Murray and Goulburn Allocations Increase

Announcement Date: 16 Nov 2009
Next Announcement Due: 1 Dec 2009

Determination Data

Seasonal determinations for northern Victoria regulated river systems.

  High Reliability Water Share Change to High Reliability Water Share Comments
Murray 55% +2% -
Broken % % -
Goulburn 41% +1% -
Campaspe % % -
Loddon % % -
Bullarook Creek % % -

Further Information

Goulburn-Murray Water (G‑MW), the resource manager for northern Victorian water systems, announced increased allocations for the Murray and Goulburn systems today. The allocations in the Broken, Campaspe, Loddon and Bullarook systems remained unchanged at zero.

The Murray system allocation is 55% of high-reliability water shares (HRWS), which is an increase of 2%. The seasonal allocation in the Goulburn system is 41% HRWS, which is an increase of 1%.

"The lack of rain and the very high temperatures of recent days have combined to reduce inflows across northern Victoria," said G-MW's Resource Manager, Graeme Hannan. "The inflows occurring in the Murray and Goulburn systems were enough to produce the increases announced today. However, there hasn't been enough inflow in the Broken, Campaspe, Loddon and Bullarook systems to remove the shortfalls to allocation."

Updated outlooks for Murray and Goulburn system allocations are presented in the tables below. The improved inflow conditions and associated allocation rises during October have increased the outlooks for all scenarios in the Murray system, and improved the likely Goulburn allocation under the ‘Dry' scenario.

The Broken, Campaspe, Loddon and Bullarook systems are unlikely to receive any allocations this season, even under ‘Wet' conditions.

The outlooks 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

Murray System

Inflow Conditions

15 December 2009

15 February 2010

Wet

82%

88%

Average

70%

77%

Dry

59%

62%

 

Goulburn System

Inflow Conditions

15 December 2009

15 February 2010

Wet

57%

71%

Average

51%

59%

Dry

44%

49%

 

This is the last outlook update for the 2009/10 irrigation season. With the winter/spring period complete and low inflows occurring at the start of the summer months, future allocation increases due to inflows are likely to be minor.

The next allocation announcement will be issued on Tuesday 1 December 2009.

 

- ENDS -

Media Contact:       Graeme Hannan

Position:                   Executive Manager Water Resources

Telephone:               (03) 5833 5498