On the eve of the house rising for the last time before the
election, Government released the highly anticipated new national
direction on freshwater management - a new National Policy
Statement for Freshwater Management (NPSFM 2020),
new National Environmental Standards for Freshwater
(NESFW), new stock exclusion regulations, and
amendments to the regulations for the measurement and reporting of
water takes.
Set out below is a brief summary of each of these documents,
highlighting some of their more interesting or impactful aspects.
NPSFM 2020
The NPSFM 2020 applies to all freshwater (including groundwater)
and, to the extent they are affected by freshwater, receiving
environments such as estuaries and the coastal marine area.
It comes into force on 3 September 2020 and replaces the NPSFM 2014
(amended 2017).
