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 that seasonal determinations remain unchanged.

Seasonal determinations in the Murray, Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon systems stay at 100 per cent of high-reliability water shares (HRWS). The Broken and Bullarook systems remain at 100 per cent HRWS and 100 per cent of low-reliability water shares (LRWS).

"Inflows to the storages across northern Victoria remain very low," Dr Bailey said.

"There is now effectively no chance of announcing seasonal determinations against low-reliability water shares in the Murray, Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon systems this season.

"These systems have good reserves for the 2015/16 season despite the very dry conditions that occurred through much of the 2014/15 season. This means each of these systems will receive an opening seasonal determination on July 1, 2015."

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.

The spill risk limit allows more than 200 GL of trade. Therefore, the net annual volume of 200 GL will apply for the remaining months of the 2014/15 season unless advised otherwise.

The volume owed to the Murray system from the Goulburn system's inter-valley trade account is currently about 70 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. Further trading opportunities will be created when water is called out by the River Operator. Customers participating in the water trading market are reminded that allocation trading from the Broken system to other systems is only permitted from July 1 to March 31.

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 (MDBA) will regularly review the ability to trade across the Barmah Choke and may lift the restriction at any time during the season if possible. Trading opportunities across the Barmah Choke can be monitored on the MDBA website www.mdba.gov.au/river-data/barmah-choke.

Upcoming Resource Manager Announcements

The final seasonal determination and trading opportunity announcement will be issued on Wednesday, April 1, 2015.

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