Seasonal determination update for 2014/15

Determination Data

Seasonal determinations for northern Victoria regulated river systems.

Further Information

Resource Manager for northern Victoria Mark Bailey today announced an increased seasonal determination for the Broken system.

The seasonal determination in the Broken system will increase by 55 per cent low-reliability water shares (LRWS) to 95 per cent LRWS. The seasonal determination of high reliability water shares (HRWS) in the Broken system stays at 100 per cent.

Seasonal determinations in the Murray, Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon systems stay at 100 per cent HRWS. The Bullarook system remains at 100 per cent HRWS and 100 per cent LRWS.

"The seasonal determination improvement announced today for the Broken system is due to continuing, but low, inflows that are contributing to system demands and river operating requirements," Dr Bailey said.

"The outlooks for seasonal determinations against low-reliability water shares for the Murray and Goulburn systems have been updated. A decline in possible seasonal determinations across the outlook scenarios reflects that September and October inflows were less than half of the long-term average. Low-reliability seasonal determinations in the Murray and Goulburn systems will only be available this season if conditions turn wet."

Trading opportunities

Allocation trade from New South Wales (NSW) to Victoria is limited to the lesser of a net annual volume of 200 GL or the volume that keeps the risk of spill in the Murray system below 50 per cent.

With the risk of spill in the Victorian Murray system greater than 50 per cent, trade from NSW into Victoria is limited to the volume of trade out of Victoria to NSW. The availability of trade from NSW into the Victorian Murray system will be recalculated on December 10 and the 10th day (or following business day) of each month thereafter.

The volume owed to the Murray system from the Goulburn system's inter-valley trade account is currently about 200 GL. Trade from the Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon systems to the Victorian Murray, or to NSW and South Australia, is allowed while the total volume owed to the Murray is less than 200 GL.

The volume in the Broken system's inter-valley trade account is currently about 1,500 ML. Trade from the Broken system is allowed when the balance of this account is less than 1,500 ML.

Customers participating in the water trading market can monitor trade availability on the Water Register website waterregister.vic.gov.au/water-trading/allocation-trading.

Customers participating in the water trading market are advised the trading of water allocations from above the Barmah Choke to downstream of the choke is restricted to protect the delivery of downstream water entitlements. Trade to entitlement holders downstream of the choke can only occur if there has been trade to entitlement holders upstream of the choke. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority will regularly review the ability to trade across the Barmah Choke and may lift the restriction at any time during the season if possible.

Upcoming Resource Manager announcements

An updated probability of spill assessment for the Murray system will be announced on Wednesday, December 10. The next seasonal determination announcement will be issued on Monday, December 15, 2014 and on the 15th (or next business day) of each month thereafter.

For further information go to www.nvrm.net.au, waterregister.vic.gov.au, www.mdba.gov.au and
www.g-mwater.com.au