The Commonwealth has allocated 10.8 billion litres of water to 13 sites in New South Wales, including wetlands in the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Macquarie valleys.
The water will help support River Red Gums and other wetland vegetation which provides habitat for wildlife, including water bird and frog breeding during spring.
The water is part of the Commonwealth’s environmental water holdings purchased through the Government’s water buyback program for the Murray-Darling Basin. This allocation brings the total Commonwealth water allocated to date to the environment to 26.7 billion litres.
"We have taken over Basin-wide planning and will put a new, lower, scientifically-based limit on water use in the Basin for the first time ever," Federal Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, says.
NSW Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, John Robertson, says the water would complement the almost 50 billon litres of environmental water provided to Murray, Murrumbidgee and Macquarie Marshes wetlands in recent months.
Sites selected for watering include Toupna Creek in Millewa State Forest, which provides habitat for the Southern Pygmy Perch and Werai State Forest.
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