The purpose of the Water Change Management Framework (WCMF) is to describe how NVIRP will protect aquatic and riparian ecological values by managing water allocations and flows that may change once the GMID is modernised.
In particular, the WCMF addresses the requirements of condition three of the Minister for Planning's decision that an Environment Effects Statement (EES) is not required for the project, as described in the referral submitted to the Minister for Planning on 20 February 2009 and responded to by the Minister on 20 April 2009.
The WCMF applies to how NVIRP will:
- develop the operational requirements for managing the ecological consequences of hydrological changes arising from the implementation of NVIRP
- establish the future operational requirements to achieve agreed environmental performance requirements, including transfer of responsibility to appropriate organisations
- describe how the ecological consequences of hydrological changes arising from the implementation of NVIRP will be monitored, reported and adjusted through an adaptive management approach.
All members of NVIRP, its employees and contractors must comply with the requirements of this WCMF.