We are inviting the public to provide feedback on our draft recreational area management plans in a consultation that will run until 5pm on Monday, 9 February 2026.
We manage recreational areas at six of our water storages in line with the Water (Recreational Area) Regulations 2023 that came into effect in August 2023.
These regulations replace Southern Rural Water’s Recreational Area by-law and provide for the control, management and use of recreational areas, as well as provide for infringement offences and penalties.
The regulations require us to develop management plans for recreational areas under our jurisdiction.
We would encourage anyone who values the leisure, cultural and environmental qualities of our recreational areas to read our draft plans and provide feedback by completing our survey.
We have published draft recreational area management plans for Blue Rock Lake, Lake Glenmaggie, Pykes Creek Reservoir, Cowwarr Weir, Melton Reservoir and Merrimu Reservoir.
These draft recreational area management plans are designed to support the sustainable use and protection of water resources at a water storage used for recreation.
Public feedback collected during this phase of consultation will help us better understand visitor priorities, recreational needs and users’ future aspirations – helping us to refine our plans.
We will publish our final recreational area management plans early next year after receiving the community’s feedback.
To read our draft plans and complete our survey, please visit our Recreational Area Management Plan consultation page.