The rules governing Tamworth's water allocations have been signed off by the state government without change, despite lobbying from Tamworth Regional Council for a guarantee of additional water security.
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They will now go to the Commonwealth and the Murray Darling Basin Authority for signoff before the end of 2020.
Tamworth council had long lobbied for changes to the Peel and Namoi Valley Water Sharing Plans before they came into effect.
In a statement a spokesperson for Minister for Water Melinda Pavey said the new rules would come into force by the end of 2020.
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And the Minister said not to expect too much change before then, saying the department would carry out consultation "if" there are any proposed amendments to the water sharing plan.
"The department will carry out consultation if there are proposed amendments to the water sharing plan," they said.
Tamworth's Council repeatedly lobbied for the state government to hold back sign-off on a new plan until after the region's worst-ever drought had come to an end.
Ordinarily water plans last as long as a decade.
TRC also demanded changes to rules that would mean more water kept back in Chaffey Dam after the city came within months of running out of water last year.
Asked if the minister was inclined to make changes to improve water security asked for by Tamworth Regional council, the spokesperson pointed to the Chaffey Dam pipeline project and the new dam at Dungowan.
"The $37-million pipeline is now complete, bringing immediate savings in transmission losses for the city's water supply from Chaffey Dam," they said.
"The government has also allocated funding and fast-tracked the construction of a new dam at Dungowan, with works set to commence by October.
"The Regional Water Strategy for the Namoi will also provide potential solutions for further improving water security for Tamworth."
But government was tied to a June 30 deadline by the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
