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Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW)

G-MW made its first allocation announcement for the 2007/2008 season on 2 July 2007, its second announcement on 16 July and its third announcement on 1 August. As of 1 August, allocations were zero on all systems. 

Carry-over water is available on both the Goulburn and the Murray systems when water can be delivered. This will assist in meeting any early season irrigation needs. 

The resource position has improved in the last few weeks. However, there is still a large volume of water required in the major systems to meet all system losses and other fixed requirements prior to allocating water to high-reliability water shares. 

G-MW will provide the next allocation announcement and updated outlook on 15 August 2007. It is anticipated that a zero allocation will continue for all systems except the Goulburn, where it is possible that a small allocation for a shortened irrigation season will be available.

As of the 1 August outlook; 

• Dry inflow conditions will see 0% allocations in the Murray, Campaspe and Loddon systems, and an 11% allocation on the Goulburn system by 15 August.
• Average inflow conditions will see a 21% allocation in the Goulburn system and 0% in the Murray, Campaspe and Loddon systems by 15 August.

The Minister for Water has temporarily qualified rights to water in the Murray, Goulburn, Broken, Campaspe, Loddon and Bullarook systems under section 33AAA(1) of the Water Act 1989 in response to the zero allocation. This means that water can be taken from these supply systems for selected purposes, even whilst the allocation to high reliability water shares is 0%.

The qualifications allow holders of water shares and private rights to take water for the following purposes:

Domestic and Stock

• In-house purposes;
• Watering of animals kept as pets;
• Watering of cattle and other stock; and 
• Firefighting.

Commercial and Industrial

• Watering of animals in intensive animal industries;
• Washdown;
• Cleaning;
• Cooling;
• Dust suppression; and
• Manufacturing and processing (provided best practice water savings measures have been implemented.

Once allocations reach 20% on the Murray, Goulburn and Broken systems, and 50% on the Campaspe, Loddon and Bullarook systems, normal operating rules will resume.

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Coliban Rural System

The 2007/08 irrigation season will open in September. Coliban storages received good inflows during July. However, levels remain comparatively low for this time of year. The outlook for the season ahead depends on additional winter and spring inflows.

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Wimmera Mallee Domestic and Stock Supply System

Grampians Headworks storages continued to receive reasonable inflows resulting from the good rainfalls in May and average falls in July.

At 31 July 2007, storages in the Wimmera Mallee domestic and stock supply system were at 8.8% of capacity (compared with 7.1% at the same time last year).

There is enough water to provide a channel supply to all towns as well as supplies to some house dams. House dams located in areas where intensive carting is occurring and which are situated along channels that supply towns will be targeted first.

The demand for rural water cartage has stabilised over recent months, but is expected to decline once some house dams are able to be filled. Full details of the cartage program are available on GWMW’s website. In summary:

• GWMW is currently delivering 28,000 litres of water for domestic use every two months to rural customers not receiving a house dam fill when existing house dam supplies become unusable. The purchase of a water tank is eligible for up to a $3,000 rebate from the Victorian Government. 
• Additional water is also available to GWMW rural customers, including those who receive a house dam fill, for stock watering and crop spraying. Water is provided at no cost, but carting arrangements and costs are the customer’s responsibility.
• Water is also available at a cost of $1.20/kL under a permit system for carting by others (at their own cost) who are not customers of GWMW. This water is for domestic use only.

Supplies to all customer groups are being made available in accordance with the restriction schedule contained in the Wimmera-Glenelg Bulk Entitlements. Restrictions are as follows:

• towns are on Stage 4 restrictions;
• irrigation supplies are again zero;
• no supply is available for irrigation diversions on Wimmera River;
• supply to recreation lakes has been nil since 2000;
• commercial supplies to major customers are zero.

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Southern Rural Water

Macalister Irrigation District (MID)

The 2007/08 irrigation season will open on 15 August. 

Lake Glenmaggie, the principal source of water for the MID, is now at 86.8% of capacity.

The 2007/08 irrigation season will open on 15 August 2007 with an opening allocation of 100%. In accordance with the seasonal allocation rules, SRW anticipate off-quota water to be available into spring. From that point, any increase in allocations will depend on further inflows over summer and autumn.

Latrobe System

Water availability on the Latrobe system increased throughout July with Blue Rock Lake rising to 65.1% of capacity. Southern Rural Water (SRW) license holders downstream on the Latrobe and Tanjil Rivers are permitted to take up to their licensed volume, however availability is limited by low unregulated river flows (which normally contribute some 70% of entitlements). The irrigation share of Blue Rock was drawn down last season and now stands at only 1,356ML, or 11% of regulated allocation.

SRW is yet to announce initial allocations for the 2007/08 season.

Werribee Basin (Bacchus Marsh and Werribee Irrigation District)

SRW’s share of the Werribee Basin storages rose slightly to 9.2% of capacity following minimal inflows during July.

SRW made an opening seasonal allocation for 2007/08 on 1 July of 0% water right and 100% domestic and stock. This is a temporary allocation for the period July to 1 September 2007. Irrigators can use the domestic and stock allowance for irrigation. 

Any allocations for irrigation are totally dependent on winter/spring inflows.

Although volumes in storage increased, levels remain low for this time of year. A range of measures are in place to assist in ameliorating the supply situation:

• Irrigators in the Werribee area will continue to participate in the recycling scheme. Some 7,300ML of recycled water was delivered to approximately 85% of all growers last season.
• A Ministerial-approved revision of the depth boundary for the Merrimu GMA has allowed for additional access to groundwater for Bacchus Marsh growers.
• The Minister for Water allocated 1200ML of unallocated water in Merrimu Reservoir for use up until September to maintain business viability in Bacchus Marsh. 
• SRW installed a connection to enable spare capacity in Western Water’s Merrimu Reservoir to Bacchus Marsh pipeline to be used to bring water from SRW’s entitlement in Merrimu into the Bacchus Marsh Irrigation District.

Levels in the Deutgam Groundwater Management Area declined through 2005/06 and again during 2006/07, with a reduced allocation. In order to protect the resource from seawater intrusion SRW have qualified and suspended rights, effectively banning groundwater use in the GMA as of 27 June 2007. SRW continue to monitor the situation.

Storage volumes in Rosslynne Reservoir remain low at 4.9% of capacity (compared to 7.1% at the same time last year). With inflows well below average, SRW diverters face another season of low allocations.

SRW are yet to announce initial allocations for the 2007/08 season.

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