Summary of current water allocations
The tables below summarise the current water allocations for:
- regulated rivers
- unregulated rivers, and
- groundwater water sources.
Allocations that are normally expressed in megalitres per unit share–for example high security, general security and aquifer access–are expressed as percentages in the tables below. One megalitre (ML) per unit share equates to 100% allocation, whereas 0.50 ML per share equates to 50% allocation and 0.05 ML per share equates to 5% allocation.
Rules for sharing water between water users and the environment are outlined in each respective water sharing plan, as well as defining shares in the available water for licence holders.
Carryover water
Water users may have access to water in their account carried over unused from the previous year. Carryover rules vary between water sources and between licence categories. Towns, domestic and stock, and most high security licence categories cannot carryover.
Allocations
- Current allocations – Regulated rivers
- Current allocations – Unregulated rivers
- Current allocations – Groundwater
River valley | Allocations 2023-24 | Licence category | Date of last allocation increase |
Murray* | 110% | General security | 17 July 2023 |
100% | High security | 17 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
Lower Darling* | 100% | General security | 1 July 2023 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
Murrumbidgee* | 100% | General security | 1 February 2024 |
100% | High security | 1 February 2024 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
Lachlan* | 14% | General security | 9 April 2024 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
Belubula* | 10% | General security | 14 February 2024 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
Macquarie and Cudgegong* | 54% | General security | 11 April 2024 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | High security (sub categories) | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
Lower Namoi* | 200% | General security | 7 September 2023 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
Upper Namoi* | 100% | General security | 1 July 2023 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
Peel | 100% | General security | 1 July 2023 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
Gwydir* | 11% | General security | 7 February 2024 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
NSW Border Rivers* | 100% | General security A Class | 21 July 2023 |
28% | General security B Class | 27 February 2024 | |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
Richmond | 100% | General security | 1 July 2023 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
Paterson* | 100% | General security | 1 July 2023 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
Hunter* | 100% | General security | 1 July 2023 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 | |
Bega-Brogo | 50% | General security | 26 February 2024 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2023 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2023 |
* Carryover water may also be available.
River valley | Current allocation (2023-24) water year | Licence category | Date of allocation |
All unregulated river water sources* | Full allocations | All categories | 1 July 2023 |
* Carryover water may also be available.
River valley | Current allocation (2023-24) water year | Water source / licence category | Date of allocation |
Murrumbidgee Unregulated and Alluvial (Gundagai Alluvial Groundwater Source) | 100% | Aquifer access | 1 February 2024 |
Upper Namoi Zone 1, Borambil Creek | 230% | Aquifer access | 1 July 2023 |
All other groundwater sources | 100% | All other licence categories | 1 July 2023 |
* Carryover water may also be available, according to water sharing plan.
Drought stage
The current drought stage for each inland river valley is listed in the table. These can range from Stage 1 (Normal operations) to Stage 4 (Critical drought). The drought stage is determined by the extent of operational, allocation or restriction measures that may need to be applied during water shortages or as the system recovers. Further information is available at extreme events.
Drought stage per water source
Water source | System type* | Drought stage | Date of last stage change |
Lower Darling | Regulated river | Stage 1 | April 2021 |
Barwon-Darling | Unregulated river | Stage 1 | April 2021 |
Lower Namoi | Regulated river | Stage 1 | January 2021 |
Upper Namoi | Regulated river | Stage 1 | January 2021 |
Macquarie | Regulated river | Stage 1 | September 2020 |
Cudgegong | Regulated river | Stage 1 | August 2020 |
Gwydir | Regulated river | Stage 1 | January 2021 |
NSW Border Rivers | Regulated river | Stage 1 | April 2021 |
Belubula | Regulated river | Stage 1 | April 2021 |
Peel | Regulated river | Stage 1 | January 2021 |
Lachlan | Regulated river | Stage 1 | September 2020 |
Murray | Regulated river | Stage 1 | August 2020 |
Murrumbidgee | Regulated river | Stage 1 | August 2019 |
Hunter | Regulated river | Stage 1 | August 2020 |
Richmond | Regulated river | Stage 1 | February 2020 |
Bega/Brogo | Regulated river | Stage 1 | February 2020 |