Final strategy
The Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy was adopted in October 2023.
Public consultation 2020
The first draft Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy was on public exhibition from 25 September – 13 December 2020.
The draft strategy was a set of 3 documents:
| Date | Document name |
|---|---|
| 01 September 2020 | Regional Water Strategies: Guide (PDF, 3.48 MB) |
| 01 September 2020 | Draft Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy (PDF, 10.19 MB) |
| 01 September 2020 | Draft Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy: Long list of options (PDF, 22.17 MB) |
A comprehensive engagement and consultation program accompanied the release of the draft strategy. This included:
- face-to-face meetings
- online webinars
- formal submissions.
What we heard
Over 90 stakeholders participated in the engagement program and 56 formal submissions were received. Key themes that emerged during this consultation include water security, groundwater, climate and modelling, Aboriginal knowledge and cultural heritage, entitlement reliability and risk management, new and existing infrastructure, and environmental and ecosystem health.
| Date | Document name |
|---|---|
| 01 December 2021 | Draft Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy: What we heard report (PDF, 3.46 MB) |
| 01 December 2021 | Draft Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy: What we heard summary (PDF, 248.72 KB) |
Submissions
Permission was received to publish several of the submissions. These are available via the Water Publications Library.
Public consultation 2022
After incorporating the feedback from the community and doing further analysis, the second draft Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy was on a second public exhibition from 5 October to 18 November 2022.
The second draft strategy was a set of two documents:
| Date | Document name |
|---|---|
| 01 October 2022 | Draft Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy: Shortlisted Actions - Consultation paper (PDF, 21.85 MB) |
| 01 October 2022 | Draft Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy: Executive summary (PDF, 8 MB) |
What we heard
In the second round of the public exhibition of Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy, 137 stakeholders participated, and we received 64 formal submissions.
In response to this feedback we have published two additional technical documents and will undertake further targeted discussions before releasing the final Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy in 2023.
| Date | Document name |
|---|---|
| 01 December 2022 | Draft Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy: What we heard report (PDF, 10.4 MB) |
| 01 December 2022 | Analysis of the option to investigate changing the operation of regulated effluent creeks during dry periods (PDF, 362.6 KB) |
| 20 February 2026 | Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy: Analysis of the option to raise Burrendong Dam’s full supply level (PDF, 1.67 MB) |
Submissions
Permission was received to publish several of the submissions. These are available via the Water Publications Library.