MEDIA RELEASE
March 18, 2026
The Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC) is raising the alarm over a looming environmental crisis in the Gwydir Wetlands, where critical environmental water is being withheld in Copeton Dam.
There appears to be a new, lower level of risk acceptance by WaterNSW to release environmental water if that water passes over private property, creating an urgent and unacceptable situation for the region's fragile ecosystems.
Revelations from the NSW Parliament’s Budget Estimates hearings highlight this concerning shift in river operations. During questioning on March 4, 2026, WaterNSW Chief Executive Officer Andrew George confirmed that environmental water deliveries are being restricted.
When asked about the decision-making process for delivering environmental water to the Gwydir Wetlands, Mr George stated:
"Quite simply, we do not have the authorising environment to flood private property.”
"... we would be breaking the law if we were passing water over private property. We are not authorised to do that without the private property owner's explicit permission.” 1
This refusal to release environmental water, which has been delivered successfully for years, is already having devastating consequences on the ground. At the Gingham Waterhole in the Gwydir Wetlands, one of the last strongholds for the broad-shelled turtle is on the brink of collapse as the waterhole rapidly dries. 2
NCC insists that environmental protection must be prioritised, in accordance with the principles and duties outlined in the NSW Water Management Act 2000.
Statements attributable to Mel Gray, Water Campaigner, NCC:
“Environmental water orders are specifically designed to respond to ecological emergencies like the one unfolding at Gingham Waterhole.
"This is an urgent, unacceptable situation.
"The NSW Water Minister, Rose Jackson, must act swiftly to ensure environmental water can be released as it has been for years.
“We cannot allow bureaucratic or legal stand-offs to result in the extinction of local populations of native species while the water they desperately need sits idle in a dam."
The NCC calls on Minister Jackson and WaterNSW to immediately resolve any perceived legal impediments, allowing the release of environmental flows to the Gwydir Wetlands before the broad-shelled turtle population is lost forever.
ENDS
Media contact: Anna Greer
E: [email protected]
PH: (02) 7208 9482
Note: Spokespeople are available for comment on request