Blooms of blue green algae continue to create problems in water bodies throughout New South Wales. To deal with blue green algal blooms, an integrated approach has been adopted by the State Algal Coordinating Committee which incorporates immediate, short, medium and long term solutions (Anon 1992). These solutions address problems arising from algal blooms as well as dealing with the causes of blooms. One aspect of the management of blooms is contingency planning to ensure adequate monitoring, communication and coordination of activities which are needed when a bloom occurs.

This paper outlines the formation of the Central West Regional Algal Coordinating Committee (RACC) and its coverage. The main focus of the paper is to describe recent blue green algal blooms in the Macquarie and Lachlan Rivers and the management responses coordinated by the RACC. In dealing with these two major blue green algae blooms, a number of long term issues were identified which need to be addressed by a coordinated research effort.