Welcome!
Hunter Valley Water Users Association represents over four hundred water users who access groundwater, regulated and unregulated water sources across the Greater Hunter region.
Our mission is to ensure the future of water use and industry in the Greater Hunter region by supporting the sustainable and productive use of water resources.
We do this by advocating for:
Secure, protected and enhanced water rights for water users;
Best practice water policy; and
Industry profitability and sustainability for our region.
HVWUA has a volunteer committee of eight members, employ a policy officer one day a week, and are members of the NSW Irrigators’ Council (NSWIC).
Our Work
HVWUA works throughout the year to raise emerging issues with water agencies (DCCEEW NSW, WaterNSW and NRAR), participate in community and industry forums, and provide submissions to water agency consultation processes.
We provide our members with resources to stay informed about water policy, and opportunities to share their concerns with water agency decision makers.
Read our Quarterly Newsletters here.
Read our Media Releases here.
Our Achievements
Since 2022, HVWUA has advocated for changes to impractical and expensive non-urban metering rules and requirements. In March 2025, the NSW government adopted many of our recommendations, including:
extension of coastal metering compliance date to 1 December 2026 or later;
a low-risk water user exemption;
less costly metering requirements for lower volume water users;
continuation of size-based metering thresholds for those already compliant;
a pathway to nominate inactive works; and,
A coastal education road show to kick off mid-2025.
These rules changes will give the NSW Government with time to resolve the broad range of continuing barriers to compliance that remain beyond the control of water users.
Other impacts of our advocacy efforts include:
Creation of a Hunter-Paterson Environmental Water Advisory Group.
Improvement of proposed annual water determination (AWD) rules in Hunter Tidal Pool water sources WSP
Improvement of cease-to-pump triggers in Hunter Regulated River WSP.
Representation of water entitlement holder rights during consultation for water pricing proposals, metering and infrastructure projects.
Improved communication with local MPs, the NSW Minister for Water and NSW Shadow Minister for Water
New South Wales Irrigators’ Council
HVWUA is a member of the New South Wales Irrigators’ Council. Your membership with HVWUA helps this partnership to continue.
Please consider becoming a member of HVWUA and paying the NSWIC annual levy so that we can keep our voice strong to government.
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