Published in November 2022, the Border Rivers Regional Water Strategy provides a 20-year vision for water resource management across the northernmost catchments of NSW, along the Queensland border.
It identifies four key priorities:
- address knowledge gaps and make information easily accessible
- do more with less water
- make the region more resilient to climate variability
- share water differently to address critical needs of Border Rivers and downstream users.
The Border Rivers Regional Water Strategy is delivering targeted actions to improve water security and river health across the catchment. The strategy identifies 34 initiatives to address key challenges in this highly variable system. To date, 30% of initiatives have been completed, 45% are in progress, and 13% have transitioned into long-term organisational functions. This work is supporting improved planning, better understanding of system risks, and drought preparedness.
Key areas of progress to date include:
1. Address knowledge gaps and make information easily accessible
- Ongoing development of the NSW Aboriginal Water Strategy and Regional Aboriginal Water Committees continues to strengthen cultural water outcomes.
- Improved environmental monitoring data is supporting better management of the Border Rivers system.
2. Do more with less water
- WaterNSW has completed a Drought Contingency Plan for the regulated Border Rivers system, supporting preparedness for future dry periods.
- The department of Primary Industries has completed Stage 1 of their Climate Vulnerability Assessment, which helps to build understanding of climate change vulnerabilities and opportunities for NSW’s primary industries.
- Local Land Services and Landcare NSW’s Sustainability Credential Program (2018–2023) recognised landholders using best-practice water and land management.
3. Make the region more resilient to climate variability
- The Upper Northwest Regional Economic Development Strategy (2023) integrates water-planning actions from the regional strategy to align economic and drought resilience goals.
- The Gwydir and Inverell Shire Drought Resilience Plan (April 2024) embed water-resilience measures into regional planning.
- Fisheries and WaterNSW continues to strengthen monitoring and drought-response capacity in the Border Rivers system. This includes improved monitoring of baseline ecology and water conditions in key areas.
- Councils across the region are implementing improved drought management plans with learnings from the recent drought of record to be better prepared for severe events in the future.
- Floodplain harvesting activities across the Border Rivers were brought under water access licences and works approvals in August 2022.
4. Share water differently to address critical needs of Border Rivers and downstream users
- Cross-border collaboration has been enhanced through a 2024 NSW–Queensland Memorandum of Understanding, supported by the Office of the Cross Border Commissioner.
Overall, 2024–25 has been a productive year for the Border Rivers Regional Water Strategy, with foundational programs maturing, new monitoring infrastructure in place, and stronger alignment between water management, economic resilience and environmental restoration.