Seasonal determinations for 2023/24 update

The Resource Manager for northern Victoria today updated the 2023/24 seasonal determinations.

The Broken system seasonal determination increases from 72 per cent of high-reliability water shares (HRWS) to 92 per cent HRWS. 

The Campaspe system moves from 100 per cent (HRWS) and 63 per cent of low-reliability water shares (LRWS) to 100 per cent HRWS and 64 per cent LRWS.

Seasonal determinations in the Murray, Goulburn, Loddon and Bullarook systems remain unchanged.

Resource Manager Mark Bailey said there had been little change to water availability since the last update. 

“Flows into the major storage have been steady in recent weeks,” Dr Bailey said. 

“Availability in the Broken system has increased because of the steady flows and decreasing loss commitments. The carryover limits in the Broken system have also contributed to the large improvement announced today.”

Releases to manage storage levels at Lake Hume and Lake Eppalock continued through August. 

“About 500 megalitres will be deducted from Campaspe spillable water accounts today, which is 4 per cent of the overall volume,” Dr Bailey said.

“The volume deducted from Murray spillable water accounts will be confirmed in the September 15 seasonal determination update.

“There are no deductions from Goulburn spillable water accounts with today’s update.

“The shortfall to announcing seasonal determinations for low-reliability water shares in the Goulburn and Loddon systems is about 170 gigalitres. The shortfall in the Murray system will be confirmed once the remaining 112 gigalitres borrowed from the Barmah-Millewa Environmental Water Allocation at the start of the water year is fully repaid.”

The seasonal determinations for northern Victorian water systems on Friday, September 1 are:

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 Victoria’s share of the both Hume and Dartmouth reservoirs below 50 per cent. As Victoria’s share of Hume and Dartmouth is close to full, trade from New South Wales to Victoria is not possible. The volume available for trade is updated with each risk of spill announcement. 

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 Choke is restricted 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 risk of spill in the Murray, Goulburn and Campaspe systems will be updated on Monday September 11, 2023.
• The next 2023/24 seasonal determination announcement will be released on Friday September 15, 2023.