A Minister's plan under s 50 of the Water Management Act 2000 (NSW) is not a secondary or subordinate form of plan-making, and the Minister is not required to establish a management committee under s 12 before exercising the s 50 power. A water management plan that contemplates future rights arising from a series of interconnected executive acts within the Minister's control is not invalid merely because the statutory mechanism for those rights has not yet been proclaimed. The word 'requirements' in s 20(1)(c) means 'entitlements' under access licences, not 'needs' of water users. A uniform pro-rata reduction of groundwater entitlements across an entire area is not irrational merely because interconnectivity within the aquifer is limited, where the Minister has provided ameliorating mechanisms and the approach reflects broader equity considerations.
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