The Conservation Council ACT Region has today welcomed the release of the draft report from the Independent Review Panel on the Review of the Snowy Water Inquiry Outcomes Implementation Deed (SWIOID). Following extensive consultations, the report recommends a range of reforms that will benefit the health of the upper Murrumbidgee River.
“We are pleased to see the Independent Review Panel is recommending environmental releases equivalent to 30% of annual natural flows,” Executive Director of the Conservation Council ACT Region, said. “This is consistent with the science and is welcome news for the upper Murrumbidgee River that has been deprived of flows for too long.”
“30% of natural flows is the minimum amount of water that is required for river recovery,” Copland continued. “It is critical that this 87GL/yr (30%) target is mandated and that there is ongoing monitoring, compliance and reporting to ensure it is delivered. We need to make sure we don’t repeat the mistakes of the current system where the target is a maximum volume and the system was designed so that not enough water was available to meet the target each year.”
The Council noted that there is a recommendation for a staged approach to improving flows to the Murrumbidgee, with 67GL/yr to be delivered for the first five years.
“We support the implementation of flow trials and evaluation of outcomes, but also note that the river cannot wait too long for the water that it needs. We therefore encourage governments to set a firm deadline for completing flow trials and any further investigations and shifting to full implementation of the 30% target.”
“In addition, while the Tantangara Dam outlet upgrade is necessary and would achieve the best outcomes for river health, even if the outlet upgrade is not implemented, 30% of natural flows should be delivered to restore the river system to health. This will be vital for the recovery of species such as the endangered Macquarie Perch that depend on our ability to restore flows and improve river health in the near term.”
The Council also welcomed the recommendation to decommission Mowamba Weir.
“The recommendation to decommission Mowamba weir is welcome news for river health. The removal of the weir, as recommended by an expert panel in 2022, will re-establish the Mowamba River as a natural headwater for the Snowy River and increase natural variability in flows.”
The Council concluded by emphasising the need for more rigorous and transparent governance.
“We strongly emphasise the importance of clear governance, improved transparency and ongoing monitoring and reporting. This has been a major gap under current arrangements and we need to do better this time. It is reassuring to see this clearly articulated in the report and we will continue to advocate for this to be a fundamental element of new governance arrangements.”
Public consultation on the draft report is open now and closes on the 4 August 2026.