The Resource Manager for northern Victoria today announced increases to 2016/17 seasonal determinations in the Goulburn, Loddon, Campaspe and Broken systems.
The Goulburn and Loddon systems increase by 14 per cent to 100 per cent of high-reliability water shares (HRWS).
The low-reliability water share (LRWS) seasonal determination in the Campaspe system increases from 43 per cent to 100 per cent. The LRWS seasonal determination in the Broken system increases from 52 per cent to 61 per cent.
The Murray system remains unchanged at 100 per cent HRWS and the Bullarook system remains unchanged at 100 per cent HRWS and 100 per cent LRWS.
Resource Manager Mark Bailey said rainfall continued to increase water resource availability across northern Victoria.
“Heavy rainfall in early October led to significantly increased volumes in storage in the Goulburn and Campaspe systems,” Dr Bailey said.
“The changes caused the seasonal determination improvements announced today.
“As all systems now have 100 per cent of high-reliability water shares available, seasonal determinations will only be updated on the 15th of each month. Our focus moves to the seasonal determination of low-reliability water shares in the Murray, Goulburn and Loddon systems.
“Low-reliability water shares will not be allocated in the Murray, Goulburn and Loddon systems until reserves to supply 100 per cent of high-reliability water shares in 2017/18 are established.
“The current shortfalls are about 800 gigalitres in the Murray system and around 600 gigalitres in the Goulburn system.
“The shortfalls are reduced by having more water in storages and fewer supply commitments.
“That means more water stored in Dartmouth Dam, the Menindee Lakes and Lake Eildon, and deliveries of allocation. There is still a large supply commitment in the Murray and Goulburn systems because water use has been very low with the very wet conditions in September and October.”
Dr Bailey also noted that Lake Eppalock was full and could not store all of the water flowing into it.
“The volume of spill from Goulburn-Murray Water’s share of Lake Eppalock over the past since the start of October was greater than the total volume held in spillable water accounts and other accounts subject to spill in the Campaspe system. This means 100 per cent of the volume held in spillable water accounts will be deducted,” Dr Bailey said.
The seasonal determinations for northern Victorian water systems on Monday, October 17.
| Murray |
100% |
0% |
| Broken |
100% |
61% |
| Goulburn |
100% |
0% |
| Campaspe |
100% |
100% |
| Loddon |
100% |
0% |
| Bullarook |
100% |
100% |
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 October 1, 2016.
Trading opportunities from New South Wales to Victoria are next updated on November 10, 2016.
Trade to the Victorian Murray system, New South Wales and South Australia from the Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon systems is restricted as the total volume owed to the Murray system is greater 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 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 Murray-Darling Basin Authority 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 risk of spill update for the Murray and Campaspe systems will be released on Thursday November 10, 2016.
- The next 2016/17 seasonal determination announcement, including an updated outlook, will be released on Tuesday November 15, 2016.