All Systems Receive Seasonal Determination Increases

The Resource Manager for northern Victoria today announced an increase in 2016/17 seasonal determinations in all systems.

The Murray system increases by 16 per cent to 51 per cent high-reliability water shares (HRWS) and the Goulburn system increases by 7 per cent to 46 per cent HRWS.

The Campaspe system moves from 21 per cent to 48 per cent and the Loddon system moves from 10 per cent to 25 per cent HRWS.

The Broken system increases from 20 per cent to 54 per cent HRWS and the Bullarook system increases from 16 per cent to 100 per cent HRWS and 100 per cent low-reliability water shares (LRWS).

Resource Manager Mark Bailey said the regular fronts bringing rainfall continued to increase water resource availability across northern Victoria.

“There have been good flows into the major storages since the last update of seasonal determinations, particularly in the Broken and Bullarook systems,” Dr Bailey said.

“With the seasonal determinations rising above 44 per cent in the Murray system, the early season reserve for 2017/18 is fully established. The early season reserve in the Goulburn system will be fully established when the seasonal determination is 50 per cent.” Dr Bailey said.

Trading Opportunities

Allocation trade from New South Wales to Victoria is limited to the lesser of a net annual volume of 200 GL or a volume that keeps the risk of spill in the Murray system below 50 per cent. As the risk of spill in the Murray system is above 50 per cent, trade from New South Wales to Victoria is limited to the volume traded from Victoria to New South Wales since August 1, 2016.

Trading opportunities from New South Wales to Victoria are next updated on September 12, 2016.

The Goulburn system’s inter-valley trade (IVT) account now owes about 135 GL to the Murray system. The Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon systems can trade to the Victorian Murray system, New South Wales and South Australia while the total volume owed to the Murray system is less than 200 GL.

The Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon systems can trade from the Victorian Murray system, New South Wales and South Australia while the total volume owed to the Murray system is greater than zero.

Customers participating in the water trading market can monitor trade availability on the Water Register website.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has announced that trading of water allocations from above the Barmah Choke to downstream of the Barmah Choke is restricted to protect the delivery of downstream water entitlements. Customers can monitor trading opportunities across the Barmah Choke on the MDBA website. Trade from upstream of the Barmah Choke to downstream is restricted to backtrade, which is the volume of allocation trade from downstream of the Barmah Choke to upstream.

Upcoming Resource Manager Announcements

• The next 2016/17 seasonal determination announcement will be released on Thursday September 1, 2016.
• The next risk of spill update for the Murray and Campaspe systems will be released on Monday September 12, 2016.