Allocation Updates for Northern Victorian Water Systems

Announcement Date: 15 Dec 2008
Next Announcement Due: 2 Jan 2009

Determination Data

Seasonal determinations for northern Victoria regulated river systems.

  High Reliability Water Share Change to High Reliability Water Share Comments
Murray 28% +4% -
Broken 0% % -
Goulburn 23% +2% -
Campaspe 0% % -
Loddon 0% % -
Bullarook Creek 0% % -

Further Information

Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW), acting in its role as the Resource Manager for the northern Victorian water systems, today increased the seasonal allocations in the Murray and Goulburn systems. Allocations in all other northern Victorian water systems remained unchanged at zero.

The seasonal allocation in the Murray system was increased by 4% to be 28% of high-reliability water shares (HRWS). The Goulburn system seasonal allocation increased by 2% to be 23% HRWS.

G-MW Managing Director David Stewart said the improvements in the Murray and Goulburn systems had come from continued modest inflows generated by rainfall during November. "The catchments are still producing small inflows. The rates are low, but have been helped by the relatively mild weather of recent weeks," he said.

"The weather and operating conditions during November and the first weeks of December were better than ‘worst case', and provided additional allocation which was welcomed by everyone," said Mr Stewart. "The good rainfall event from Friday 12 December is likely to assist further increases on 2 January 2009 as the inflows reach the storages over the next few days. However, the worst case scenario must remain the basis for resource planning because the past three seasons have demonstrated how quickly conditions can change. There would be no improvements to allocation if the worst case prevails, but we must remember that last season allocations did rise after January."