Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024C00760:front:0:p76
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024C00760
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 210584–213905

asset or water‑dependent ecosystem that supports a function; and
            (f) the existence of management plans relating to broader natural resource management matters; and
            (g) the effect on an asset or water‑dependent ecosystem that supports a function if environmental water is not applied.

8.57 Principle 5—Likely effectiveness and related matters
Priorities for applying environmental water are to be determined having regard to matters relating to the likely effectiveness of applying environmental water, including:
            (a) limitations on the effectiveness of environmental water; and
            (b) cost effectiveness; and
            (c) the opportunity to take advantage of consumptive water flows (including flows in unregulated systems and releases of water from storage) to realise multiple benefits; and
Example: The ability to use environmental water in concert with stock and domestic releases, or other releases for consumptive use.
            (d) the quantity of water and other resources needed to achieve the objectives in Part 2 relative to other options for applying that environmental water in order to meet those objectives; and
            (e) the extent and effectiveness of integration with other related natural resource management plans; and
            (f) optimising economic, social and environmental outcomes.

8.58 Principle 6—Risks and related matters
Priorities for applying environmental water are to be determined having regard to matters relating to risk including:
            (a) potential risks, including downstream risks, that may result from the application of environmental water (for example, flooding private land with water released from a storage without prior agreement, fish kills or salinity impacts) and measures that may be taken to minimise the risks; and
            (b) ecological opportunity costs of using water for a particular environmental outcome instead of another environmental outcome; and
Example: This involves the identification of water‑dependent ecosystems that will not receive water as a result of a particular watering decision.
            (c) impediments to the delivery of water to priority environmental assets and priority ecosystem functions, including risks of extraction of that water for other uses.

8.59 Principle 7—Robust and transparent decisions
Priorities for applying environmental water are to be determined using robust, transparent and documented decision‑making processes.

        Division 2—Method to be used to determine priorities

8.60 How to determine priorities for applying environmental water
(1) This section sets out the method to be used to determine priorities for applying environmental water.
(2) The method to determine priorities for applying environmental water is to:
            (a) determine the resource availability scenario; and
            (b) determine the management outcomes that apply to the resource availability scenario; and
            (c) consistent with the management outcomes that apply to the resource availability scenario, determine the provisional priorities for applying environmental water by applying the principles set out in Division 1 to priority environmental assets and priority ecosystem functions; and
            (d) refine those priorities based on