From January 16 a three-month Section 8 fishing closure under the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (FMA) is in place in the Central Tablelands Region, in sections of the Winburndale Rivulet and its upstream tributaries, including Winburndale Dam.

During the closure, fishing by any method is prohibited, in the following waters located to the northeast of Bathurst, specifically:

Winburndale Dam, sections of Winburndale Rivulet and its tributaries (the Gulf Stream, Mitchells Creek, Lagoon Creek, McCanns Gully, Kirkconnell Creek, Bull Gully, Scotts Creek, Bobs Creek, Tindales Flat Creek, Roundbody Gully and Black Spring Gully), and the section of the Winburndale Rivulet from the Winburndale Dam wall at 33.38972222°S 149.77694444°E to 800 metres downstream from that dam wall at 33.38916667°S 149.76833333°E.