Pipeline Assessment and Approval Process
The Macquarie River to Orange pipeline project was designed and constructed after a detailed assessment. The Major Project Assessment Documents can be accessed on the NSW Department of Planning and Environment website.
Conditions of Consent ~ NSW Government
The NSW Government gave approval to the project in June 2013. The NSW Planning Minister’s Project Approval Conditions for the Macquarie Pipeline can be found here.
Independent Environmental Audit
To comply with the Conditions of Approval for the Macquarie River to Orange Water Pipeline Project (MP10_0235), Orange City Council is required to undertake an Independent Environmental Audit (IEA) of the scheme every three years.
After the first five years of the pipeline operating, Council appointed an independent auditor, OzEnvironmental, who completed the Final IEA Report and provided it to Council on 15 January 2021.
After considering the report, Orange City Council responded to a number of matters, in these two documents:
These responses, along with the IEA, were provided to the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment on 12 March 2021.
After considering the IEA report and Council’s response, the Department has written to Orange City Council 2020 noting that:
“The Department notes the Auditors comments and non-compliances which have been identified within the Audit Report and have reviewed and assessed them in accordance with the Departments Compliance Policy and determined not to take any further enforcement action in respect to these issues.”
This first audit has highlighted a number of self-reported, operational non-conformances where procedures have already been put in place to ensure ongoing compliance. There are also some isolated areas of pipeline route rehabilitation that Council staff are still working with those property owners to complete. Both the audit and the Department’s response indicates the Macquarie River to Orange Pipeline has generally complied with the project’s conditions of consent.
This earlier letter from the Department of Planning includes an approval for an extension of time for a required independent environmental audit.
Authorisation to vary trigger-point for Macquarie Pipeline
The NSW Government has granted an application by Orange City Council under the Water Supply (Critical Needs) Act 2019 for authorisation to temporarily run the Macquarie River to Orange pipeline when there is a reduced flow rate in the river of 38 megalitres a day.
As Orange’s combined storage now exceeds 50 percent, the authorisation under the Water Supply (Critical Needs) Act 2019 to run the Macquarie River to Orange Pipeline at a reduced flow rate of 38 ML/day now expires. Council will now be operating the pipeline as per the permanent project approval (i.e. 108 ML/day river flow rate)
The authorisation letter and conditions can be found here :
The authorisation letter was received by Council on 17 January 2020. Orange City Council first used the lower trigger point on 27 January 2020.
Conditions of Consent ~ Australian Government
The Australian Government’s Conditions of Consent were issued by the Department of Environment and Energy.
Reporting
Annual Review Reports
Under the conditions of approval, Orange City Council is required to submit annual reviews. The latest annual reviews can be downloaded here.
2022 Annual Aquatic Environment Monitoring Program (AEMP) Report
Groundwater Monitoring Program Annual Report 2021-22
Annual Report Orange Raw Water Supply
Annual Report Orange Raw Water Supply System 2021-2022
Below are annual reviews from previous years.
ANNUAL REVIEW 2021
2021 Annual Aquatic Environment Monitoring Program (AEMP) Report
2021 Groundwater Monitoring Program Annual Report
OCC Raw Water Supply Annual Review 2020-21
Appendix A : AEMP Annual Report
Appendix B (1)_Summary of DPI Fisheries Monitoring_2014-2020
Appendix C (1)_Critical Needs Monitoring Interim Report
Appendix B- Annual Hydrology Report_2019_2020
Appendix C_Groundwater Monitoring Program Annual Report
OCC Raw Water Supply System Annual Review 2018-19_Final
Appendix A: AEMP Annual Report
Appendix B: Annual Hydrology Report
Appendix C: Groundwater Monitoring Program Annual Report
Orange Raw Water Supply System Annual Review 2017-18
Orange Raw Water Supply System Annual Review 2017
Annual Aquatic Environmental Monitoring Program Report
The council is also required to submit a report on matters including habitat mapping, fish community sampling and the efficiency of the pump off-take to limit impact on fish and fish eggs. Here is the 2020 Annual Aquatic Environment Monitoring Program Report
Extraction Reports
The Monthly Extraction Report for February 2023 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for February 2023.
The Monthly Extraction Report for January 2023 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for January 2023.
The Monthly Extraction Report for December 2022 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for December 2022.
The Monthly Extraction Report for November 2022 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for November 2022.
The Monthly Extraction Report for October 2022 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for October 2022.
The Monthly Extraction Report for September 2022 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for September 2022.
The Monthly Extraction Report for August 2022 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for August 2022.
The Monthly Extraction Report for July 2022 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for July 2022.
The Monthly Extraction Report for June 2022 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for June 2022.
The Monthly Extraction Report for May 2022 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for May 2022.
The Extraction Report April 2022 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for April 2022.
The Extraction Report March 2022 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for March 2022.
The Extraction Report February 2022 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for February 2022.
The Extraction Report January 2022 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for January 2022.
The Extraction Report December 2021 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for December 2021.
The Extraction Report November 2021 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for November 2021.
The Extraction Report October 2021 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for October 2021.
The Extraction Report September 2021 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for September 2021.
The Extraction Report August 2021 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for August 2021.
The Extraction Report July 2021 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for July 2021.
The Extraction Report June 2021 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for June 2021.
The Extraction Report May 2021 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for May 2021.
The Extraction Report April 2021 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for April 2021.
The Extraction Report March 2021 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for March 2021.
The Extraction Report February 2021 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for February 2021.
The Extraction Report January 2021 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for January 2021.
The Extraction Report December 2020 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for December 2020.
The Extraction Report November 2020 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for November 2020.
The Extraction Report October 2020 shows daily water extractions from Orange City Council’s water supply sources for October 2020.
Stream Gauges
A number of stream gauging stations provide information about the amount of water at key points in local river systems. These include:
- Station 421192 Macquarie River downstream of Long Point (Macquarie Pipeline Pump offtake point)
- Station 421185 Summer Hill Creek at Icely Road
- Station 421197 Summer Hill Creek at Third Crossing bridge
- Station 421051 Blackmans Swamp Creek at the Sewage Treatment Plant
- Station 421186 Ploughmans Creek at North Orange 1 Sewage Pump Station
- Station 421196 Outflow downstream of Suma
Data from these stream gauge sites is managed by WaterNSW and is available online at :
https://realtimedata.waternsw.com.au/
How to find data
To access the info on this page click the left-hand menu item ‘Real Time Data – Rivers And Streams’, then zoom in on the map to the Orange district.
https://realtimedata.waternsw.com.au/
Then, click on the correct station number, to find river heights and flow-rates in the river.
To access this information, find the station number (as above) in the list of stations on the following web page and then read the river height at that location.
Suma Park Dam Environmental Flow Releases (Statement of Approval 80CA722752)
The Suma Park Dam Environmental Flow Release (Station 421196) data is also available here.
