Menindee Lakes Project

The Basin Officials Committee has approved the withdrawal of the Menindee Lakes Water Savings Project from the Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) measures framework.

The withdrawal means the project will not proceed and the anticipated water savings will not count towards the NSW Government’s Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) offsets under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

The original Menindee Lakes Water Savings Project involved new options for infrastructure and operational, regulatory and adjustment measures to improve the efficiency of the Menindee Lakes system. 

The project also aimed to contribute to overcoming system constraints to increase flexibility in the delivery of environmental water and enhance both instream and overbank outcomes in the Lower Darling, Great Darling Anabranch and downstream in the River Murray. 

The original scope of the project, particularly the reconfiguration of infrastructure to generate evaporative water savings, was not supported by the Menindee community. 

As a result, the project was rescoped to consider alternatives to the original proposal.

The NSW Government investigated 3 initiatives as part of the rescope, though only the North-South environmental water protection connectivity trial could be delivered by the December 2026 Basin Plan deadline.

To satisfy SDLAM requirements, the trial arrangements for this project needed to be enduring. However, other Basin States did not support embedding the trial arrangements into operating frameworks. 

As a result, no element of the rescoped project could proceed, and the Basin Officials Committee approved its withdrawal.

While the project has been withdrawn, it is important to note that, of the 22 components of the original Menindee Lakes Water Savings Project, 5 have been completed, 2 are currently progressing and a further 2 are continuing through other pathways separate to SDLAM.

The NSW Government will not be revisiting the Menindee Lakes Water Savings Project. Future operating arrangements are being considered through the Murray-Darling Basin Authority-led operational review, which NSW is participating in.

The NSW Government carried out a comprehensive program of engagement with the local community and sought input from key governance groups including the Menindee Lower Darling Stakeholder Advisory Group and Technical Advisory Group to explore options for the project and ensure local knowledge was considered.

Community engagement included engaging with the Barkandji people to ensure their cultural and spiritual connection to water was understood, respected and integrated into project development. The Menindee Lakes, Darling Barka River and Great Darling Anabranch are rich in cultural and archaeological significance. As Traditional Owners, the wisdom and experience of the Barkandji people is critical to informing any potential project on their land.