The Resource Manager for northern Victoria today updated the 2024/25 seasonal determinations.
The Murray system seasonal determination increases from 94 per cent of high-reliability water shares (HRWS) to 98 per cent HRWS.
The Broken system increases from 34 per cent HRWS to 45 per cent HRWS.
In the Campaspe system, the low-reliability water shares (LRWS) seasonal determination increases from 33 per cent LRWS to 38 per cent LRWS. The Campaspe system also has 100 per cent HRWS.
Seasonal determinations in the Goulburn, Loddon and Bullarook systems are unchanged.
Resource Manager Mark Bailey said the changes in seasonal determination came from the rain that occurred shortly after the mid-October update.
“The mid-October rainfall across all the northern Victorian catchment increased the amount of water reaching the major storages,” he said.
“These flows, combined with reduced irrigation demand and lower operating and evaporation losses, provided more water to allocate.
“The main beneficiaries are the Murray, Broken and Campaspe systems, given the status of their current seasonal determinations.
“The Goulburn and Loddon systems have 100 per cent HRWS, which means the additional resource is contributing to operating reserves for the 2025/26 water year.
“The impacts of the rainfall across the Bullarook system were not enough to close the shortfall to a seasonal determination. The deficit is closing and customers with carryover allocation can be sure of accessing that water when needed.”
Dr Bailey noted the effects of the mid-October rainfall were short-lived.
“Flows into the major storages have now returned to the low rates seen in recent months.”
The seasonal determinations for northern Victorian water systems on Friday, 1 November are:
| Murray |
98% |
0% |
| Broken |
45% |
0% |
| Goulburn |
100% |
0% |
| Campaspe |
100% |
38% |
| Loddon |
100% |
0% |
| Bullarook |
0% |
0% |
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 Victoria’s share of both Hume and Dartmouth reservoirs below 50 per cent. The risk of spill is below 50 per cent, allowing 50 GL of net trade from New South Wales to Victoria. The volume available for trade is updated monthly with each risk of spill announcement.
Customers participating in the water trading market can monitor trade availability on the Water Register website.
Customers can monitor trading opportunities from above the Barmah Choke to downstream of the Choke on the Murray-Darling Basin Authority website.
Upcoming Resource Manager Announcements
- The risk of spill in the Murray, Goulburn and Campaspe systems in 2024/25 will be updated on Monday, 11 November 2024.
- The next 2024/25 seasonal determination announcement will be released on Friday, 15 November 2024.