Water Sharing Plan-Significant Wetlands (Inland NSW)-Spatial Dataset

ABOUT WETLANDS: Wetlands are a crucial part of the natural environment. Wetlands provide breeding and feeding habitat for waterbirds, fish, invertebrates and plants. They can also help to:

• protect our shores from waves
• reduce the impacts of floods
• absorb pollutants
• filter and clean water.

Wetlands are areas of land where water covers the ground. This can be all year round, or only at certain times of the year. Wetlands include:

• rivers and creeks
• swamps and marshes
• billabongs, lakes and lagoons
• saltmarshes and mudflats
• mangroves and coral reefs
• bogs, fens and peatlands
• groundwater aquifers.

Wetlands may be natural or human made. The water in a wetland can be still or flowing, and can be fresh, brackish or saline. Some wetlands are even found underground.

SIGNIFICANT WETLANDS (Inland NSW): This data generates an interactive map of significant wetlands in the Inland NSW. In NSW, all surface and groundwater is managed under water sharing plans (WSP). WSPs cover large catchments and are subordinate to the Water Management Act 2000. A WSP has rules which protect significant wetlands. The wetlands were identified through a method developed by the NSW government in 2023.

This data asset can be used by landholders, conservationists and others to understand where significant wetlands are. The spatial data asset complements several A1 Legislative pdf maps of significant wetlands that are part of the remake of inland 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.

Note: If you would like to ask a question, make any suggestions, or tell us how you are using this dataset, please visit the NSW Water Hub which has an online forum you can join.