Amendments to Goulburn System Bulk Entitlements - Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is an environmental entitlement?

An environmental entitlement is the legal instrument held by the Victorian Environmental Water Holder to allocate water to the environment for the purpose of maintaining the environmental water reserve or improving the environmental values and health of water ecosystems.

An environmental entitlement defines the amount of water that can be taken and the conditions under which it can be taken.

2. Why is the Bulk Entitlement (Goulburn System – Snowy Environmental Reserve) Order 2004 being amended?

Goulburn-Murray Water has recently undertaken irrigation modernisation work in the Shepparton and Central Goulburn irrigation areas.  This work was supported by funding provided by Water for Rivers, a public company jointly supported by the Commonwealth of Australia and the New South Wales and Victorian State Governments.

The Bulk Entitlement (Gouburn System – Snowy Environmental Reserve) Order 2004 needs to be amended to recognise 18,000 ML of long term average annual savings to be recognised for the Water for Rivers project funding. These water savings will be recognised as 13,440 ML of high reliability entitlement and 8,156  ML of low reliability entitlement.   

The water savings were estimated in accordance with the Water Savings Protocol, Technical Methodology and were independently audited.  Water savings of 18,000 ML long term average have been confirmed through this process as available to support this proposed amendment of the Bulk Entitlement (Goulburn System – Snowy Environmental Reserve) Order 2004. 

3. How will the water be used for the environment?

Entitlement from Bulk Entitlement (Gouburn System – Snowy Environmental Reserve) Order 2004 is used to provide environmental flows into the Snowy and Murray Rivers for enhancing the environment values and health of both these river systems by improving habitat for aquatic species, maintaining fish passage and assisting spawning and migration of priority fish species

4. What is the reliability of the recovered water?

The water savings will be converted on an equivalent basis to other entitlements.  The conversion of average annual water savings into high and low reliability entitlement is based on modelling and established rules for conversion of fixed and variable water savings.  These rules have been established in conjunction with Goulburn-Murray water for all water savings arising from irrigation modernisation.

Year to year the volume of water available under these entitlements will vary depending on the seasonal allocation for the Snowy and Murray River systems and this will result in the environment using an average of 18,000 ML per year.

5. Will the amendment to the environmental entitlement reduce the reliability of supply to irrigators in the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District?

No. The transfer of water savings to the Victorian Environmental Water Holder will not impact on existing rights or entitlements held by irrigators and diverters in the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District. The water savings which are being converted into new entitlement would previously have been lost through evaporation, leakage or other system losses.

6. How can I be certain that the water savings are actual savings and not part of my water shares?

The savings were calculated by Gouburn-Murray Water in accordance with the Victorian Water Savings Protocol. The calculated water savings were verified by an independent auditor. This process will ensure that the savings returned to the environment accurately reflect the irrigation system’s improved long-term performance and are sourced exclusively from reduced losses through modernisation works.