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Abstract
A water sharing plan is a legal document prepared under the Water Management Act 2000 (WMA) in
New South Wales (NSW). It establishes the rules for sharing water between the environment and
entitlement holders, with the goal of simultaneously protecting water dependant ecosystems and
providing certainty for water users. In NSW 49 water sharing plans have commenced to date and
another 40 plans are due to be commenced within next two years covering all surface and
groundwater systems. The WMA requires that due consideration be given to the socio-economic
impacts of the water sharing rules during preparation and mid-term reviews of the plans.
This paper presents the framework used to undertake socio-economic assessment of the impacts of
water sharing rules and a case study of impact assessment. The NSW Office of Water (the Office) has
used a staged methodological framework that is consistent with the socio-economic assessment
guidelines for river, groundwater and water management committees developed by the Independent
Advisory Committee on Socio-economic Analysis (IACSEA 1998). This framework is simple, relevant
and cost effective. The case study presents socio-economic impact assessment of water sharing
rules of the Coopers Creek Water Sharing Plan that commenced in 2004.
The results of the case study indicate that the proposed rules could have significant negative or
positive impacts on regional irrigated production and employment. This shows that proposals for
environmental gains may result in substantial economic losses to the irrigators.