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Surface Water Irrigation Allocations across Victoria

Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW)

There were no changes to northern system allocations during March. All systems have now reached 100% allocations for HRWS, and there are full LRWS allocations for the Campaspe, Broken and Bullarook Creek systems. 

G-MW announced its first allocation outlook for the 2012/13 irrigation season on 15 February, shown in Table 2. The Campaspe system is expected to start the 2012/13 season with a 100% allocation against high-reliability water shares. Under average conditions, a 100% allocation against high-reliability water shares is expected during spring on the Broken system, and by 15 February 2013 on all of G-MW’s other systems.

 

Northern Victoria 2012/13 Irrigation Season Outlook at 15 February

Outlook for 2 July 2012

Inflow Conditions	Murray	Goulburn	Loddon	Campaspe
Wet	34%	48%	48%	100%
Average	19%	37%	37%	100%
Dry	6%	29%	29%	100%

Outlook for 15 August 2012

Inflow Conditions	Murray	Goulburn	Loddon	Campaspe
Wet	63%	100%	100%	100%
Average	34%	64%	64%	100%
Dry	13%	39%	39%	100%

Outlook for 17 October 2012

Inflow Conditions	Murray	Goulburn	Loddon	Campaspe
Wet	100%	100%	100%	100%
Average	80%	97%	97%	100%
Dry	39%	51%	51%	100%

Outlook for 15 February 2013

Inflow Conditions	Murray	Goulburn	Loddon	Campaspe
Wet	100%	100%	100%	100%
Average	100%	100%	100%	100%
Dry	100%	75%	75%	100%

 

The volume of unused allocation at the end of the 2011/12 season is expected to be around 2,000 gigalitres across the Murray and Goulburn systems, which is similar to the volume carried over last year. The allocation carried over in the Broken, Loddon and Bullarook systems is likely to be close to the maximum allowed under the current rules (i.e. equal to 50% of entitlement volume).

The storage positions and carryover trends for Northern Victoria’s large regulated systems means that there will be a ‘high risk of spill’ on the Murray, Goulburn and Campaspe systems during the first few months of the 2012/13 season. Water held in Spillable Water Accounts on these systems will not be available for trade or use until G-MW announces that the risk of spill on the system is low. However, any water held in an Allocation Bank Account (which can be up to 100% of entitlement volume) will be immediately available for use next season.

The first allocation announcement for the 2012/13 season will be made on 2 July.

Wimmera Mallee Supply System

The Wimmera Irrigation Association is continuing to negotiate a sale of the irrigation entitlement to the Commonwealth Government, and irrigation channel runs are deferred until the outcome of the sale is known. GWMWater has not delivered irrigation supplies for around 10 years.

Coliban Rural System

Coliban Water announced an opening Rural System allocation of 100% for 2011/12 on 15 September 2011. This is the first time in 10 years that the Rural System has opened at 100% allocation.

Southern Rural Water

Macalister Irrigation District (MID)

SRW increased the allocation for the MID to 100% for LRWS on 6 March. The allocation applies to customers in the MID and diverters on the Thomson and Macalister rivers and Rainbow Creek.

Latrobe System

Blue Rock Reservoir remained close to 100% of capacity during March.  There is enough water in the system to supply power stations, industry and towns in the Latrobe Valley for the next 12 months even if conditions are dry.

Licence holders downstream on the Latrobe and Tanjil Rivers are permitted to take up to their licence volume.

Werribee Basin

SRW’s share of the Werribee storages was at 66% of capacity at the end of March. Allocations for LRWS were increased to 45% during March, and the allocation reserved for 2012/13 is equivalent to 50% HRWS.

Maribyrnong Basin

Storage levels in Rosslynne Reservoir decreased slightly to 69.0% of capacity. SRW’s waterway diverters on Jackson Creek can access 100% of licensed volume, while Melbourne Water’s licence holders in the Keilor region continue to access unregulated flows downstream of Rosslynne Reservoir.