Bureau Home » Water Information » National Water Account » 2021 Account » Sydney » Region description » Geographic information

National Water Account 2021

Feedback

Menu

Key findings

Climate and water

Water Accounting Statements

Supporting information

Region description

Sydney: Region description

 

Geographic information

 

General description

Area: 30,800 km²
Population: 5.07 million (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016)

 

Figure R1 Contextual map of the Sydney region

 

• The Sydney region is located on the coast of New South Wales and is home to 65% of New South Wales' total population.
• The region is mainly defined by three catchments: Shoalhaven River, Sydney Coast–Georges River, and Wollongong Coast catchments, as well as most of the Hawkesbury–Nepean River catchment.

 

Land use

Figure R2 Land use in the Sydney region

 

• Urban centres make up 8% of the region's total area. The majority of the region's population resides in the Sydney metropolitan area.
• The dominant land use activities outside of the urban centres are conservation and natural environments, which makes up 55% of the region area, and grazing, which makes up 25% of the region.

 

Significant aquatic ecosystems

Figure R3 Significant wetlands and cultural places in the Sydney region

 

• The Towra Point Nature Reserve is an estuarine Ramsar wetland on the southern shore of Botany Bay. There are also 23 nationally important wetlands listed in the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia within the region.
• Numerous surface water sources are ecologically important. There are 29 river management zones within the region assessed as having high instream values in the Water Sharing Plan for Greater Metropolitan Region Unregulated River Water Sources. Endangered ecological communities are also found in the Maroota Sands Swamp Forest and Sydney freshwater wetlands.
• Multiple groundwater dependent ecosystems are also found in the region. The Water Sharing Plan for Greater Metropolitan Region Unregulated River Water Sources identifies 21 karst systems, including the major cave systems of Jenolan, Wombeyan and Bungonia, and five vegetation communities that are groundwater dependent.

 

Significant Aboriginal cultural places and practices

• The Kangaroo River, recognised as an area of cultural significance as well as a source of food for Aboriginal communities, is an important area for the Nowra and Illawarra local Aboriginal land councils. Native title rights to water in the Kangaroo River Management Zone are provided for under the Water Sharing Plan for Greater Metropolitan Region Unregulated River Water Sources.
• The Aboriginal Water Initiative program aims to improve Aboriginal involvement and representation in water planning and management within New South Wales; this program is implemented by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

 

Water resources

• Surface water is the main water source in the region; flows from several major rivers are highly regulated by numerous dams and weirs.
• The surface water storage capacity per capita in the region is large by world standards due to the region's irregular interannual rainfall-runoff patterns.
• Other water sources include groundwater; desalinated water from the Kurnell desalination plant to the Sydney metropolitan area; recycled water supplied by Sydney Water Corporation and several local councils; and inter-basin transfers to the region from the Fish River Water Supply Scheme.

 

Surface water

Rivers

Figure R4 Streamflow gauging stations along the main rivers within the Sydney region

 

• There are three main river systems within the Sydney region: the Hawkesbury–Nepean River, the Shoalhaven River, and the Illawarra and metropolitan Sydney catchments.
• The gauging stations used to represent the general seasonal flow patterns of rivers in the region are shown in Figure R4.

 

Figure R5 Mean monthly flows along the Coxs River (part of the Hawkesbury–Nepean River system) and Shoalhaven River and mean monthly rainfall for the Sydney region

 

• These rivers typically have perennial flow, reflecting the relatively uniform rainfall pattern throughout the year.

 

Storages

Figure R6 Major storages in the Sydney region; capacity of each storage is also shown

 

• There is an extensive storage and weir network for capturing streamflows in the Sydney region.
• Warragamba, the region's largest storage, makes up 70% of the storage capacity of the region.
• Water from the Shoalhaven catchment can be diverted to the Hawkesbury–Nepean catchment through the Lake Yarrunga (Tallowa), Bendeela Pondage and Fitzroy Falls storages.

 

Intervalley transfers

• The Fish River Water Supply Scheme delivers water from outside the region (Oberon Dam and Duckmaloi Weir) to major customers within the region, including Lithgow City Council, EnergyAustralia, and WaterNSW.
• There are also intervalley water transfers within the region between the Shoalhaven, Hawkesbury–Nepean, and Sydney coastal catchments. As these transfers occur within the region, they are not quantified individually in this account, but form part of the overall surface water store balance.

 

Desalinated water

• The Kurnell Desalination Plant can supply 250 ML/day of desalinated water; it is brought into operation when WaterNSW's total operating storage capacity falls below 60%.
• The plant commenced operation in January 2010, and operated continuously until June 2012 as part of initial commissioning and testing.
• In January 2019, the plant restarted operation and supplied 1% of the urban water supply and thereafter, provided 14% and 4%, respectively in 2019–20 and 2020–21.

 

Water systems

Urban water system

• The major water utility in the region is Sydney Water, which provides potable water to more than five million people across Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Illawarra.
• Sydney Water operates nine water filtration plants and supplies over 1,500 ML/day of potable water in the region through a network of 243 reservoirs, 151 pumping stations and over 21,951 km of water pipes. Approximately 80% of this water is sourced from Lake Burragorang.
• Other organisations that supply urban water in the region are Shoalhaven Water, Goulburn Mulwaree Council, Lithgow City Council and Wingecarribee Shire Council.

 

Wastewater and recycled water system

• Sydney Water operates the main wastewater network in the region, consisting of 16 wastewater treatment plants, 14 water recycling plants, 677 wastewater pumping stations, over 25,000 km of wastewater pipes and 577 km of recycled water pipes. Most treated wastewater is discharged to waterways, estuaries, or the ocean. Recycled water is distributed for urban, agricultural and other uses.
• Shoalhaven City Council operates four wastewater treatment plants within the region; Wingecarribee Shire Council, Lithgow City Council and Goulburn Mulwaree Council also operate plants within the region. Treated wastewater is mostly discharged to waterways, and the small quantities of recycled water produced are mainly used for plant operations, on-site use and agriculture.

 

Water management

 

Surface water and groundwater management

Water legislation

• Water management in New South Wales is governed primarily by the Water Management Act 2000, though some provisions of the Water Act 1912 remain in place.
• There are three other legislative instruments related to water management in the Sydney region: the Sydney Water Catchment Management Act 1998 and Sydney Water Act 1994, which govern the roles and responsibilities of WaterNSW and Sydney Water, respectively; and the Energy and Utilities Administration Act 1987, which governs water savings initiatives.

 

Water management plans

• The NSW Department of Planning and Environment is responsible for managing surface water and groundwater resources in the State through the preparation of water sharing plans. Water management plans are current over a 10-year period, after which the water sharing plans are reviewed and revised or reinstated as appropriate.
• Surface water resources in the region are managed under the Water Sharing Plan for the Greater Metropolitan Region Unregulated River Water Sources 2011, which commenced on 1 July 2011. It was amended on 1 July 2016 to include the Kangaroo River Management Zone, replacing the former Water Sharing Plan for the Kangaroo River Water Source 2003.
• Under the Water Sharing Plan for the Greater Metropolitan Region Unregulated River Water Sources 2011, there are six water source areas: Shoalhaven River, Illawarra Rivers, Upper Nepean and Upstream Warragamba, Hawkesbury and Lower Nepean Rivers, Southern Sydney Rivers, and Northern Sydney Rivers.

 

Figure R7 Water source areas within the Sydney region

 

• Groundwater resources in the region are managed under the Water Sharing Plan for the Greater Metropolitan Region Groundwater Sources, which commenced on 1 July 2011.

 

Figure R8 Groundwater management units within the Sydney region

 

• Groundwater is a minor water source in the region, and is mainly used for irrigation or industrial purposes.
• There are 13 groundwater management areas within the region and these areas are grouped into fractured rock, porous rock, and coastal sands, tertiary sands and alluvial.
• Entitlements held by urban utilities are available from three groundwater management areas: Goulburn Fractured Rock, Sydney Basin–Nepean Sandstone and Sydney Basin–Richmond Sandstone.

 

Environmental water management

• The Water Management Act 2000 makes provision for the environmental health of the region's water resources through two mechanisms: planned environmental water and adaptive environmental water.

 

Planned environmental water

• Planned environmental water is prescribed under the rules of a water sharing plan.
• For unregulated rivers, these rules may include requiring visible flows or specified flow levels before extraction of water, and/or setting daily limits on extraction.
• Rules for groundwater can include reserving storage components or a proportion of the natural recharge for aquifers, and/or setting distance limits between new bores and groundwater dependent ecosystems.

 

Adaptive environmental water

• Adaptive environmental water allows licensed water to be committed for environmental purposes; these provisions are specified in the licences issued to water utilities or water management authorities.
• The regulating authority overseeing environmental flow management in the Sydney region is the NSW Office of Environment, Energy and Science.

 

Cultural water management

• The Aboriginal Water Initative (NSW Office of Water 2013) was established in 2012 to improve Aboriginal involvement and representation in water planning and management within NSW.
• Through this programme, the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment monitors the success of water sharing plans in meeting requirements under the Water Management Act 2000.
• These requirements include recognising spiritual, social, customary and economic values of water to Aboriginal people, and establishing flow rules to protect Aboriginal cultural values dependent on water.
• The provision of water for native title rights, economic development of Aboriginal communities, and cultural purposes including specific Aboriginal water access licences, is also a requirement under the Act.

 

Organisations responsible for water management

Figure R9 Operational boundaries of the Sydney Water Corporation and WaterNSW within the Sydney region

 

• WaterNSW is the bulk water supplier and diverts water to the major utility, Sydney Water Corporation.
• WaterNSW also supplies water to other local utilities (Goulburn Mulwaree Council, Shoalhaven City Council and Wingecarribee Shire Council) and retail customers in the region.
• Several other organisations also divert surface water from water sources based on their water access entitlements.

 

Table R1 Organisations and utilities responsible for water management activities within the Sydney region

Organisation	Responsibility	Storages operated within the region
EnergyAustralia	water supply for power generation (coal) reservoir manager infrastructure operator environmental and riparian flow manager	Lake Lyell Lake Wallace Thompsons Creek
Origin Energy	water supply for power generation (hydro-power) infrastructure operator	n/a
Goulburn Mulwaree Council	retail urban utility reservoir manager infrastructure operator wastewater system operator	Pejar Sooley
Hawkesbury–Nepean Catchment Management Authority	natural resources management development and implementation of river health strategies	n/a
Lithgow City Council	retail urban utility reservoir manager infrastructure operator wastewater system operator	Farmers Creek No. 2
NSW Office of the Environment, Energy and Science	overseeing environmental water management advising on water quality, water pollution and treatment supporting wetland conservation and management securing water for the environment through planning mechanisms, water purchase and water-efficient infrastructure	n/a
NSW Department of Planning and Environment	water licensing and compliance including issuing of individual user licences and monitoring of usage water planning and implementation of interstate programmes surface water and groundwater management water information and modelling science and evaluation policy and regulation of local water utilities provision of legal advice on water matters to the government.	n/a
Queanbeyan–Palerang Regional Council	retail urban utility infrastructure operator wastewater system operator	n/a
Shoalhaven City Council	retail urban utility reservoir manager infrastructure operator wastewater system operator	Bamarang Danjera Flat Rock Creek
WaterNSW	bulk water supply storage manager infrastructure operator environmental and riparian flow manager catchment management, including: surety that new developments in the drinking water catchments have a neutral and beneficial effect on water quality grants and incentives to improve land management and wastewater management community education initiatives	Avon Blue Mountains storages (Medlow, Greaves Creek, Upper Cascade, Middle Cascade and Lower Cascade) Cataract Cordeaux Fitzroy Falls Warragamba (Lake Burragorang) Tallowa (Lake Yarrunga) Nepean Prospect Wingecarribee Woronora
Local Land Services	natural resources management development and implementation of river health strategies	n/a
Sydney Water Corporation	retail urban utility infrastructure operator wastewater system operator	n/a
Wingecarribee Shire Council	retail urban utility reservoir manager infrastructure operator wastewater system operator	Bundanoon Medway

 

Water rights

 

Operating rules and constraints

• The NSW Department of Planning and Environment manages the entitlements in the Sydney region in accordance with the Water Management Act 2000. Water access licences are registered with the Lands Title Office (NSW), while the NSW Department of Planning and Environment manages the day-to-day operation of the entitlements, including the maintenance of allocation accounts.
• Water access licences issued to major water utilities provide further guidance to the rules established in the Water Sharing Plan for the Greater Metropolitan Region Unregulated River Water Sources 2011.
• Water restrictions in Sydney Water's management area are authorised by the Minister administering the Sydney Water Act 1994. Water restrictions in other areas are determined and managed by the local urban water utilities. For more information, refer to the Bureau of Meteorology's Water Restrictions website.
• Water allocation volumes for the Fish River Water Supply Scheme are based on water supply agreements between WaterNSW and its customers; allocations are restricted according to storage level when Oberon Reservoir drops below 50%, and entitlement holders are allowed to carryover their unused allocation up to a maximum of 20% of the maximum annual quantity.
• Origin Energy holds an entitlement to service interchanges between Lake Yarrunga and Fitzroy Falls reservoir and between Bendeela Pondage and Lake Yarrunga at any time for hydro-power generation, with increases to interchange volume subject to conditions related to high power demand, power system failure, and flow conditions in Yarrunga Creek.

 

Water entitlements and other statutory water rights

• Water access licences entitle holders to specified shares of available water (a share component), and to take water under specified conditions (an extraction component). These entitlements are separate from land ownership. Licences can be granted as continuing water access licences, or as a specific purpose water access licences which must be cancelled when the purpose for which the licence was issued ceases.
• The share component of a water access licence is expressed as a unit share of the water available for continuing water access licences, or in megalitres for specific purpose water access licences. The actual quantity of water available to be extracted in any year depends on an available water determination.
• The extraction component specifies the part of the water source where water may be taken; it may also specify limits on times, rates or circumstances of extraction.
• Three basic landholder rights to water also exist: domestic and stock rights, native title rights, and harvestable rights. For groundwater, extraction other than under domestic and stock rights requires a licence issued by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

 

Water allocations

• The NSW Department of Planning and Environment manages the available water determination process over a 1 July–30 June water year for both surface water and groundwater. The amount of water available for extraction and associated rules (in particular, carryover rules) are outlined in the two water sharing plans for the region.
• The key elements of announcements for available water determinations are the water source, licence category, announcement type, date or period to which the announcement applies, and the volume announced per share.
• Priorities for water sharing depend on water access licence/entitlement categories; the environment has first priority, followed by basic rights (domestic and stock rights, harvestable rights and native title rights) and then all other licensed rights.
• Entitlement holders are able to draw their maximum entitlement volume unless, due to a limited supply of water, authorities announce an 'as needs' basis.
• No allocations are determined for basic water rights; however, in times of limited supply, restrictions on take for basic rights may be announced.

 

Trades and water rights transfers

• Interstate transfer of access licences or interstate assignment of water allocations are prohibited for both surface water and groundwater.
• Water trading rules are defined in both water sharing plans for the region; however, the required mechanisms for inter-valley trading do not yet exist.
• Trade between water sources is not permitted.