Seasonal determination increase in all systems

Friday 1 September, 2017

The Resource Manager for northern Victoria today announced seasonal determinations had increased in all systems.

The Murray system increased from 70 per cent to 90 per cent of high-reliability water shares (HRWS).

The Goulburn system and the Loddon system both increased from 45 per cent to 60 per cent HRWS.

The low-reliability water share (LRWS) seasonal determination in the Campaspe system increased from 0 per cent to 7 per cent.

The Broken system increased from 15 per cent to 27 per cent HRWS.

The LRWS seasonal determination in the Bullarook system increased from 35 per cent to 100 per cent. Customers in the Bullarook system also have access to 100 per cent HRWS.

Resource Manager Mark Bailey said that flows into the major storages continued to increase water resource availability across northern Victoria.

“Rainfall in the second half of August produced good flows into the storages, particularly at Lake Eildon and Hume Dam,” Dr Bailey said.

“The flows into Lake Eildon and Hume Dam during August were close to the long-term average. The flows into the storages in the Broken, Loddon and Campaspe systems tracked below average."

Dr Bailey advised entitlement holders to use the seasonal determination outlooks and weather information to plan their water needs in 2017/18.

Water System High-Reliability Water Share Low-Reliability Water Share
The seasonal determinations for northern Victorian water systems on Friday, September 1.
Murray 90% 0%
Broken 27% 0%
Goulburn 60% 0%
Campaspe 100% 7%
Loddon 60% 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. Trading opportunities are next updated on September 11, 2017.

The Goulburn system’s inter-valley trade (IVT) account owes about 230 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, waterregister.vic.gov.au/water-trading/allocation-trading. Additional information about how trade opportunities are calculated has recently been added to the allocation trading page waterregister.vic.gov.au/water-trading/allocation-trading#AllocationTradeOpportunities.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has announced that trading of water allocations from above the Barmah Choke to downstream of the Choke is restricted to protect the delivery of downstream water entitlements. Customers can monitor trading opportunities across the Barmah Choke by visiting the MDBA website www.mdba.gov.au/managing-water/water-markets-trade/barmah-choke-trade-restriction.

Upcoming Resource Manager Announcements

  • The next risk of spill in the Murray and Campaspe systems will be issued on Monday September 11, 2017.
  • The next 2017/18 seasonal determination announcement including an updated outlook will be released on Friday September 15, 2017.