Public exhibition closed
The Barwon–Darling Valley and Gwydir Valley Floodplain Management Plans were open for public submissions from 20 July to 18 August 2026. The submission period is now closed, and we are considering all comments to inform our review and replacement of the plans.
Review of the plan
The department is reviewing the Barwon–Darling Valley Floodplain Management Plan.
Under the Water Management Act 2000, floodplain management plans must be reviewed in the 5 years before they expire to ensure they continue to effectively support the needs of communities, landholders and the environment.
Public consultation on the plan ran from 20 July to 18 August 2026. Community members and other stakeholders were invited to provide feedback on whether the plan:
- remains adequate and appropriate for implementing the water management principles under the Water Management Act 2000
- has any implementation issues that have emerged since its initial review in 2022 (see Response to review recommendations for the Floodplain Management Plan for the Barwon-Darling Valley Floodplain 2017)
- could be improved through future amendments.
We are currently reviewing submissions and will publish a report with the findings soon. The review report will be used to inform the replacement plan, which is currently due by 30 June 2027.
About the plan
The Floodplain Management Plan for the Barwon–Darling Valley Floodplain 2017 (plan) commenced on 30 June 2017. The plan includes management zones, rules and assessment criteria for granting or amending approvals for flood works within the plan area.
Information on this plan, including amendments made in June 2024 and December 2025, is available for viewing as described below.
Floodplain management plan
The Floodplain Management Plan for the Barwon-Darling Valley Floodplain 2017 is a detailed legal instrument written in the required statutory framework.
Maps
The following maps are included within the plan and are available for download from the NSW Legislation website.
- Barwon–Darling Valley Plan map (PDF. 397.KB)
- Barwon–Darling Valley Management zones map (PDF. 2.5MB)
- Barwon–Darling Valley Floodway network map (PDF. 2.2KB)
- Barwon–Darling Valley Ecological assets map (PDF. 1.9KB)
- Barwon–Darling Valley Existing flood works map (PDF. 413KB)
- Barwon–Darling Valley Peak flood flow distribution (1976) map (PDF. 396KB)
You can view the plan boundary, management zones and ecological assets as a spatial map.
You can also find the floodplain management plan spatial dataset on the NSW Government’s SEED portal for use in your own geographic information system.
Rules and assessment criteria
Rule summary sheet
An overview of the rules and assessment criteria for each management zone is provided in the rule summary sheet below. The rule summary sheet is included as a guide only.
The rules for enhancement flood works in each of the northern floodplain management plans changed on 21 June 2024. Read a summary of the amendments (PDF.132 KB).
Important information
These rules were further refined in each of the northern floodplain management plans on 12 December 2025.
| Date | Document name |
|---|---|
| 22 December 2025 | Summary of changes made to the northern inland floodplain management plans – flood enhancement works (PDF, 97.56 KB) |
| 22 December 2025 | Amending the rules for flood enhancement works in northern inland floodplain management plans (PDF, 125.37 KB) |
For more information about how floodplain management plans work and the planning process refer to Developing floodplain management plans.
The plan commenced on 30 June 2017 and is due for replacement on 30 June 2028.
Amendments to the plan came into effect on 21 June 2024 and 12 December 2025. You can find the amendment order and current version of the plan on the NSW Legislation website.
The department has completed a review of the plan under Section 43 of the Water Management Act 2000.
The Natural Resources Commission has audited the plan under Section 44 of the Water Management Act 2000. The audit report is available on their website.
The department road tested the major concepts of the plan with key stakeholders during a targeted (informal) consultation process over the period Tuesday, 13 October 2015 to Wednesday, 10 February 2016.
Stakeholders from a range of industry groups—including landholders, Aboriginal communities, environmental interests, consultants and government—were invited to attend workshops in Mungindi, Walgett, Brewarrina, Bourke and Dubbo. These workshops introduced attendees to the main elements of the draft plan, including the boundary, management zones, and the rules for granting or amending flood work approvals.
The feedback received from targeted consultation was considered by an Interagency Regional Panel prior to the preparation of the plan for public exhibition.
Community input into the preparation of the plan was invited during public exhibition over the period Friday 31 October to Tuesday 9 December 2016. The department notified stakeholders via a media release, the Have Your Say portal, newspaper advertisements and notification letters to key stakeholders and landholders whose properties within Management Zones A and D within the plan area. The department also hosted individual appointments with interested stakeholders to provide greater detail about how the rules and assessment criteria would be applied in each management zone. Appointments were hosted in Walgett, Brewarrina and Bourke in November and December 2016.
All submissions received during the exhibition period were considered by an Interagency Regional Panel prior to the preparation of the plan for commencement.
- Rural floodplain management plans: Technical manual (PDF. 3MB)
A general description of the method employed for the preparation of floodplain management plans under the Water Management Act 2000. - Background document (PDF. 3.9MB) to the Floodplain Management Plan for the Barwon-Darling Valley Floodplain 2017 and Appendices (PDF. 5.2MB)
A detailed description of how the method presented in the Technical manual has been applied across the Barwon-Darling Valley Floodplain. - An overview of Floodplain Management Plans under the Water Management Act 2000 (PDF. 145KB)
A general, plain English explanation of the key provisions of floodplain management plans. The overview is a summary that should be read in conjunction with the draft plan. - Floodplain management under the Water Management Act 2000: A guide to the changes (PDF. 143KB)
A guide to the transition of floodplain management planning from the Water Act 1912 to the Water Management Act 2000 in NSW.
Spatial map disclaimer
The spatial maps of floodplain management zones contained on this website (“Spatial Maps”) are produced for information purposes only. The authorised versions of the maps are contained in the floodplain management plans published on the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (“the department”) website.
The State of New South Wales, including the department, does not give any warranty, guarantee or representation about the accuracy, currency or completeness of any information contained in the Spatial Maps (including, without limitation, any information included in the Spatial Maps which was provided by third parties). The State of New South Wales (including the department) provides the Spatial Maps without assumption of a duty of care to any person.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the State of New South Wales (including the department) excludes all liability in relation to the information contained in the Spatial Maps or for any injury, expense loss, or damage whatsoever (including without limitation liability for negligence and consequential losses) suffered or incurred by any person acting, or purporting to act in reliance upon any information contained herein.
Applicants for flood work approvals use the Spatial Maps at their own risk when making decisions relating to the Spatial Maps. They should make their own enquiries with the department to confirm the impact of management zones on their application.