Murray–Darling Basin
17.7 Entitled diversion of non-allocated surface water to users

The volumetric value for the line item for the 2011–12 year was 1,614,049 ML. The line item represents entitled diversion of non-allocated surface water, except for to urban water systems, in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) region. Non-allocated surface water diversions are made under water access entitlements, for which no present commitment (water liability) to deliver water to users was recognised.

The following two tables provide a summary and breakdown information for the line item in the MDB region. 

Summary of the entitled diversion of non-allocated surface water to users (excluding urban water systems) in the MDB region during the 2011–12 year

Surface water resource plan (WRP) area		State/Terrotory	Volume (ML) for the 2010–11 year
Code	Name
SW19	Warrego–Paroo–Nebine	Qld	12,161
SW18	Condamine–Balonne	Qld	393,558
SW17	Moonie	Qld	11,601
SW16	Qld Border Rivers	Qld	123,395
SW15	NSW Border Rivers	NSW	85,186
SW11	Barwon–Darling Watercourse	NSW	98,944
SW12	NSW Intersecting Streams	NSW	3,309
SW14	Gwydir	NSW	151,204
SW13	Namoi	NSW	172,857
SW10	Macquarie–Castlereagh	NSW	38,680
Sub-total Northern Basin			1,090,894
SW9	Lachlan	NSW	15,342
SW8	Murrumbidgee NSW	NSW	182,497
SW7	NSW Murray and Lower Darling	NSW	289,529
SW3	Northern Victoria	Vic.	17,624
SW2	Vic. Murray	Vic.	17,422
SW4	Wimmera–Mallee	Vic.	–
SW6	Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges	SA	–
SW5	SA Murray	SA	–
SW1	ACT	ACT	740
Sub-total Southern Basin			523,155
Total for the region			1,614,049

 

Details of entitled diversion of non-allocated surface water to users (excluding urban water systems) in the MDB region during the 2011–12 year

Surface water resource plan (WRP) area	Sustainable diversion limit (SDL) area		State/Territory	Entitlement Class	Volume (ML) for the 2011–12 year
	Code	Name
SW19 Warrego–Paroo–Nebine	SS29	Paroo	Qld	Unsupplemented	20
	SS28	Warrego	Qld	Unsupplemented	12,141
	SS27	Nebine	Qld	Unsupplemented	0
SW18 Condamine–Balonne	SS26	Condamine–Balonne	Qld	Unsupplemented	393,558
SW17 Moonie	SS25	Moonie	Qld	Unsupplemented	11,601
SW16 Qld Border Rivers	SS24	Qld Border Rivers	Qld	Unsupplemented	123,395
Sub-total Queensland					540,715
SW15 NSW Border Rivers	SS23	NSW Border Rivers	NSW	Supplementary	62,186
				Unregulated	23,000
				Sub-total	85,186
SW11 Barwon–Darling Watercourse	SS19	Barwon–Darling Watercourse	NSW	Unregulated	98,944
SW12 NSW Intersecting Streams	SS17	NSW Intersecting Streams		Unregulated	3,309
SW14 Gwydir	SS22	Gwydir	NSW	Supplementary	107,204
				Unregulated	44,000
				Sub-total	151,204
SW13 Namoi	SS21	Namoi	NSW	Supplementary	59,857
				Unregulated	113,000
				Sub-total	172,857
SW10 Macquarie–Castlereagh	SS20	Macquarie–Castlereagh	NSW	Supplementary	3,392
				Unregulated	35,288
				Sub-total	38,680
SW9 Lachlan	SS16	Lachlan	NSW	Unregulated	15,342
SW8 Murrumbidgee NSW	SS15	Murrumbidgee NSW	NSW	Supplementary	139,785
				Unregulated	42,712
				Sub-total	206,183
SW7 NSW Murray and Lower Darling	SS18	Lower Darling	NSW	Supplementary	101,822
	SS14	NSW Murray	NSW	Supplementary	160,050
				Unregulated	27,657
				Sub-total	187,707
Sub-total New South Wales					1,061,233
SW2 Vic. Murray	SS3	Kiewa	Vic.	Unregulated	2,290
SW3 Northern Victoria	SS4	Ovens	Vic.	Unregulated	2,350
	SS5	Broken	Vic.	Unregulated	323
	SS6	Goulburn	Vic.	Unregulated	9,818
	SS7	Campaspe	Vic.	Unregulated	460
	SS8	Loddon	Vic.	Unregulated	4,673
SW2 Vic. Murray	SS2	Vic. Murray	Vic.	Unregulated	15,132
Sub-total Victoria					35,046
SW1 ACT	SS1	ACT	ACT	Unregulated– multi-purpose	740
Sub-total Australian Capital Territory					740
Total for the region					1,614,049

 

Further Information for Queensland

Queensland data includes unsupplemented irrigation water allocation with flow conditions, unsupplemented irrigation allocation without flow conditions and unsupplemented water licences diversions. The overland flow take estimation is shown under line item 17.5 Overbank flood spilling.

Further Information for New South Wales

New South Wales data in the previous table includes supplementary diversions in the regulated system and unregulated diversions in the unregulated systems. Although the line item name refers to non-allocated diversions, supplementary diversions are allocated by an available water determination following an announcement process as with the other allocated diversions.

The volume for unregulated entitlement class for Murrumbidgee NSW includes 338 ML uncontrolled water use in regulated supply area.

New South Wales data includes 4,183 ML of water diverted from the unregulated Fish River within the Macquarie–Castlereagh region to Delta Electricity and Lithgow City Council, (for use outside the MDB region) via the Fish River Water Supply Scheme under a commercial arrangement.

Further Information for Australian Capital Territory

In addition to the Australian Capital Territory volume stated in the above table, Murrumbidgee New South Wales volumes include Australian Capital Territory supplies for which Murrumbidgee New South Wales SDL area is the supply source.  

Australian Capital Territory volume provided in this line item includes diversions of unregulated flows under multi-use licences for non-potable water within the Australian Capital Territory. It includes urban use for licensed abstraction within the urban area, and other use for licensed abstraction outside the urban area.

 

(1) New South Wales Office of Water: water accounting section; (2) Environmental and Sustainable Development Directorate (ESDD) of the ACT Government: water resource information database; and (3) Murray–Darling Basin Authority: water audit monitoring (WAM) data received from New South Wales (22 January 2013), Queensland (4 February 2013) and Victoria (21 March 2013), and stored in the HYDRO database.

Bureau of Meteorology (the Bureau).

Australian Capital Territory SDL area: Individual licensees submit monthly meter readings to the Australian Capital Territory Environment Protection Authority on an annual basis. Where a licensee has not provided meter data, the EPA estimates usage based on historical usage data.

Other SDL areas: Volumes provided through WAM sources and NSW Office of Water's water accounting section were either measured, modelled or estimated.

 

Uncertainty reported by NSW Office of Water includes possible errors in the data handling processes.

Estimates of uncertainty of the diversions are indicative of the accuracy of bulk diversions only.

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.

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

ACT SDL area: More than 60% of meters are inspected each year to validate the readings supplied by licensees. Estimated uncertainty for meter accuracy is +/–5%. Uncertainty cannot be quantified for estimated usage where meters were not read.

Other SDL areas: The tables below show the WAM uncertainty definitions and the measurement method applied that relates to the reported uncertainty percentage, and the WAM uncertainty percentage for each entitlement class for each State. 

 

Uncertainty definitions for WAM data

Uncertainty 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

WAM uncertainty percentage for each entitlement class associated with entitled diversion of non-allocated surface water to users for each jurisdiction

Jurisdiction	All entitlement classes in following SDL areas	WAM uncertainty (%)
Qld	Paroo	40
Qld	Warrego	40
Qld	Nebine	40
Qld	Condamine–Balonne	5–40
Qld	Moonie System	20
Qld	Border Rivers	5–40
NSW	Border Rivers	5–40
NSW	Intersecting Stream	40
NSW	Gwydir	5–40
NSW	Namoi	5–40
NSW	Macquarie–Castlereagh	5–40
NSW	Lachlan	40
NSW	Upper Darling	20
NSW	Lower Darling	The uncertainty estimate was not quantified
NSW	Murrumbidgee	5–40
NSW	Murray	5–40
Vic.	Kiewa	15
Vic.	Ovens	18
Vic.	Broken	10
Vic.	Goulburn	5
Vic.	Campaspe	40
Vic.	Loddon	40
Vic.	Murray	The uncertainty estimate was not quantified
ACT	ACT	5

This line item corresponds to line item 17.7 Non-allocated diversions to users reported in the 2011 Account.