The Federal Government says its $10.5 million investment will boost water monitoring and management, ease costs for users and help the state fast-track its metering reforms.
Telemetry supports sustainable water use by sending real-time data to water management agencies, helping to ensure licensed water taken from inland regional water sources is extracted fairly, equitably and according to the rules.
The government says accurate monitoring is crucial for water resource planning and compliance, and the use of telemetry reduces the need for licence holders to report manually, saving them time and money.
“Accurate metering benefits us all — gives us better information and saves time,” Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said.
“This is just one part of our commitment to improve transparency of water use across the basin, to ensure water is used fairly and sustainably to support communities, industry and our environment.”
Under the government plans, the devices will be fully funded and installed in eligible sites in NSW over the next two-and-a-half years.
Eligible sites include those extracting from groundwater sources in the Murray-Darling Basin with an annual entitlement of 100 megalitres or greater.
Sites drawing from surface water systems within the basin may also be considered as a secondary priority.
Contracts are expected to be awarded and installations to begin in the first half of 2025.
“This program is fantastic news for thousands of water users across the NSW basin, saving significant out-of-pocket costs and helping them comply with metering rules,” NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson said.
“We’re primarily targeting groundwater sites across the basin, recognising that the state’s aquifers are under increasing pressure due to a changing climate, population growth and heightened demand.
“Groundwater-dependent ecosystems are crucial for maintaining the basin’s biodiversity and ecology, particularly where groundwater may be the only reliable source of water.”
The funding comes as NSW is streamlining its metering roll-out and implementing a suite of recommendations to ease water users’ barriers to compliance.
These include simplifying metering requirements for smaller and low-risk water users, extending compliance deadlines for coastal water users, addressing the shortage of meter installers and improving their training opportunities and resources, among many others.
NSW is on track to have 95 per cent of all licensed water entitlement metered by the end of next year.
More information for water users, including eligibility and how to apply, will be available in the coming months via the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW) website.
For more information on NSW’s non-urban metering work, visit: https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/our-work/nsw-non-urban-water-metering/review-of-the-non-urban-metering-rules
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