First Goulburn Allocation and an Increase for the Murray

Determination Data

Seasonal determinations for northern Victoria regulated river systems.

Further Information

Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW), the Resource Manager for northern Victorian water systems, today announced the Goulburn system would receive an allocation of 7% of high-reliability water shares (HRWS) and the Murray system allocation would increase by 11% HRWS to be 13% HRWS. The Broken, Campaspe, Loddon and Bullarook systems remain without an allocation in 2009/10.

At the same time last year, the Murray system had an allocation of 6% HRWS, the Goulburn system had a 4% HRWS allocation and allocations were zero in all other systems.

G-MW's Resource Manager, Graeme Hannan, said the timing of the first allocation for the Goulburn system was consistent with last season. "Inflows to the Goulburn system since the start of September have exceeded forecasts and are sufficient to begin allocations this season. It should be noted that the allocation includes water that will be accessed by pumping from Waranga Basin again this season," said Mr Hannan. "The improvements in the Murray system have come from the continuing inflows after the most recent rain event in late August."

Both the Goulburn and Murray distribution systems will operate continuously throughout the season, although water conservation measures will remain in place because of the dry conditions.

"The water currently available in the smaller northern Victorian systems is not sufficient to assure that continuous operations are possible," said Mr Hannan. "Whilst there has been some minor improvement in the volumes in each of the Broken, Campaspe, Loddon and Bullarook system storages, significant shortfalls to meeting the operating commitments remain. The low September inflows and strong possibility that there will not be enough improvement means that it is increasingly likely that these systems are facing another season without any water allocation."

The Murray and Goulburn outlooks, which are based on observed inflows in seasons following dry winter inflows to recognise reduced runoff from dry catchments, use the following terminology:

            ‘Wet'               - Inflow volumes that have 1 chance in 10 of being exceeded

            ‘Average'         - Inflow volumes that have 5 chances in 10 of being exceeded

            ‘Dry'                - Inflow volumes that have 9 chances in 10 of being exceeded

The scenario described as the average inflows conditions will require an improvement in inflows, particularly from now to late October, to volumes higher than observed at this time of the year since 2005.

Murray System

Goulburn System (Note: Allocations include the Benefit of Pumping from Waranga Basin)