Water Efficiency Program

If you have held water rights for at least 3 years in the Murray–Darling Basin you may be eligible for funding.

An eligible participant is someone who:

• owns an eligible water right
• is capable of transferring that water to the Commonwealth under a contract to do efficiency works to achieve water savings.

You can apply as a project partner or through a delivery partner. If you have a project over $1 million, you can now register your interest as a project partner. Projects under $1 million must be applied for through a delivery partner.

Eligibility criteria for project partners in NSW are:

• Projects must be made public.
• Projects do not negatively impact on social and environmental outcomes.
• The project assessment for funding must be clear, timely, simple and transparent, and not unduly increase red tape.
• Programs or projects support regional economies.
• Programs or projects do not have negative third-party impacts on the irrigation system, water markets or regional communities.
• Projects need to be assessed for their potential to impact on the price of water.
• Any cultural impacts identified, protected or improved.
• Program design should include close engagement with community and industry leaders.
• Where practical, seek to develop and implement integrated implementation of efficiency measures to maximise benefits to the irrigation network and local enterprises.
• Monitoring and evaluation, including of socio-economic outcomes, should be built into programs and used to regularly review and adapt programs, as required.
• Projects must deliver real water savings and not result in profiteering or rorting.
• Projects should identify improved capacity to respond to changes in business environment including drought and climate resilience.