Murray–Darling Basin
17.11 Entitled diversion of allocated surface water to users

Supporting information

The volumetric value for the line item for the 2011–12 year was 6,616,093 ML. The line item represents diversion (excluding urban water systems) associated with a number of entitlement classes in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) region. For Queensland, this line item includes surface water allocation diversions for both urban and non-urban supplemented entitlements (details are after the following tables). Information on allocation diversions for urban water systems for other jurisdictions is included in line item 17.12 Entitled diversion of allocated surface water to urban water system.

The following two tables provide a summary and breakdown information on surface water allocation diversion (excluding urban water systems) within the region. 


Summary of Entitled diversion of allocated surface water to users (excluding urban water systems) in the MDB region during the 2011–12 year
Surface water resource plan area State/Territory  Volume (ML) for the 2011–12 year 
Code

Name
SW19 Warrego–Paroo–Nebine Qld 1,573
SW18 Condamine-Balonne Qld 109,763
SW17 Moonie Qld n/a
SW16 Qld Border Rivers Qld 53,424
SW15 NSW Border Rivers NSW 71,471
SW11 Barwon–Darling Watercourse NSW n/a
SW12 NSW Intersecting Streams NSW n/a
SW14 Gwydir NSW 91,875
SW13 Namoi NSW 71,524
SW10 Macquarie–Castlereagh NSW 285,838
Sub-total Northern Basin 685,467
SW9 Lachlan NSW 211,650
SW8 Murrumbidgee NSW NSW 1,570,896
SW7 NSW Murray and Lower Darling NSW 1,508,258
SW3 Northern Victoria Vic. 1,013,159
SW2 Vic. Murray Vic. 1,270,622
SW4 Wimmera–Mallee Vic. 26,267
SW6 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SA –
SW5 SA Murray SA 329,774
SW1 ACT ACT n/a
Sub-total Southern Basin 5,930,626
Total for the region 6,616,093

– = Data not available

Details of Entitled diversion of allocated surface water to users (excluding urban water systems) in the MDB region during the 2011–12 year
Water resource plan area Sustainable diversion limit area State Entitlement class  Volume (ML) for the 2011–12 year 
Code Name
SW19 Warrego–Paroo-Nebine SS28 Warrego Qld Supplemented 1,573
SW18 Condamine–Balonne SS26  Condamine–Balonne  Qld Supplemented 109,763
SW16 Qld Border Rivers SS24 Qld Border Rivers Qld Supplemented 53,424
 Sub-total Queensland 164,760
SW15 NSW Border Rivers SS23 NSW Border Rivers  NSW High security 53
General security 70,993
Stock and domestic 425
Sub-total 71,471
SW14 Gwydir SS22 Gwydir  NSW High security 5,675
General security 85,720
Stock and domestic 480
High security – research 0
Sub-total  91,875
SW13 Namoi SS21 Namoi  NSW High security 455
General security 70,042
Stock and domestic 541
High security – research 486
Sub-total  71,524
SW10 Macquarie–Castlereagh SS20 Macquarie–Castlereagh  NSW High security 3,955
General security 279,654
Stock and domestic 1,273
High security – research 956
Sub-total  285,838
SW9 Lachlan SS16 Lachlan NSW High security 56,274
General security 140,079
Stock and domestic 2,747
Conveyance 12,550
Sub-total  211,650
SW8 Murrumbidgee NSW SS15 Murrumbidgee NSW NSW High security 332,151
General security 1,022,155
Stock and domestic 23,653
Conveyance 192,275
High security – research 298
High security – Aboriginal cultural 364
Sub-total  1,570,896
NSW Murray and Lower Darling SS18 Lower Darling NSW High security 3,349
General security 62,399
Stock and domestic 566
Sub-total  66,314
SS14 NSW Murray NSW High security 88,791
General security 920,684
Stock and domestic 9,627
Conveyance 422,818
High security – research 0
High security – Aboriginal cultural 0
High security – Community & education 25
Sub-total  1,441,945
 Sub-total New South Wales 3,811,511
Northern Victoria SS4 Ovens Vic. High reliability water share 2,882
SS5 Broken Vic. Combined high and low reliability 5,736
SS6 Goulburn Vic. Combined high and low reliability 975,284
SS7 Campaspe Vic. Combined high and low reliability 20,325
SS8 Loddon Vic. Combined high and low reliability 8,932
Vic. Murray SS2 Vic. Murray Vic. Combined high and low reliability 1,270,622
Wimmera–Mallee SS9 Wimmera–Mallee Vic. High reliability water share 26,267
 Sub-total Victoria 2,310,048
Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SS13 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SA Regulated –
unregulated –
Sub-total 0
SA Murray SS11 SA Murray SA Class 1 – Stock and domestic –
Class 3 – Irrigation and holding  –
Class 4 – Recreation –
Class 5 – Industrial –
Class 7 – Environment –
Class 8 – Environmental land management –
Class 9 – Wetland Management –
Combined classes metered 326,537
Combined classes unmetered 3,237
Sub-total  329,774
SS10 SA Non-prescribed areas SA Regulated –
unregulated –
Sub-total   0
Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SS12 Marne Saunders SA Regulated –
unregulated –
Sub-total   0
 Sub-total South Australia 329,774
Total for the region 6,616,093

– = Data not available


The line item volume includes allocated consumptive environmental water use as reported by the states.

 

Queensland

In Queensland, the resource operation plans (ROPs) distinguish between high and medium priority of supplemented water allocation. The water audit monitoring (WAM) data, which are the data source for the 2012 Account, only distinguish between supplemented and unsupplemented entitlements. Both urban and non-urban entitlements are included within supplemented entitlement class. Supplemented urban and supplemented non-urban volumes on allocations, diversions and other attributes were received together and could not be separated out for two purposes. Therefore, this line item includes surface water allocation diversions for both urban and non-urban supplemented entitlements.   


New South Wales

Water use for cultural, industrial, research, community and education activities have been categorised as non-urban.  Therefore, related information is included in this line item.

 

Victoria

Victorian allocation diversions are shown in the source valley, even though the water was taken in a different destination valley. Therefore all entitlements in the Goulburn region have their diversions shown in the Goulburn sustainable diversion limit area, rather than the destination valleys of the Loddon or the Campaspe, or transferred to Melbourne.


Calculation of allocation diversions within the region–Victoria
Sustainable diversion limit area

WAM volume (ML)

Add environmental diversions1 (ML)

Deduct unregulated diversion2 (ML)

Deduct urban diversions made from channels in gravity irrigation districts (ML)

Total (ML)
Ovens 5,162 70 2,350   2,882
Broken 6,008 51 323   5,736
Goulburn 968,960 22,249 9,818 6,107 975,284
Campaspe 13,142 7,643 460 0 20,325
Loddon 12,041 1,564 4,673   8,932
Vic. Murray 1,236,301 41,601 4,613 2,667 1,270,622
Wimmera–Mallee 8,570 17,697     26,267
All 2,250,184 90,875 22,237 8,774 2,310,048

1Volumes for allocation diversion but not included in WAM volume

2 Volumes not related to allocation diversion but included in WAM volume

 

Diversion volumes that could not be specified under high reliability water share or a low reliability water share were reported as combined high and low reliability diversions.

 

South Australia

South Australian volumes represent diversions made under entitlement classes 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 including environmental diversions.

Quantification approach

Data source

(1) New South Wales Office of Water's water accounting section: New South Wales water use data; and (2) Murray–Darling Basin Authority: WAM data received from Queensland (4 February 2013) South Australia (15 March 2013) and Victoria (21 March 2013). WAM data are stored in the Murray–Darling Basin Authority HYDRO database.

Provided by

Bureau of Meteorology (the Bureau).

Method

Allocation diversion is as calculated by the states.

New South Wales Office of Water supplied data are prepared on a water balance approach. It implies that the movement of values during the year will balance the opening and closing balances. The forfeitures and adjustments have been checked to ensure that the closing balance reconciles.

WAM-supplied data are either measured, modelled or estimated.

Assumptions, limitations, caveats and approximations

Uncertainty reported for diversion at the abstraction point accounts for possible errors in the data collection process.

A single metered abstraction point may provide water to a range of users, under various types of entitlements (e.g. stock and domestic class). When this happens, the jurisdiction may split the metered abstraction into several classes of entitlements or types of users, according to priority rules governing the entitlements. This split has an inherent uncertainty that is not considered here.

Estimates of uncertainty of the diversions are indicative accuracy of bulk diversions at the abstraction point on the river only and do not provide an uncertainty of diversion at the diversion point.

Information provided in this line item may have been based on Cap valleys in the HYDRO database, which may not align perfectly with sustainable diversion limit areas.

Uncertainty information

WAM data uncertainty estimate definitions
Percentage 

Accuracy description
5 Metered diversions
10 Estimate based on user meter readings
20 Detailed estimate based on regional surveys
40 Estimate based on user returns

 

The following table outlines the WAM uncertainty percentage for each entitlement class for each jurisdiction.

 

Uncertainty percentage for non-urban allocation diversions in the jurisdictions
Jurisdiction Entitlement class  Uncertainty percentage
Qld Condamine Balonne 5
Qld Border Rivers 5
Qld Warrego 5
NSW All regulated non-urban 10
Vic Broken 10
Vic Goulburn 5
Vic Campaspe 5
Vic Loddon 5–15
Vic Ovens 18
Vic Kiewa 15
Vic Murray  5–20
Vic Wimmera–Mallee 5
SA Class 1 40
SA Class 3, Class 4, Class 5, Class 7, Class 8, Class 9 and combined class metered 5
SA Combined classes unmetered 20
ACT All regulated non-urban 5

Comparative year

This line item corresponds to line item 17.11 'Surface water allocation diversion' reported in the 2011 Account.