The Resource Manager for northern Victoria today updated the 2019/20 seasonal determinations.
Seasonal determinations in the Murray system increases from 57 per cent of high-reliability water shares (HRWS) to 59 per cent HRWS.
The Goulburn and Loddon systems increase from 71 per cent HRWS to 73 per cent HRWS.
The Campaspe system moves from 71 per cent HRWS to 72 per cent HRWS.
The Broken system seasonal determination remains on 0 per cent HRWS.
The Bullarook system remains on 100 per cent HRWS and 100 per cent of low-reliability water shares (LRWS).
Resource Manager Mark Bailey said continued milder conditions and some rainfall in the past fortnight contributed to water availability improvements in some northern Victorian systems.
“The rainfall slightly increased flows into the major storages in the past fortnight and meant evaporation losses were lower than our conservative estimates. This enabled the small increases in the Murray, Goulburn, Loddon and Campaspe systems announced today,” Dr Bailey said.
The shortfall in the Broken system reduced over the past fortnight, but there remains about 800 megalitres to gain before a positive seasonal determination can be made.
“The Minister for Water qualified rights in the Broken system from 1 January 2020,” Dr Bailey said.
“The qualification allows customers access to water for critical domestic and stock use while the seasonal determination remains below 50 per cent HRWS.”
Dr Bailey noted the latest Bureau of Meteorology seasonal outlooks for March to May don’t favour wetter or drier conditions and advised water users to consider available weather and climate information when planning their water needs for the rest of 2019/20 and into 2020/21.
The seasonal determinations for northern Victorian water systems on Monday, March 2.
| Murray |
59% |
0% |
| Broken |
0% |
0% |
| Goulburn |
73% |
0% |
| Campaspe |
72% |
0% |
| Loddon |
73% |
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. The current risk of spill in the Murray system allows 200 GL of net trade from New South Wales to Victoria.
The Goulburn system’s inter-valley trade (IVT) account owed about 201 GL to the Murray system at the time of issue. 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. Deliveries of Goulburn system IVT to support Murray system operations will continue through March. Information on IVT deliveries is available on the Goulburn-Murray Water website.
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) is restricting trade of water allocations from above the Barmah Choke to downstream of the Choke to protect the delivery of downstream water entitlements. Customers can monitor trading opportunities across the Barmah Choke on the MDBA website.
Upcoming Resource Manager announcements
- The next 2019/20 seasonal determination announcement will be released on Monday March 16, 2020.