Review of Hunter and Paterson WSPs

Overview

What’s this about?

The Natural Resources Commission (the Commission) invites submissions from all interested stakeholders to inform its independent statutory review of the Water Sharing Plan for theHunter and Paterson Regulated Rivers Water Sources 2019 which is due to expire on 30 June 2029.

Submissions are now open. This is an opportunity to share your views on how this plan is working and where improvements could be made, including environmental, social, cultural and economic outcomes.

Submissions close: 29 June 2026.

Important update

On 29 May 2026, an Order commenced to combine two existing water sharing plans. The Water Sharing Plan for the Hunter Regulated River Water Source 2016 was repealed and combined with the Water Sharing Plan for the Paterson Regulated River Water Source 2019 to form a single plan: the Water Sharing Plan for the Hunter and Paterson Regulated Rivers Water Sources 2019.

The Commission has been advised that the amalgamation of the two water sharing plans is an administrative change only and will not alter individual plan provisions. The Commission will review the combined plan, as that is the plan currently in place. However, we will consider the performance of the individual plans over the previous plan period in undertaking our assessment.

Further information about the consolidation of the two plans is available on the Water Group’s website here: Water sharing plans | Water.

Have your say

Have your say by 5pm on 29 June 2026.

You can provide feedback in one way.

About your submission

Submissions should address at least one of the following evaluation questions in relation to environmental, social, economic and cultural outcomes, and opportunities for improvement for one or both plans:

1.    To what extent has the plan contributed to environmental outcomes?
2.    To what extent has the plan contributed to social outcomes?
3.    To what extent has the plan contributed to economic outcomes?
4.    To what extent has the plan contributed to cultural outcomes?
5.    To what extent has the plan contributed to achieving its objectives?
6.    What changes, if any, are needed to improve outcomes under the plan?

Please clearly specify which plan or plans your submission relates to.

If you have any questions about the review or require support lodging your submission, please contact the Commission on (02) 9228 4844 or at nrc@nrc.nsw.gov.au. 

Note: Unless clearly marked ‘confidential’, all submissions will be published on the Commission’s website. Please refer to the Commission’s submissions policy for further details.

For further information please refer to the Commission's website.