Water regulator returns to Maitland region to ensure compliance Dungog Shire by News Of The Area - Modern Media - November 20, 2024 NRAR outreach officers take pump measurements. A REGIONAL inspection program by the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) has highlighted the value of face-to-face contact with water users to achieve better water law compliance. The program run by NRAR around the Maitland region showed that most of the 93 properties visited had taken positive action to better meet their obligations. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au The properties targeted had previously breached water rules but after an initial visit from NRAR outreach staff, 78 percent of them had acted to improve water compliance on their property. Just 22 percent (21) were still breaching the rules. NRAR Education Manager Pat Yeates said common problems previously seen in the area included water works that were too big, approvals that had expired and failure to keep accurate logbook records of water used. “These visits were an opportunity for us to confirm whether the rules are being followed, and to help landholders understand their obligations,” Mr Yeates said. “We are really encouraged by the results,” he said. “The effective management of water in NSW depends on accurately and consistently measuring water use – and we are working closely with licence holders to ensure that happens. “Many NSW water licence holders haven’t had an interaction with the water regulator for years. “These site visits show meeting people on their property and helping them understand what they need to do leads to better outcomes.” Mr Yeates said NRAR was working with the landholders who were not yet compliant to ensure they met their obligations. ”Continued failure to comply with the water rules could lead to enforcement action, which can range from fines to approval suspensions and even prosecution for the most high-risk, significant cases,” he said. The Maitland region falls into the Hunter Water Sharing Plan area which is bordered in the north-west by the Liverpool Ranges which separate it from the Namoi catchment, and on the west by the Great Dividing Range, which separates it from the Macquarie River catchment. It covers an area over 20,000km2 and extends further inland than any other coastal region of NSW.
