Broken system seasonal determinations increase to 100 per cent

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

The Broken system seasonal determination increases from 92 per cent of high-reliability water shares (HRWS) to 100 per cent HRWS and 20 per cent of low-reliability water shares (LRWS). 

The Campaspe system moves from 100 per cent HRWS and 64 per cent LRWS to 100 per cent HRWS and 65 per cent LRWS.

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

Resource Manager Mark Bailey said continuing flows following recent rain contributed to the volumes available to allocate.

“Since the last update at the start of September, rainfall has increased the flows into the major storages and in the tributaries downstream of the dams,” Dr Bailey said. 

“The flows in the Broken system and decreasing loss commitments have enabled the increases announced today."

At Lake Hume, releases to manage storage levels continued through August.

“About 140 gigalitres will be deducted from Murray spillable water accounts today, which is equivalent to 33 per cent of the volume currently held in the accounts,” Dr Bailey said.

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

“The shortfall to announcing seasonal determinations for low-reliability water shares in the Goulburn and Loddon systems has reduced to about 100 gigalitres. The deductions from Murray spillable accounts enabled all the volume borrowed from the Barmah-Millewa Environmental Water Allocation to be repaid. The shortfall to announcing low-reliability water shares in the Murray system will be included in the next seasonal determination update.”

Dr Bailey noted that as seasonal determinations for all systems were now 100 per cent HRWS or greater, updates will now occur monthly on the 15th of each month or next business day.

The seasonal determinations for northern Victorian water systems on Friday 15 September 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 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 Tuesday 10 October 2023.
• The next 2023/24 seasonal determination announcement will be released on Monday 16 October 2023.