Performance of the Hunter River Salinity Trading Scheme
The Scheme has proved tremendously successful and is widely supported by the community that contributed to its creation.
We administer the scheme with guidance from an operations committee with representatives of the community, industry and the government. The scheme uses a market-based instrument to successfully address a serious environmental problem.
Summary: 2023–24
Salinity stayed within guidelines during periods of industry discharge to the Hunter River in the 2023–24 financial year.
Background salinity was at prolonged high levels, before declining in the March–June 2024 period.
Drier weather may have led to less need for discharges, with Scheme participants using a lower percentage of discharge opportunities than in previous years.
With the exception of Hunter Valley Operations, participants managed their onsite water within the regulatory framework, only discharging during available opportunities.
The EPA acknowledges the inherent challenges for industry regarding saline water management and will be performing a review of the Hunter River Salinity Trading Scheme Regulation in 2026. The review will include an investigation of the Scheme’s operations under extreme weather events to ensure effective on-going management of salinity in the Hunter River, and will include reviewing the river sector (upper, middle, lower) salinity target levels.
2023–24 scheme performance report
Previous performance reports
Each year we assess and report on the performance of the scheme.
- 2022–23 scheme performance report
- 2021–22 scheme performance report
- 2020–21 scheme performance report (PDF 722KB)
- 2019–20 scheme performance report (PDF 469KB)
- 2018–19 scheme performance report (PDF 308KB)
Longer-term scheme performance
While the scheme operates to manage salinity levels in the river as a result of industry discharge, occasional exceedances still occur, caused by diffuse sources of saline runoff. New mines can readily be granted discharge licences, with significant economic and employment benefits for the valley.
However, since the scheme started, river salinity has more consistently been below the salinity target.
These improvements have occurred since higher average rainfall has occurred after the scheme began, granting scheme participants more discharge opportunities and maintaining salinity targets.
The graph below shows that in previous dry spells (in the early 1980s and 1990s) average salinity levels were very high. These have not been repeated during the time since the scheme commenced.
Contact us
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 131 555