ABOUT WETLANDS

Wetlands are a crucial part of the natural environment. Wetlands provide breeding and feeding habitat for waterbirds, fish, invertebrates and plants. Wetlands may be natural, or human made. The water in a wetland can be still or flowing, and can be fresh, brackish or saline.

WSP PRESCRIBED WETLANDS for unregulated river water sharing plans (Inland NSW)

These wetlands have been identified by the department as being suitable for listing under water sharing plans to protect their water from future extraction above currently permitted levels.

The wetlands include those that are recognised under the International Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar), areas that form part of a listing on the Directory of Important Wetlands of Australia (DIWA) or have been identified as receiving protections under a prior water sharing plan. Wetlands identified within Floodplain Management Plan Management Zones D or SP may be added following further consultation with affected stakeholders.

This data generates an interactive map of wetlands (including lakes and billabongs), considered significant for the purposes of new water supply works and trade rules in inland unregulated water sharing plans. In NSW, all surface and groundwater is managed under water sharing plans (WSPs). WSPs cover large catchments and are subordinate to the Water Management Act 2000. A WSP has rules which can help to protect identified wetlands.

The wetlands were identified through a method developed by the NSW government in 2023 and refined in 2025. The method is not intended to identify all wetlands in a catchment.

The types of wetlands in this data set are those which have been previously assessed as important and/or have a water body that is persistent for at least 3 to 4 months following inundation.

This data asset can be used by landholders, conservationists and others to understand the location of wetlands subject to WSP rules, including rules to restrict construction of new water supply works and trades. The spatial data asset complements relevant pdf maps of such wetlands for remade individual inland river unregulated WSPs (available on DCCEEW Department website).

PLEASE NOTE: In the case of any discrepancy between this digital dataset and the published Water Sharing Plan (accessible on the www.legislation.nsw.gov.au site) the instrument as made by the Minister remains the authoritative source and should be used to both interpret the intent of the Plan and in subsequent decision making. Best endeavours have been made in collating relevant Water Sharing Plan boundary and attribution contained in this dataset. However, no warranty is provided as to the accuracy or currency of this representation. The department does not warrant and is not liable for the use of this material as per the licenced sharing conditions CC-BY 4.0.

This dataset does not include the separate "Significant Wetlands" data set initially used for six other water sharing plans replaced in 2024. The "Significant Wetlands" layer is intended to be reviewed, updated, renamed and eventually added to this WSP Prescribed Wetlands data set to make a single comprehensive WSP Prescribed Wetlands layer for all inland unregulated water sharing plan areas. At that time, the "Significant Wetlands" layer will become redundant.

This dataset is intended to be updated to include the relevant wetlands as water sharing plans commence. Lineage of the dataset is as follows:

12th December 2025 - Dataset created
12th December 2025 - Dataset updated to include WSP Prescribed Wetlands for the Murrumbidgee Unregulated River Water Sources 2025
27th February 2026 - Dataset updated to include WSP Prescribed Wetlands for the Lachlan Unregulated River Water Sources 2026 (NOTE Barwon-Darling Unregulated River Water Source 2026 also commenced on this date, however, there are no WSP Prescribed Wetlands in this WSP area at this time.)

Water Sharing Plan Prescribed Wetlands