Long-term average annual extraction limit (LTAAEL) is a regulatory limit set on annual water extractions from a river system. It ensures that average extractions over the long term are sustainable, and thus help prevent environmental degradation.

In NSW these limits are defined by water sharing plans (WSPs). Every WSP outlines how the water in a river system will be shared over a 10-year period. They also define:

• how LTAAEL compliance is to be assessed for each river system

• what conditions will trigger noncompliance action

• what compliance action can be taken.

The Natural Resources Commission regularly reviews all WSPs to ensure extractions from each river system are within the limits set, and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority reviews sustainable diversion limit (SDL) compliance each year.

To assess compliance, we model LTAAEL using a model that has been configured to represent the development and management rules defined by a system WSP (this refers to as LTAAEL model). We then compare this modelled LTAAEL with the modelled under current conditions long-term average annual extractions (LTAAEs) (which are usually those modelled by the annual permitted take, or APT, model). Although, the LTAAEL includes multiple types of water use, the compliance assessment is based on the total. We do this annually using the best available models, and the outcomes are published on the DPE website.

Where river system’s LTAAE exceed LTAAEL, the system is considered noncompliant. If the noncompliance trigger conditions in the WSP are met, noncompliance action is taken.

The data set provided contains flows at several gauges in each river system, as simulated by the annually extended LTAAEL model. Notwithstanding the model’s inherent limitations, these are a fair representation of those we would expect under WSP operation and development conditions. They can be compared with flows simulated by other key scenario models, such as annual permitted take (APT) model or without development (WOD) model.