Water infrastructure upgrades for NSW Government’s SDLAM Acceleration Program
AWMA has been engaged to design, manufacture and supply the water control infrastructure for the NSW Government’s Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) Acceleration Program.
Funded by the Australian Government, upgrades are currently underway at more than 30 sites across the Murray and Murrumbidgee regions, replacing ageing regulator and fishway infrastructure with modern, automated systems to improve water management, environmental outcomes and long-term asset reliability.
As part of the works, AWMA is delivering 51 custom-engineered designs and manufacturing 115 water control gates for regulator structures and vertical-slot fishways. The new infrastructure is designed to improve the management of environmental water deliveries while supporting fish passage, wetland connectivity and the efficient operation of river and floodplain systems.
AWMA’s scope includes the design, manufacture and supply of water control gates for both isolation and flow regulation applications, for apertures up to 2.5 metres wide and 3 metres high. Each structure is purpose-engineered to suit the specific hydraulic and operational requirements of the site, ensuring long-term performance in freshwater conditions.
Products being supplied include:
- LayFlat Gates
- ULF Penstocks
- Sidewinder Gates
- Multi-Leaf Gates
- Segmented Stopboards
- Bulkheads
- Vertical slot fishway gates
- Specialised lifting devices
- Storage racks
- Control and automation systems.
These solutions provide operators with greater flexibility to manage water levels and flows while reducing manual intervention and improving workplace safety.
The upgraded regulator infrastructure will play a critical role in delivering environmental water to wetlands, floodplains and river systems under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Automated operation allows for more responsive water management, enabling environmental flows to be delivered with greater precision and efficiency.
By improving the ability to regulate water movement across key environmental assets, the infrastructure supports healthier ecosystems, enhanced wetland inundation, improved habitat and better connectivity for native fish species.
A key component of the SDLAM Acceleration Program is the provision of infrastructure to facilitate improved fish movement. Improved fish passage supports fish migration, breeding and access to habitat, contributing to the long-term ecological health of river systems. AWMA’s specialised gate systems are being integrated into vertical-slot fishways to help native fish move more freely through waterways and around existing regulator structures.
Once commissioned, the new infrastructure will provide a modern, reliable and efficient water management network capable of supporting environmental water objectives while also delivering operational benefits for landholders, irrigators and local communities.
The project highlights AWMA’s expertise in the design and manufacture of engineered water control solutions and its ongoing commitment to supporting sustainable water management across Australia.
Through innovative design, robust manufacturing and site-specific engineering, AWMA is helping deliver critical infrastructure that will benefit waterways, wetlands and communities for generations to come.
