The Metropolitan Water Directorate considered the region’s water consumption and climate models to develop the Lower Hunter Water Plan in consultation with Hunter Water.

Stronger restrictions could be enforced during drought.

“The plan sets out a range of responses to a severe or prolonged drought, and considers the impact on regional water supply over the next two decades from a forecast 20 per cent increase in the local population,” Minister for Finance and Services Andrew Constance said yesterday as he launched the plan at the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens.

“Thousands of different scenarios were modelled for the plan, including droughts worse than experienced in the last hundred years.”

The average Hunter household uses 175,000 litres of water each year with 24 per cent of that used outdoors.

Water Wise Rules for the Lower Hunter would mean all hand-held hoses must have a trigger nozzle. 

Watering with a sprinkler, irrigation system or trigger nozzle hose would be permitted before 10am or after 4pm, to avoid the heat of the day. 

Residents would risk a $220 fine if they hosed hard surfaces such as paths and driveways. 

“The Lower Hunter Water Plan has identified cost-effective ways of making better use of existing water resources, rather than building an expensive dam, as proposed in the past,” Mr Constance said. 

“Unlike Labor, the NSW Liberals and Nationals have specifically ruled out building Tillegra Dam.”