Water Resource Plans for Victoria
The Basin Plan aims to achieve healthy, working rivers that support productive and resilient water-dependent industries, healthy and resilient ecosystems and communities with access to sufficient and reliable water supplies. The Basin Plan required all Murray-Darling Basin states, including Victoria, to prepare water resource plans by June 2019.
The Murray-Darling Basin contains 20 surface water and 22 groundwater water resource plan areas, as well as six combined surface water and groundwater water resource plan areas.
To meet our obligations, Victoria developed two plans across its five Water Resource Plan areas:
- Victorian Murray water resource plan area (SW2)
- Wimmera–Mallee (groundwater) water resource plan area (GW3)
- Northern Victoria water resource plan area (SW3)
- Goulburn–Murray water resource plan area (GW2)
- Wimmera–Mallee (surface water) water resource plan area (SW4)
To meet our obligations, Victoria is working on two plans across its five Water Resource Plan areas:
Wimmera-Mallee Water Resource Plan
- Wimmera-Mallee (surface water) water resource plan area
- Wimmera-Mallee (groundwater) water resource plan area
Victoria’s North and Murray Water Resource Plan
Sometimes referred to as the Northern Victoria Water Resource Plan.
- Victorian Murray water resource plan area (surface water)
- Northern Victoria water resource plan area (surface water)
- Goulburn-Murray water resource plan area (groundwater)
Water resource plans are a key tool for implementing Basin Plan. A water resource plan is required for each water resource plan area in the Basin to improve consistency and transparency in water resource management across all Basin States.
A key component of water resource plans is to show how Victoria will comply with sustainable diversion limits on the volume of surface water and groundwater that can be taken and used in catchments from 1 July 2019. For more information on sustainable diversion limits visit the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
Chapter 10 of the Basin Plan outlines the requirements for water resource plans. These include:
- setting out the quantity of held environmental water and planned environmental water, and incorporating the rules and management arrangements associated with delivery and use of this water
- setting out how much water can be taken annually for consumptive use in a way that meets the SDL
- ensuring that environmental watering is consistent with the Basin-wide environmental watering strategy
- setting out the circumstances when trade is allowed within and between groundwater SDL resource units and from groundwater to surface water SDL resource units
- outlining how water will be managed during extreme events
- setting out how interception activities will be managed and monitored, including runoff dams, commercial plantations, mining activities and floodplain harvesting
- a plan to manage water quality standards
- outlining the risks to water resources and strategies to address these risks
- identification of Traditional Owner objectives and outcomes for water resource management
For details on how Victoria responded to each requirement in Chapter 10 of the Basin Plan see the Wimmera-Mallee Index Table (PDF, 419.9 KB) and Victoria’s North and Murray Index Table (PDF, 668.7 KB).
Victoria reviewed our current measures, commitments and strategies already in place under Victorian legislation to determine whether we need to make improvements or changes to meet obligations under the Basin Plan. In most instances, Victoria’s framework was sufficient to support the meeting of Basin Plan requirements. There may be instances where obligations are created under the relevant water resource plan to ensure Victoria is responding to a specific Basin Plan requirement that does not strictly align with existing arrangements.
Fundamental to developing water resource plans was the assessment of current and future risks to determine how water resource plans should respond to residual risks to the availability and condition of Victoria’s water resources. The risk assessment considered risks at a water resource plan area scale rather than a localised scale. Residual risks are those identified after existing management arrangements were applied. For more information on the risk assessments undertaken see Appendix B in the Wimmera-Mallee Comprehensive Report and Victoria’s North and Murray Comprehensive Report.
Victoria's water resource plans were developed in partnership with water corporations, catchment management authorities and in consultation with environmental managers, Traditional Owners, industry bodies, local government and Basin communities.
A Technical Advisory Group was set up for the development of each water resource plan which included stakeholders from relevant rural and urban water corporations, catchment management authorities, the Victorian Environmental Water Holder, peak bodies including Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN), the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF), VicWater, Environment Victoria and the Goulburn Valley Environment Group.
Public consultation on the draft Wimmera-Mallee Water Resource Plan ran for three months in mid-2017 and involved two public meetings and various stakeholder briefings. 12 written submissions were received.
Public consultation on the draft Victoria’s North and Murray Water Resource Plan ran for two months in early 2019 and involved 11 public meetings and various stakeholder briefings. 42 written submissions were received.
Victoria worked closely with Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) and Traditional Owner groups identified as having an interest in water within Victoria’s water resource plan areas. The engagement was tailored to the needs of each Traditional Owner group, by providing the opportunity for each Traditional Owner group to tell us how they wanted to be engaged with and to develop their own content for inclusion. The contributions of 9 different Traditional Owner groups can be found in Part 11 (PDF, 3.5 MB) of the Wimmera-Mallee Comprehensive Report and contributions of 14 different Traditional Owner groups in Chapter 8 (PDF, 2.9 MB) and Appendix F (PDF, 670.1 KB) for Victoria’s North and Murray Comprehensive Report.
Further details on public consultation and Traditional Owner engagement can be found in the Consultation Report (Appendix D) of both water resource plans.
Refer to “other publications” (below) for a standalone publication compiling Traditional Owner contributions across both water resource plans.
The water resource plans were also developed with feedback from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority will assess Victoria's water resource plans before they are accredited by the Commonwealth Minister for Water.
Victoria’s water resources are managed by the Minister, water corporations, catchment management authorities, the Victorian Environmental Water Holder, and other regulatory bodies (see Figure 2 below)
The Victorian Water Act sets out statutory rights and entitlements to take and use water in Victoria. For more information on access to take and use water see Part 6 (PDF, 9.3 MB) of the Wimmera-Mallee Comprehensive Report and Chapter 7 (PDF, 1.1 MB) of Victoria’s North and Murray Comprehensive Report.
Victoria submitted the proposed Wimmera-Mallee Water Resource Plan to the MDBA on 22 February 2019. The Wimmera-Mallee Water Resource Plan covers:
- the Wimmera-Avon, Avoca and Mallee surface water basins
- the Wimmera-Mallee and Avoca groundwater catchments
See how water is used in the Wimmera-Mallee water resource plan area.
Development of the Wimmera-Mallee Water Resource Plan included engagement with a Technical Advisory Group (in respect of the water resource plan as a whole and the risk assessment), key stakeholders and extensive public consultation. Public consultation on the draft Wimmera-Mallee Water Resource Plan ran for three months in mid-2017 and involved two public meetings and various stakeholder briefings. 12 written submissions were received.
Follow the links to download a copy of the key documents for the Wimmera-Mallee Water Resource Plan submission:
- Submission letter to MDBA (PDF, 233.5 KB)
- Wimmera-Mallee Index Table (PDF, 419.9 KB), which includes the specific responses to each Basin Plan requirement and specifies the proposed text for accreditation by the Commonwealth Minister
The Wimmera-Mallee Water Resource Plan was accredited by the Commonwealth Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management on 19 September 2019. See the formal instruments:
- Water Act (Wimmera-Mallee (surface water) Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2019
- Water Act (Wimmera-Mallee (groundwater) Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2019
The Wimmera-Mallee Water Resource Plan Comprehensive Report is the key document that provides the supporting information for the Index Table and explains how water resources are managed in Victoria. To request a digital copy of the full comprehensive report or to inquire about accessible versions of the report please email vic.basinplan@delwp.vic.gov.au. The document is broken into the following Parts and Appendices:
- Parts 1-4 provide an introduction of water resources in the plan area, including and in introduction of the plan (Part 1 (PDF, 481.1 KB)) and the areas it covers (Part 2 (PDF, 1.2 MB)), the landscape, people and economies (Part 3 (PDF, 989.9 KB)) and details of the water resources (Part 4 (PDF, 1.3 MB)). See here for the cover (PDF, 407.7 KB) and contents (PDF, 114.7 KB) of the Comprehensive Report.
- Part 5 (PDF, 1.5 MB) gives an overview of Victoria’s water governance structure
- Part 6 (PDF, 9.3 MB) explains Victoria’s entitlement framework and trade
- Part 7 (PDF, 945.4 KB) provides an overview of Victoria’s approach to the risk assessment found in Appendix B (PDF, 2.0 MB)
- Part 8 (PDF, 507.6 KB) provides a summary of the methods used to determine sustainable diversion limits and take, supported by further information in Appendix C (PDF, 908.7 KB)
- Part 9 (PDF, 868.2 KB) how Victoria responds to extreme events and critical human water needs
- Part 10 (PDF, 551.9 KB) explains interception from commercial plantations and runoff dams
- Part 11 (PDF, 3.5 MB) demonstrates how Victoria meets Basin Plan requirements for Aboriginal water values and uses, and explains how Traditional Owner groups were involved in the development of the plan
- Part 12 (PDF, 1.1 MB) explains how Victoria meets its environmental watering requirements
- Part 13 (PDF, 1.1 MB) explains how recreational water in Victoria is managed
- Part 14 (PDF, 312.4 KB) that provides a summary of Victoria’s approach the Wimmera-Mallee Water Quality Management Plan. The full water quality management plan is provided at Appendix A (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Part 15 (PDF, 620.5 KB) outlines how measuring and monitoring is undertaken in Victoria
- Appendix D (PDF, 1.2 MB) is the consultation report that summaries the extensive public consultation, Traditional Owner engagement and stakeholder involvement throughout the development of the plan
- Additional information is available in the glossary and references (PDF, 568.3 KB) of the Comprehensive Report.
Victoria’s North and Murray Water Resource Plan covers:
- the Mitta Mitta, Kiewa, Ovens, Broken, Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon rivers connected to the Murray
- floodplain wetlands of the Murray River, such as Hattah Lakes, Lindsay Island and Barmah National Park, and the connected wetlands in the Loddon, Goulburn and Ovens catchments
- all groundwater in the northern Victoria area
- the Sunraysia and Goulburn-Murray irrigation districts
See how water is used in Victoria’s North and Murray water resource plan area.
Development of Victoria’s North and Murray Water Resource Plan included engagement with a Technical Advisory Group (in respect of the water resource plan as a whole and the risk assessment), key stakeholders and extensive public consultation. Public consultation on the draft Victoria’s North and Murray Water Resource Plan ran for two months in early 2019 and involved 11 public meetings and various stakeholder meetings. 42 written submissions were received.
Victoria’s North and Murray Water Resource Plan was submitted to the MDBA on 30 April 2019. The MDBA advised Victoria that its assessment found that components of the WRPs needed further development. Subsequently Victoria resubmitted Victoria’s North and Murray Water Resource Plan package on 26 November 2019. The following documents form part of the formal submission package:
- Submission letter to MDBA which includes the Statement of Reasons
- Victoria’s North and Murray Index Table which includes the specific responses to each Basin Plan requirement and specifies the proposed text for accreditation by the Commonwealth Minister
Victoria’s North and Murray Water Resource Plan areas were accredited by the Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia on the following dates:
- Northern Victoria water resource plan area (accredited 28 May 2020) see Water Act Water Act (Northern Victoria Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2020
- Victorian Murray water resource plan area (accredited 10 June 2020) see Water Act (Victorian Murray Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2020
- Goulburn-Murray water resource plan area (accredited 10 June 2020) see Water Act (Goulburn-Murray Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2020
Victoria’s North and Murray Comprehensive Report is the key document that provides the supporting information for the Index Table and explains how water resources are managed in Victoria. To request a digital copy of the full comprehensive report or to inquire about accessible versions of the report please email vic.basinplan@delwp.vic.gov.au. The document is broken into the following Chapters and Appendices:
- Chapters 1-4 provide an introduction of water resources in the plan area, including and in introduction of the plan (Chapter 1 (PDF, 982.2 KB)) and the areas it covers (Chapter 2 (PDF, 1.6 MB)), the landscape, people and economies (Chapter 3 (PDF, 1.3 MB)) and details of each Basin (Chapter 4 (PDF, 1.4 MB)). See here for the cover and contents (PDF, 675.9 KB) of the Comprehensive Report.
- Chapter 5 (PDF, 797.6 KB) provides an overview of Victoria’s approach to the risk assessment found in Appendix B (PDF, 2.1 MB)
- Chapter 6 (PDF, 1.1 MB) gives an overview of Victoria’s water governance structure
- Chapter 7 (PDF, 1.1 MB) explains Victoria’s entitlement framework and trade
- Chapter 8 (PDF, 2.9 MB) and Appendix F (PDF, 670.1 KB) demonstrates how Victoria meets Basin Plan requirements for Aboriginal water values and uses, and explains how Traditional Owner groups were involved in the development of the plan
- Chapter 9 (PDF, 443.2 KB) provides a summary of the methods used to determine sustainable diversion limits and take, supported by further information in Appendix C (PDF, 991.3 KB)
- Chapter 10 (PDF, 1.5 MB) explains how Victoria responds to extreme events and critical human water needs
- Chapter 11 (PDF, 855.5 KB) explains interception from commercial plantations and runoff dams
- Chapter 12 (PDF, 2.2 MB) explains how Victoria meets its environmental watering requirements and is supported by further information in Appendix E (PDF, 1.4 MB)
- Chapter 13 (PDF, 750.6 KB) explains how recreational water in Victoria is managed
- Chapter 14 (PDF, 550.8 KB) that provides a summary of Victoria’s approach to Victoria’s North and Murray Water Quality Plan and Appendix A (PDF, 2.2 MB) provides the full Plan
- Chapter 15 (PDF, 880.7 KB) outlines how measuring and monitoring is undertaken in Victoria.
- Appendix D (PDF, 1.2 MB) is the consultation report that summaries the extensive public consultation, Traditional Owner engagement and stakeholder involvement throughout the development of the plan.
- Additional information is available in the glossary and references (PDF, 727.0 KB) of the Comprehensive Report.
The Traditional Owner contributions across both water resource plans have been compiled into a standalone publication “Traditional Owner objectives and outcomes: Compilation of contributions to Victoria’s water resource plans. Click here to download (PDF, 2.6 MB).
Factsheets
Fact Sheet 1 - Introduction to Water Resource Plans (PDF, 424.5 KB).
Fact Sheet 2 - Basin water management (PDF, 289.5 KB).
Fact Sheet 3 - Traditional Owner contributions (PDF, 195.8 KB).
Fact Sheet 4 - Environmental watering part 1 (PDF, 594.5 KB).
Fact Sheet 5 - Environmental watering part 2 (PDF, 539.2 KB).
Fact Sheet 6 - Sustainable diversion limits (PDF, 206.2 KB).
More information
- Overview of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
- Progress of all Basin State water resource plans are at the MDBA.
- Public submissions can be found on Engage Victoria for Wimmera-Mallee WRP and Victoria’s North and Murray WRP.
- For more details on Victoria's water resource plans email vic.basinplan@delwp.vic.gov.au.
Page last updated: 21/09/20