Canberra

The scope of the information presented in the Canberra region report is based on agreements between the Department of the Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water and the Bureau of Meteorology (the Bureau) about what information is required to represent the water systems of the region and water information available.

With the exception of the physical water flow information, the report was prepared using an accrual basis of water accounting. The water attribute being quantified is volume and the unit of account is megalitres (ML).

Only water and claims to water that are held or managed by the State licencing authority or the urban utilities and part of the entitlement system are identified as water assets. Provided its volume can be quantified with representational faithfulness, the volume of the water asset or water liability is recognised in the Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities. Where a water asset or water liability does not meet the recognition criteria, it is reported in the Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities with a dash (-). Water held in storages that was already abstracted from the entitlement system is deemed not to be part of the region (no matter their size or connection to the system). This is because the attendant water right was already exercised.

It was assumed the volumes of 1.4 Lakes and wetlands – connected are always at full capacity.

While water within 1.2 Unregulated channel and 1.3 Regulated channel are vital water assets for the conveyance of water within the region, it cannot be quantified with representational faithfulness.

2 Groundwater store assets within the Canberra region cannot be quantified with representational faithfulness. The omission of the groundwater from the Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities is not considered material.

The water within 5 Water distribution system store cannot be quantified with representational faithfulness and as such is not reported in the Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities. It is recognised that the pipes are always full and the omission of the volume within the Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities is not considered material.

The increases and decreases to the water assets and water liabilities reported consist only of changes that can be quantified with representational faithfulness. Where a change to a water asset or water liability does not meet the recognition criteria, it is reported in the Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities and the Statement of Physical Water Flows with a dash (-). These increases and decreases form part of 30 Unaccounted-for difference and are explained in the Notes.

Precipitation and evaporation are recognised only in relation to the storage surfaces (13.1 Precipitation on connected surface water and 14.1 Evaporation from connected surface water). The volume calculated for this account does not represent all precipitation, evaporation and evapotranspiration within the physical region (notably, these processes occurring from the landscape are not captured).

That portion of run-off that flows into the storages is quantified and recognised. This run-off includes precipitation captured in the catchment less evaporation and seepage and is recorded as 13.4.1 Run-off to connected surface water.The definition of regulated or unregulated for the purpose of the National Water Account may be different to the meaning applied by the jurisdiction. Please refer to 1.6 Water markets, entitlements and allocations for the definition for the purpose of the National Water Account 2010.