The Floodplain Harvesting Select Committee tabled its report on Wednesday morning with 25 recommendations based on its 14 key findings.
Among the report's recommendations were that the NSW Government conduct a thorough review of low and cease-to-flow data, as well as an assessment of downstream economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts and needs, prior to finalising the volume of floodplain harvesting entitlements in each valley.
This included detailed locations of any proposed new river gauges and real time monitoring infrastructure.
The report also recommened the government establish an independent expert panel coordinated by the Natural Resources Commission to assess and accredit the models used in the state's water sharing plans, that it assesses the floodplain harvesting 'Cap Scenario' reports for compliance with the Murray-Darling Basin Cap, and annually audit the sustainable diversion limit and Murray-Darling Basin Plan limit.
It said these audit reports should identify the annual Cap or sustainable diversion limit target, and diversions for licence and extraction type and that the long term average extraction limits for the baseline diversion limit, the Murray-Darling Basin Cap, and the Plan limits be included in water sharing plans for each valley.
It also said the NSW Government should urgently ensure all floodplain harvesting was metered and measured, including flows that enter and bypass storages, before issuing floodplain harvesting licences to ensure the accuracy of volumes and long-term extraction limits, and, ensure any carry-over rule included in floodplain harvesting licences to provide flexibility in accessing floodplain harvesting entitlements does not allocate more than 100pc of entitlements in the first year of the accounting period.
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These were based on the inquiry's 14 key findings, which included that floodplain harvesting was not an offence under section 60A of the Water Management Act 2000 and nor was floodplain harvesting works constructed without approvals (section 91B).
It did, however, say that issues of lawfulness did arise in the practice of floodplain harvesting when a work was used, and this "must be examined on a case by case basis".
The commitee also found that there has been insufficient assessment of the cumulative impacts of floodplain harvesting to date, and in its report said the only way to further improve assessments of the cumulative impacts of floodplain harvesting was through accurate metering of take during floodplain harvesting events.
It said floodplain harvesting has contributed to a reduction in downstream flows which has had a profound impact on the culture and traditions of First Nations peoples and that engagement with First Nations peoples on the development of floodplain harvesting policy has been inadequate and, at times, culturally inappropriate.
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