See Administration in the contextual statement for legal instruments for environmental flow provisions and environmental flow release arrangements in the rivers.
The Sydney Catchment Authority and Delta Electricity managed environmental flow releases in the rivers for which they are responsible as specified in their respective water management licences. The following table provides details of volumes released, categorised as purely environmental flows during 2009–10.
Breakdown of water releases as environmental flows during 2009–10 in the Sydney Region
Managing authority |
Storage reservoir/weir | Streams benefiting from environmental flow release | Environmental flow release during 2009–10 (ML) | Volume from the release reaching sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Electricity | Lake Lyell | Coxs River up to Lake Burragorang (Warragamba Dam) | 1,963 | 0* |
| Sydney Catchment Authority | Cataract | Cataract River up to Broughtons Pass Weir | 475 | |
| Cordeaux | Cordeaux River up to its confluence with the Avon River, and the Avon and Nepean rivers below that up to Pheasants Nest Weir | 693 | ||
| Avon | Avon River up to its confluence with the Nepean River, and the Nepean River below that up to Pheasants Nest Weir | 6,995 | ||
| Nepean | Nepean River up to Pheasants Nest Weir | 1,606 | ||
| Wingecarribee | Wingecarribee River up to Lake Burragorang (Warragamba Dam) | 1,095 | ||
| Lake Burragorang (Warragamba Dam) | Warragamba, Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers downstream of Lake Burragorang (Warragamba Dam) up to the sea | 12,154 | 12,154 | |
| Pheasants Nest Weir | Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers downstream of the weir up to the sea | 7,835 | 7,835 | |
| Broughtons Pass Weir | Cataract, Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers downstream of the weir up to the sea | 588 | 588 | |
| Woronora | Woronora River up to its confluence with the Georges River, and the Georges River below that up to the sea | 6,078 | 6,078 | |
| Fitzroy Falls | Yarrunga Creek up to Lake Yarrunga (Tallowa Dam) | 3,665 | 0* | |
| Lake Yarrunga (Tallowa Dam) | Shoalhaven River downstream of Lake Yarrunga (Tallowa Dam) up to the sea | 55,727 | 55,727 | |
| Total | 82,382 | |||
| * Releases from relevant reservoirs contributed to environmental flows from downstream reservoirs/weirs. Releases from these downstream reservoirs/weirs have been accounted separately in the table. | ||||
The environmental flow release from Woronora Reservoir includes 2,450 ML released from the banked environmental flow (see Line item 8.1.9.7 Allocation on regulated flows remaining). Line item 14.2 includes quantification information for all the other volumes provided in the above table.
The above table provides details of volumes released to meet environmental flow obligations specified in water management licences issued to water utilities. In addition to these obligatory flows, the following releases were made to rivers in the Sydney Region during 2009–10:
The Sydney Catchment Authority and Delta Electricity must monitor and assess the effectiveness of environmental flow releases detailed in their water management licences. The NSW Office of Water, on behalf of the Water Administration Ministerial Corporation, oversees management authority compliance with environmental flow provisions.
Both the Sydney Catchment Authority and Delta Electricity report that they satisfied all necessary compliance requirements associated with environmental flow management for 2009–10.
Rights related to economic benefits and relevant water use in 2009–10 in the Sydney Region are listed in the following table.
| Type of the right | Right value (ML) | Purpose of the right | Volume used in 2009–10 (ML) | Source for information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unregulated water access entitlement–other lumped holders | 126,437 |
Other lumped holder category (an unregulated river access licence category) in NSW may be issued for a wide range of purposes including:
|
50,575 (see Line item 14.6.5.6) | Draft Water Sharing Plan—Greater Metropolitan Unregulated River Water Sources |
| Regulated water access entitlement/arrangement–industrial and commercial holder | 1,068,6191 | Water provided for power generation | 22,821(see Line item 14.7.9.3) | Delta Electricity |
| Regulated water access entitlement–urban class/ arrangement | Diversions from Sydney Catchment Authority–managed reservoirs for mining and other economic activities | 208 (included in Line item 14.7.4) | Sydney Catchment Authority | |
Release of potable water by Shoalhaven City Council for purposes including:
|
4,1642 | Shoalhaven City Council | ||
Release of nonpotable water by Shoalhaven City Council for purposes including:
|
2,1802 | Shoalhaven City Council | ||
| Unregulated and regulated water access entitlement–urban holder |
Release of potable water by Sydney Water Corporation for purposes including:
|
143,5013 | Sydney Water Corporation | |
| Interbasin transfers for power generation | Variable | Water received from the Fish River Supply Scheme for power generation | 2,860 (included in Line item 19.5.6) | Delta Electricity |
| Groundwater entitlement–other lumped class | 62,204 |
Other lumped holder category (aquifer licence category) in NSW maybe issued for a wide range of purposes including:
|
Not available | Draft Water Sharing Plan—Greater Metropolitan Region Groundwater Sources |
|
|
||||
The above table is not exhaustive. It is possible that a portion of water provided by utilities not shown in the table was used for economic activities. Such uses have not been separately distinguished.
See the note Significant water accounting policies for details of recycled water released for industrial, commercial, agricultural and municipal purposes during 2009–10.
Water rights directly related to social and cultural benefits identified in the Sydney Region for 2009–10 were:
Cultural basic right allows abstraction of water by anyone who holds native title with respect to water, as determined under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cwlth). In the Sydney Region, the right was available to abstract water from the Kangaroo River water source. No cultural basic rights were estimated to occur in other areas of the region. The right holders can take and use water for a range of needs without holding a water access licence. This includes accessing water for personal, domestic and noncommercial communal purposes such as:
The riparian right makes provisions to abstract water to meet basic household requirements (noncommercial uses in and around the house and garden) and for watering of stock. This water cannot be used for irrigating crops or garden produce that will be sold or bartered, washing down machinery sheds or intensive livestock operations.
Stock and domestic licences for surface water and groundwater basic rights allow the right holders to abstract water to meet basic requirements for household and stock purposes.
Rights related to social and cultural aspects and relevant water use in 2009–10 in the Sydney Region are listed in the following table.
Distribution of water rights and use related to social and cultural rights in the Sydney Region for 2009–10
Type of water right |
Right value (ML) |
Volume used in 2009–10 (ML) |
Source for information |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cultural basic right for the Kangaroo River subcatchment |
27 |
27 (see Line item 14.5.1) |
Kangaroo River Water Source Water Sharing Plan
|
|
Surface water riparian right |
32,528 |
32,528 (see Line item 14.5.1) |
Draft Water Sharing Plan—Greater Metropolitan Unregulated River Water Sources
|
|
Stock and domestic licences |
2,344 |
938 (see Line item 14.6.5.5) |
Draft Water Sharing Plan—Greater Metropolitan Unregulated River Water Sources
|
|
Groundwater basic right |
19,652 |
Not available |
Draft Water Sharing Plan—Greater Metropolitan Region Groundwater Sources
|
National Water Account 2010
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