Unreg Water Sharing Plans

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In its recent submission to the NSW Government re draft Water Sharing Plans for the "unregulated" Wambuul, Baawan and Ngamaay rivers made in October 1995

DEG requested Minister Sharpe "not agree to the Unregulated Water Sharing Plans for the Ngamaay, Wambuul and Baawan-Baaka Rivers until all the recommendations of the Connectivity Expert Panel, the Section 44 Audits by Alluvium Consulting, and the Section 43 reviews by the Natural Resources Commission, are implemented in full."

"As observers, it appears that there was a sincere intent for the new Unregulated Water Sharing Plans to address the failings of past water management in NSW.

However, we find that the proposed changes to the plans are more style than substance, and, outside the small number of mostly upper catchment rivers, do not increase environmental protection or connectivity between streams.

Because access to water in downstream rivers is unchanged, environmental benefits in those rivers are unlikely. In fact, it is possible that one of the effects of the changes will be to increase the amount of water available for irrigation.

The proposed changes will not improve connectivity in the Ngamaay, Wambuul, or Baawan-Baaka Rivers. It is difficult to understand the reason for the changes."

Read full submission re Unregulated Ngamaay and Peel (Namoi Peel), Wambuul-Macquarie and Bogan, and Baawan-Baaka (Barwon-Darling) Water Sharing Plans. October 2025.

Aboriginal people in Walgett describe the Ngamaay (Namoi) and Baawan (Barwon) rivers as the lifeblood of their community, waterways which generations have cared for and lived on for thousands of years. However, in recent years the rivers have been largely dry with a massive negative impact on community health and wellbeing.

"Well the river is our life: it's like anywhere in the world, if you don't have water you don't have life. The river when I was growing up was a good thing for everybody. Not to say we didn't take things for granted but we respected the waters. It was our life through fishing, drinking, cooking but today there's nothing there. It's really sad. I think to me it's greed by people upstream that don't allow the water to come down" (Community member, quoted in Yuwaya Ngarra-li Community Data Gathering Report, 2019).

The drying up of local rivers is attributed by the Dharriwaa Elders Group to poor management of rivers and water infrastructure by government, which has prioritised the interests of farmers and irrigators over Aboriginal people, and failed to mitigate threats from Climate Change. The lack of respect and understanding for Aboriginal knowledge of river systems and the perspectives or interests of Aboriginal people is an ongoing legacy of decades of institutional racism and has had disproportionately negative impacts on Aboriginal people in Walgett in a number of ways.

The DEG has long held concerns for the health of surface and ground waters of Walgett. Over its 25 years of operation, DEG has become increasingly aware of the vulnerability of Walgett’s water infrastructure and capacity, the lack of planning for climate change, and the low priority given to Walgett community's water security. Our Caring for Water and Country program works for a vision for Walgett where wellbeing of people and Country is vital, and Walgett children have a better, brighter future. We will link Aboriginal culture and science with western science to renew the health of the river systems and groundwaters. We are developing a collection of policies and requirements for management of waters for the social, economic and cultural development of our community.

As a result of our work we will own and manage water for socio-economic development, the environment and Aboriginal cultural practices and wellbeing.