Barron water management protocol amendment finalisation 2026

The endorsed summary impact analysis statement (PDF, 125KB) (IAS) was issued on 31 March 2026. It relates to the Barron water management protocol amendment to unlock water in the Walsh catchment within the Barron water plan area.

Proposal type

Regulatory proposals where no regulatory impact analysis (RIA) is required. Minor and machinery in nature.

Details

The Water Plan (Barron) 2023 (the water plan) is subordinate legislation to the Water Act 2000 (the Act). The Barron water management protocol (the protocol) is an implementation document prepared under the Act and the water plan. It provides operational detail for the sustainable management of water resources in the Barron water plan area, including parts of the Atherton Tablelands region, as well as the upper reaches of the Walsh and Mitchell Rivers.

As provided for under section 69 of the Water Act 2000 (the Act) the Chief Executive may amend or replace a protocol at any time. The amendment must be consistent with the water plan outcomes, achieve the objectives stated in the plan, and be developed with adequate consultation with persons affected by the protocol.

A key recommendation of the Unlocking Water in the Barron Water Plan Area Report (Unlocking Water Report) is to amend the protocol to support agricultural demand for water in the upper Walsh River catchment. The amendments to the protocol include:

• Specifying 17,000ML of existing unallocated water reserves to be available for release for general (any) purpose in all upper Walsh River subcatchments.
• Establishing access rules for water harvesting in the Upper Walsh catchment. These rules implement an existing requirement under the protocol for a flow condition to be included for licences granted from the unallocated water reserve.
• Other changes to correct minor errors and inconsistency.

The amendments are considered a routine update with no substantive regulatory or policy impact for the following reasons:

• The Water Regulation 2016 defines the process for releasing general purpose unallocated water. The water management protocol cannot alter this process. The proposed amendment is an administrative step to specify a volume and location, allowing the Chief Executive to carry out the release under the existing process.
• The proposed water sharing rules streamline regulatory processes by shifting the existing requirement to state flow conditions from individual licences to the protocol. This change maintains the same implementation process for water users while reducing administrative burden and improving clarity.
• Additional measurement and reporting obligations are negligible relative to the benefits of accessing additional water and ensuring accurate water accounting.
• These changes will only apply to new water licences granted from unallocated water reserves and will not impact existing water users.

Consultation has been undertaken with relevant stakeholders, including water entitlement holders.

Based on this assessment, amending the protocol does not increase costs or the regulatory burden on businesses or the community and is not subject to regulatory impact analysis under the Queensland Government Better Regulation Policy (2023) (PDF). This proposal is machinery and minor in nature as the amendment does not result in a substantive change to regulatory policy or new impacts on business, government or the community.