 GL, with varying volumes each year. The highest volume is approximately 1,500 GL in 2016/17, the lowest is around 200 GL in 2019/20, and the latest figure for 2021/22 is about 1,200 GL.

Annual volumes of water delivered to NSW targets from the Living Murray Program licences purchased by the NSW Government, including planned water (NSW) and licences purchased by Commonwealth Government (CEWH)