Rural floodplain management plans set the rules for flood work development on floodplains. The rules include what type of flood works can be constructed and where. The rules make sure that flood works are managed to protect life and property, and that flood water gets to ecosystems and cultural assets that rely on flooding to survive.

The Improving Floodplain Connections (IFC) program was established to address the scale of unapproved flood works in the northern Murray Darling–Basin and bring them into compliance with floodplain management plans. Unapproved flood works can impact how water flows across the landscape and have unintended results for both the owner of the flood work and their neighbours. The altered flow can cause erosion or permanently change watercourses. Works may damage a neighbouring property or cut off essential water to others. They may also harm the environment, flood new areas, kill vegetation, or block water from reaching plants or habitats that need flood water.

NRAR’s IFC team carried out 205 works inspections at 113 properties to locate and assess unapproved flood works identified by the Water Group in the NSW Department of Climate Change, the Environment, Energy and Water.

The IFC team prepared a site visit report recording the nature and extent of the illegal works, and their precise location. This report was given to the Water Group to assess in accordance with the relevant floodplain management plan's rules. In some cases, the completion of the assessment involved obtaining licenses to meet compliance requirements. In others, the landholder was told to remove the work.

Where flood works needed to be removed, NRAR worked with landholders to understand the impact of the works on their operations. They also looked at how removing the work could affect the site's use.

Once all facts were considered, the team wrote a report for the determining authority, who directed the landholder to remove the work.