Introduction
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) updated the Water (Recreational Area) Regulations 2023. The regulations provide for the control, management and use of recreational areas and provide for infringement offences and penalties. These infringement penalties were not available in the superseded Model By-Law: Recreational Areas 2012.
The regulations came into operation in August 2023, replacing Southern Rural Water’s Recreational Area By-Law.
A key feature of the regulations is the requirement for water corporations to develop management plans for recreational areas under their jurisdiction.
We’ve developed draft Recreational Area Management Plans for six of our water storages and we want your feedback on them.
Have your say
We would encourage anyone who values the recreational, cultural and environmental qualities of these storages to read the draft plans below and provide feedback by completing our survey.
- Lake Glenmaggie draft Recreational Area Management Plan
- Blue Rock Lake draft Recreational Area Management Plan
- Cowwarr Weir draft Recreational Area Management Plan
- Pykes Creek Reservoir draft Recreational Area Management Plan
- Melton Reservoir draft Recreational Area Management Plan
- Merrimu Reservoir draft Recreational Area Management Plan
Let us know your feedback on our draft Recreational Area Management Plans
Our consultation will run between 3 November 2025 and 5pm 9 February 2026.
More information
A Recreational Area Management Plan is a comprehensive document designed to manage and support the sustainable use and protection of water resources at a water storage used for recreation.
We engaged with government agencies and Traditional Owners in the first half of 2025 to help inform our draft recreational area management plans. We will use community feedback collected during this phase of consultation to understand visitor priorities, recreational needs, facilities requirements and your future aspirations for our recreational areas. This will help us further refine our plans.
Our recreational area management plans are intended to be a living documents, to be reviewed and updated when appropriate based on the monitoring of recreational activities and in consultation with key stakeholders.