NSW Wetlands failure

The NSW Government is rushing to finalize water sharing plans by July 1, but their hasty approach is causing chaos for farmers. Instead of conducting proper on-ground checks, bureaucrats are relying on flawed maps to declare prime agricultural land as wetlands.

One farmer, Jim Cush, was shocked to find that a channel in the middle of his wheat paddock was labelled as a wetland. “The government had even declared a depression in the middle of a neighbour’s wheat paddock, which occasionally filled up with water after heavy rain, as a wetland,” he said.

Farmers now have until February 2 to prove these mistakes or face strict restrictions on water use. This rushed process ignores the realities on the ground and places an unfair burden on landholders. With 93% of Murray-Darling Basin wetlands on private property, collaboration is key—but instead, the government is pushing flawed policies without consultation.

Farmers and irrigation groups are calling for a 3-year delay to correct mapping errors and work with landholders to identify real wetlands. It’s time for the NSW Government to listen.

This relates to point 6 of my 7-point plan- "Ban Government floods "It's

time for real change!