Reliable Surface Water in NSW available on SEED

We’re pleased to share the Reliable Surface Water in NSW dataset, available on the SEED Open Data Portal.

This dataset helps identify areas across New South Wales with access to a reliable surface water supply, making important spatial information more accessible to government, industry, researchers and the community. The mapping was developed using regulated and unregulated rivers and creeks to identify land with reliable surface water access.

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We’re pleased to share the Reliable Surface Water in NSW dataset, available on the SEED Open Data Portal.

This dataset helps identify areas across New South Wales with access to a reliable surface water supply, making important spatial information more accessible to government, industry, researchers and the community. The mapping was developed using regulated and unregulated rivers and creeks to identify land with reliable surface water access.

Reliable surface water mapping, together with reliable rainfall and highly productive groundwater data, can support assessments of land with access to a reliable water supply. This contributes to regional and site-level assessment of Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land (BSAL) and may support planning and development assessment processes in NSW.

This is another example of how open data can improve transparency, support evidence-based planning, and enable broader reuse of trusted government information.

Access and supporting information

The dataset is available on SEED and includes supporting documentation and spatial services to help users explore and use the data effectively.

Access the dataset:
https://datasets.seed.nsw.gov.au/dataset/reliable-surface-water-sw-in-nsw

Get involved

We invite you to contribute to this forum!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on how these resources could support your work or research. Click Reply below to share your feedback, comments, and questions, and help shape better water management strategies for NSW by engaging with this SEED forum and dataset.

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Reliable Surface Water in NSW

Overview

The Reliable Surface Water in NSW dataset was created by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water – Water Group in 2013 to identify areas in NSW with a reliable surface water supply. Land with reliable surface water was defined as areas: * buffered by 150 metres from all regulated rivers and creeks * buffered by 150 metres from unregulated rivers and creeks with a 5th stream order or higher * buffered by 150 metres from 3rd and 4th stream order unregulated rivers and creeks Reliable surface water mapping along with two other datasets (reliable rainfall of...
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The Reliable Surface Water in NSW dataset was created by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water – Water Group in 2013 to identify areas in NSW with a reliable surface water supply. Land with reliable surface water was defined as areas: * buffered by 150 metres from all regulated rivers and creeks * buffered by 150 metres from unregulated rivers and creeks with a 5th stream order or higher * buffered by 150 metres from 3rd and 4th stream order unregulated rivers and creeks Reliable surface water mapping along with two other datasets (reliable rainfall of 350mm or more per annum for 9 out of 10 years, and highly productive groundwater) are used to identify land with access to a reliable water supply, forming part of the regional and site level assessment classification of Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land (BSAL) at regional and site levels. Under the Mining SEPP, all State Significant Development applications require a Site Verification Certificate to determine if their site contains any BSAL and therefore require further assessment from the Mining and Petroleum Gateway Panel. ----------------------------------- Note: If you would like to ask a question, make any suggestions, or tell us how you are using this dataset, please visit the [NSW Water Hub which has an online forum](https://water-hub.seed.nsw.gov.au/thread/search) you can join.
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23 Apr 2026
Reliable Surface Water in NSW
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