About the flow corridor
The Reconnecting River Country Program aims to increase the frequency and extent rivers connect to wetlands and floodplains, to improve the health of Country in the Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys and make the best use of water for the environment.
The program is proposing to remove constraints in our river systems to establish environmental flow corridors enabling the flexible use of water for the environment. Removing these constraints is critical to achieving the Murray-Darling Basin Plan’s environmental outcomes.
An environmental flow corridor is the area of land to be inundated by environmental flows up to the selected upper flow limit. This area of land includes the riverbank, riparian zone, wetlands and low-level floodplain areas which the program aims to inundate more frequently with environmental water to mimic the natural cycle of the river. The flow corridor will also include a flow buffer as a risk mitigation measure. This buffer is not a target for flow delivery but is used to define the extent of the flow corridor and associated compensation determined in negotiations. It provides a safeguard for landholders in the rare event that flow targets are exceeded due to unforeseen rainfall and tributary inflows.
Murrumbidgee flow corridor
Flow limit options have been considered for the Murrumbidgee project and an upper flow limit has been recommended in a Final Business Case, submitted to the Australian Government in February 2025.
The proposed environmental flow corridors would provide landholders with certainty on the maximum inundation extent from potential releases for environmental flow purposes. Mapping of the flow corridors, can be viewed using the program’s inundation mapping.
With delivery of the program, the environment, and private and public land, would see benefits from increased environmental flows. However, some properties and public areas may require assistance to manage the impacts of low-level overbank inundation.
As such, project measures aim to assist landholders, First Nations people and local government agencies to manage the impacts of proposed higher environmental flow releases. These measures may include works and actions to improve First Nations people’s connection and access to Country. We continue to discuss project measures with stakeholders seeking feedback to inform the program.
Project measures
An important part of the program is to mitigate the impacts on properties affected by the proposed environmental flow corridor. To ensure landholders are fairly and transparently compensated, the program has developed a suite of measures. These measures will also establish the proposed corridor, balancing environmental outcomes with the needs of local communities.
In the Murray program area, the program is still in development. Flow limit options are currently informing technical studies being progress in the Murray and will be assessed in a future Final Business Case. A recommended flow limit for a Murray flow corridor cannot be determined until the benefits and risks for all flow limit options, including a cost benefit analysis, are considered in a detailed Final Business Case.
The first step in establishing the flow corridor is to negotiate voluntary agreements for flow easements with affected landholders, where required, through the Landholder Negotiation Scheme.
Flow easements are legal agreements (easements in gross) that grant the right to use the land for a specific purpose - in this case, to allow inundation from environmental flows within the designated flow corridor up to the selected flow limit.
Flow easements are a key project measures as, under current legislation, the NSW Government is required to compensate landholders on just terms for impacts resulting from environmental flow inundation that is above current operating limits.
Establishing flow easements would assist river operators to periodically deliver higher flows for environmental purposes.
In securing the flow corridor landholders will be given fair and reasonable opportunity to negotiate enduring agreements and will be entitled to compensation in accordance with the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991.
The LNS and Negotiation Guidelines provide for landholders to access negotiation assistance to allow them to engage valuation and legal expertise. The program intends to reimburse legal and valuation costs reasonably incurred during negotiations (regardless of whether an agreement is reached).
The degree of inundation will vary by property. For landholders with minimal impacts, the program is exploring alternative approaches.
To see if your property is within a proposed flow corridor visit the program’s inundation mapping.
Critical mitigation infrastructure may be required and will be considered during negotiations Where eligible, mitigation works in lieu of compensation may be considered in accordance with the Just Terms Act.
The project measures may include works to:
- give access to a property where this represents value for money compared to easement compensation (or where there are safety issues resulting from the increased frequency of water)
- address a constraint to the delivery of the program.
Works may be considered for affected public infrastructure within flow corridors. This would include where there are impacts to public health and safety, or where it could be demonstrated there is a significant public benefit.
There may also be additional works required to assist the delivery of environmental flows, such as the widening of bridges or culverts.
As the Reconnecting River Country Program progresses, we will continue to keep public authorities informed about the program and options to address potential impacts.
First Nations people in the Murrumbidgee project area have a strong spiritual connection to land and waters of the region. It is central to their culture, identity and wellbeing. The program has gained valuable insights into aspirations for Country, community sentiment toward flow limit options and potential measures to support First Nations outcomes.
First Nations engagement in the Murrumbidgee project area has consistently supported the 40,000ML/day flow limit at Wagga Wagga, recognising it as the best opportunity to restore and heal Country.
The program has also consistently heard investment in measures to support First Nations participation and outcomes is critical to achieving broader benefits beyond healing Country.
The project is proposing to design and deliver a cultural values monitoring program and First Nations capacity building, governance and water literacy program related to environmental water releases.
The program is considering alternative strategies to easements for landholdings with limited inundation areas, aiming for a more efficient and stakeholder supported approach to secure the flow corridor. While the preferred approach is to acquire flow easements, there may be circumstances in which a Deed of Release is more suitable for properties with minimal impact.
Works funded for delivery
During the early development stages of the Reconnecting River Country Program, several infrastructure projects were identified to be fully funded for priority upgrading to address inundation during high river flow events.
These sites include Mundarlo Bridge and Mundowy Lane in the Murrumbidgee Valley and aging infrastructure in the Werai Forest in the Murray Valley.
The projects are fully funded by the Australian Government for delivery by December 2026 and have commenced. In addition to being constraints to river flows, Mundarlo Bridge and Mundowy Lane were identified as being subject to inundation during high flow events. This causes significant disruptions to communities and businesses due to road closures and lengthy detours.
Upgrading these sites will protect against high river flows and provide substantial benefit to communities, due to less disruption. It will also have significant economic benefits by improving heavy traffic flows and access and by reducing maintenance and clean-up costs into the future.
In the Werai Forest, aging infrastructure is limiting water flows from reaching the forest and its Ramsar listed creeks and wetlands. This is affecting the health and cultural heritage values of the forest and the flora and fauna depending on these flows to thrive.
Upgrading aging infrastructure in the forest will support the health of these waterways and wetlands through improved connectivity and fish passage, will provide better access and opportunities for First Nations people as owners of the forest and will allow better more efficient water delivery.
Due to the social, economic and environmental importance of these sites, they are being prioritised for upgrade separate to the wider Reconnecting River Country Program.
Upgrading aging infrastructure in Werai Forest.
Replacing Mundarlo Bridge to reduce overtopping.
Upgrading Mundowy Lane to reduce overtopping.
Program principles
The Reconnecting River Country Program has developed a set of program principles (formerly Mitigation principles) providing standards for the management of information, modelling, negotiation, valuation and mitigation to guide program development and delivery.
The principles were developed in consultation with stakeholders and, most recently, the program’s reference groups and advisory committee.
In 2022 and 2023 a review of the draft principles by the department and program stakeholders highlighted the need for them to be revised to simplify the language and include a glossary with key words. Where possible, these recommended changes were adopted.
Landholders – the owner of relevant land, including:
- leaseholders
- Crown land managers
- a trust under Section 44 of the Commons Management Act 1989
- native title holders under Section 224 of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth).
Environmental water flows – means an environmental water release arrangement for future releases of water for environmental purposes, but does not include:
- a one-off release of water
- release of water permitted under a water sharing plan.
- Principle 1: Impacts of changes to environmental water flows will be mitigated by the program.
All affected landholders will be engaged through a transparent, equitable, fair and consistent process.
Mitigation will be determined using robust methodologies and the circumstances of individual landholdings. - Principle 2: Landholders’ interests and property rights will be respected.
- Principle 3: The program is committed to working with Traditional Owners along with other First Nations people and groups in a respectful, equitable and transparent process to mitigate impacts of environmental flows and realise benefits on Country.
- Principle 4: The potential impacts, risks and benefits of the proposed changes to river flows will be assessed using the best available science, modelling, practices and standards.
The assessment of impacts and benefits will take region-specific impacts and local knowledge into account. - Principle 5: All personal, private and commercial-in-confidence information will be managed in a safe and secure manner consistent with privacy legislation.
- Principle 6: Negotiations will aim to reach agreement on mitigation of predicted future impacts of changed flows in a form that will survive title transfers.
Negotiations will be conducted in accordance with the proposed Landholder Negotiation Scheme Regulation and the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991. - Principle 7: Negotiations will be informed by qualified valuers, the local knowledge of landholders and proposed solutions that effectively mitigate for the future impacts of changed environmental water flows.
- Principle 8: Ownership, operation and maintenance of assets (including newly built assets) on private land will reside with landowners unless otherwise agreed.
- Principle 9: Where infrastructure is proposed as a mitigation measure, the design of these works will be determined by the agreed flow limit options, including a buffer, and assessed on a case-by-case basis. Co-contributions from landholders for additional infrastructure enhancements will not be supported.
Note: Program principles (formerly, Mitigation principles)
Based on stakeholder feedback, calling for simpler language, the program changed the title of the mitigation principles to program principles. Changes were also made to the program measures (formerly Impact Management Toolbox).
More information
For more information on the program and other resources visit the Information hub, or subscribe to receive program updates.
Landholder Registration Form
To register as a landholder and participate in the program, fill in this online form.
Contact us
For more information call us on 1300 081 047 or email us at water.enquiries@dcceew.nsw.gov.au