The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water
The Hon Rose Jackson MLC, Minister for Water
More than 2,500 groundwater and surface water sites across the Murray-Darling Basin in New South Wales will receive state-of-the-art telemetry devices and installation, boosting water monitoring and management, easing costs for users, and helping the state fast-track its metering reforms.
Telemetry supports sustainable water use by sending real-time data to water management agencies, helping to ensure licensed water taken from inland regional water sources is extracted fairly, equitably and according to the rules.
A significant investment of $10.5 million from the Albanese Government will see these devices fully funded and installed in eligible sites in NSW over the next two and a half years.
Accurate monitoring is crucial for water resource planning and compliance, and the use of telemetry reduces the need for licence holders to report manually, saving them time and money.
Eligible sites include those extracting from groundwater sources in the Murray-Darling Basin with an annual entitlement of 100 megalitres (ML) or greater. Sites drawing from surface water systems within the Basin may also be considered as a secondary priority.
The NSW Government is now calling on telemetry equipment suppliers and installers to attend an online tender briefing on 12 February 2025 and to participate in a request for tender via the e-tendering website: NSW Telemetry Uplift Program – buy.nsw
Contracts are expected to be awarded and installations to begin in the first half of 2025.
