The LMWUA was originally formed in July 2008, as a collaborative Mandatory Alliance of six Councils in the Lower Macquarie River Valley (the Macquarie River downstream of Burrendong Dam).
The Councils [Dubbo City, Bogan, Cobar, Narromine, Warren, and Wellington Shires] agreed, at a Workshop held in Nyngan in February 2008, to form such an Alliance (in response to the Water Inquiry being conducted in NSW); as a means of cooperatively developing resource sharing opportunities, implementing best practice water management for their communities and ensuring that the shortcomings identified by the NSW Water Inquiry were proactively investigated and, if necessary, addressed
Subsequently, in May 2009, Bourke Shire Council and Brewarrina Shire Council were admitted as member Councils. In October 2014 the LMWUA Board resolved to accept four new alliance members, Warrambungles, Gilgandra, Coonamble and Walgett Shire Council's.
The objectives of the Lower Macquarie Water Utilities Alliance (LMWUA) are:
(a) Resource and staff skill sharing;
(b) Water resource sharing opportunities;
(c) Peer review of performance and mentoring where appropriate;
(d) Development of shared best practice strategies;
(e) Funding of best practice strategies and goals.
