Murray–Darling Basin
21.1 Surface water allocation announcements

Supporting information

The volumetric value for the line item for the 2011–12 year was 9,011,661 ML. The line item includes following allocation volumes in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) region:

  • surface water allocation announcements (excluding urban water systems) associated with a number of entitlement classes (8,997,521 ML)
  • net volume 14,140 ML, of allocation trade received (details are after the following two tables).

Information on surface water allocation announcements for urban water systems is included in line item 21.2 'Surface water allocation announcements – urban water system'.

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


Summary of surface water allocation announcements (excluding urban water systems) in the MDB region
Surface water resource plan area State/Territory  Volume (ML) for the 2011–12 year 
 Code

Name
SW19 Warrego–Paroo–Nebine Qld 2612
SW18 Condamine–Balonne Qld 114,981
SW17 Moonie Qld n/a
SW16 Qld Border Rivers Qld 101958
SW15 NSW Border Rivers NSW 108,122
SW11 Barwon–Darling Watercourse NSW n/a
SW12 NSW Intersecting Streams NSW n/a
SW14 Gwydir NSW 523,003
SW13 Namoi NSW 304,988
SW10 Macquarie–Castlereagh NSW 443,822
Sub-total Northern Basin 1,599,486
SW9 Lachlan NSW 881,589
SW8 Murrumbidgee NSW NSW 2,079,089
SW7 NSW Murray and Lower Darling NSW 1,230,199
SW3 Northern Victoria Vic. 1,188,911
SW2 Vic. Murray Vic. 1,299,447
SW4 Wimmera–Mallee Vic. 75,820
SW6 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SA –
SW5 SA Murray SA 642,980
SW1 ACT ACT n/a
Sub-total Southern Basin

7,398,035
Total for the region

8,997,521

– = Data not available

Details of surface water allocation announcements (excluding urban water systems) in the MDB region 
Water resource plan area

Sustainable diversion limit (SDL) area

State

Entitlement class

 Volume (ML) for the 2011–12 year 

Code

Name
SW19 Warrego–Paroo–Nebine SS28 Warrego Qld Supplemented 2,612
SW18 Condamine–Balonne SS26  Condamine–Balonne  Qld Supplemented 114,981
SW16 Qld Border Rivers SS24 Qld Border Rivers Qld Supplemented 101,958
 Sub-total Queensland 219,551
SW15 NSW Border Rivers SS23 NSW Border Rivers  NSW High security 1,500
General security 105,620
Stock and domestic 1,002
Sub-total 108,122
SW14 Gwydir SS22 Gwydir  NSW High security 14,818
General security 505,381
Stock and domestic 2,744
High security – research 60
Sub-total  523,003
SW13 Namoi SS21 Namoi  NSW High security 4,299
General security 297,911
Stock and domestic 2,289
High security – research 489
Sub-total  304,988
SW10 Macquarie–Castlereagh SS20 Macquarie–Castlereagh  NSW High security 19,272
General security 414,617
Stock and domestic 5,589
High security – research 4,345
Sub-total  443,822
SW9 Lachlan SS16 Lachlan NSW High security 30,905
General security 818,466
Stock and domestic 14,307
Conveyance 17,911
Sub-total  881,589
SW8 Murrumbidgee NSW SS15 Murrumbidgee NSW NSW High security 356,846
General security 1,400,509
Stock and domestic 35,942
Conveyance 283,639
High security – research 300
High security – Aboriginal cultural 1,853
Sub-total  2,079,089
SW7 NSW Murray and Lower Darling SS18 Lower Darling NSW High security 7,633
General security 73,236
Stock and domestic 1,375
Sub-total  82,244
SS14 NSW Murray NSW High security 102,514
General security 698,286
Stock and domestic 17,183
Conveyance 329,960
High security – research 0
High security – Aboriginal cultural 0
High security – community & education 12
Sub-total  1,147,955
 Sub-total New South Wales 5,570,812
SW3 Northern Victoria SS4 Ovens Vic. High reliability water share 22,477
SS5 Broken Vic. Combined high and low reliability 11,130
SS6 Goulburn Vic. Combined high and low reliability 1,085,354
SS7 Campaspe Vic. Combined high and low reliability 60,748
SS8 Loddon Vic. Combined high and low reliability 9,202
SW2 Vic Murray SS2 Vic. Murray Vic. Combined high and low reliability 1,299,447
SW4 Wimmera–Mallee SS9 Wimmera–Mallee Vic. High reliability water share 75,820
 Sub-total Victoria 2,564,178
SW6 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SS13 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SA Regulated –
Unregulated –
Sub-total 0
SW2 SA Murray SS11 SA Murray SA Class 1 – stock and domestic 8,351
Class 3 – irrigation and holding  564,773
Class 4 – recreation 4,424
Class 5 – industrial 5,520
Class 7 – environment 38,367
Class 8 – environmental land management 21,545
Combined classes metered 0
Combined classes unmetered 0
Sub-total  642,980
SS10 SA Non-prescribed Areas SA Regulated –
Unregulated –
Sub-total   0
SW6 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SS12 Marne Saunders SA Regulated –
Unregulated –
Sub-total   0
 Sub-total South Australia 642,980
Total for the region 8,997,521

– = Data not available

 

Environmental water allocation

Allocation volumes provided in above two tables include environmental water allocations as reported by the states.

Allocation reconciliation

The following table reconciles carry-over, allocation announcements, allocation diversion, allocation trade and allocation forfeiture for the jurisdictions within the MDB region for the 2011–12 year. All allocation related non-urban and urban line items have been considered in the reconciliation.


Reconciliation of volumes for the allocation-related line items for the 2011–12 year
Jurisdiction A = Line items 5.1 and 5.2 opening volume (allocation carry-over, ML) B = Line items 21.1 and 21.2 (allocation announcements, ML) C = Line items 17.11 and 17.12 (allocation diversion, ML) D = Line items 13.1 and 13.2 (forfeiture, ML) E = Line item 37.1 (temporary water trade inward, ML) F = Line item 37.1 (temporary water trade outward, ML) G = Line items 5.1 and 5.2 closing volume (allocation carry-over, ML) A+B+E-C-D-F-G (ML)
Queensland 14,667 219,551 164,760 80,358 81,858 55,746 15,212 0
New South Wales 3,901,622 5,718,371 3,876,430 1,310,530 2,158,729 2,230,966 4,360,796 0
Victoria 2,864,073 2,762,779 2,404,884 366,418 1,141,030 1,372,711 2,623,870 0
South Australia 0 822,980 424,531 676,254 722,737 444,932 0 0
Australian Capital Territory 0 70,000 41,790 28,210 0 0 0 0
All 6,780,362 9,593,682 6,912,395 2,461,770 4,104,354 4,104,354 6,999,878 0


The table shows allocations for all the jurisdictions were reconciled with no unaccounted volumes when allocation-related both non-urban and urban line items had been considered and allocation trades had been taken into account.

When only non-urban line items were considered, it was not possible to consider allocation trade in the reconciliation process because:

  • allocation trade has not yet been included as input variable in the current accounting process
  • details of allocation trade between non-urban and urban entitlement l classes were not available.

Reconciliation of non-urban line items (5.1, 13.1, 17.11 and 21.1) excluding allocation trades shows unaccounted volume of 14,140 ML. This unaccounted volume has been due to exclusion of allocation trade in the reconciliation.  Reconciliation of urban line items (5.2, 13.2, 17.12 and 21.2) has resulted in the same unaccounted volume. Therefore, allocation announcements (line items 21.1 and 21.2) have been revised as shown in the following table to accommodate change in water availability as a result of net allocation trade.


Accounting water availability resulting from net allocation trade in allocation annoucements
Segment

Line item 21.1 

Line item 21.2

Both line items 21.1 and 21.2
Estimated from received data (ML) Revised volume accommodating temporary water trade to reconcile allocation-related line items (ML) Difference between estimated and revised volumes (ML) Estimated from received data (ML) Revised to reconcile allocation-related line items (ML) Difference between estimated and revised volumes (ML) Estimated from received data (ML) Revised to reconcile allocation-related line items (ML) Difference between estimated and revised volumes (ML)
Northern Basin 1,599,486 1,599,474 12 42,487 42,499 –12 1,641,973 1,641,973 0
Southern Basin 7,398,035 7,412,187 –14,152 553,673 539,521 14,152 7,951,709 7,951,709 0
Whole region 8,997,521 9,011,661 –14,140 596,160 582,020 14,140 9,593,682 9,593,682 0


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 supplemented entitlements are included within supplemented entitlement class. Supplemented urban and supplemented non-urban volumes on allocations, diversions and other attributes were received together and it was not possible for these to be separated out for two purposes. Therefore, this line item includes surface water allocation announcements for both urban and non-urban supplemented entitlements.     

Water supply system associated with Beardmore storage in Condamine–Balonne SDL area is predominantly a capacity share scheme and doesn't have an annual announced allocation. Announced allocation is calculated on use plus available water remaining at the end of the water year.

For Queensland Border Rivers SDL area, allocation announcement includes both the allocation announcement during the year and the remaining water available at the end of the previous year. No information was available to separate the water available at the end of the previous year from the allocation announced during the year.    

The Border Rivers water supply scheme within Queensland Border Rivers SDL area is a continuous accounting scheme and doesn't have an annual announced allocation. Announced allocation is calculated on use plus available water remaining at the end of the water year; however, a part of Macintyre Brook scheme is subject to announced allocation but it is gradually moving to continuous accounting.

 New South Wales

In calculating allocation announcements, impacts of implementing new water sharing plans and abolishing existing plans have been taken into account.

Water availability related to allocation announcements took into account impact of reservoir spilling.

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

The volume for Murrumbidgee NSW includes the allocation announcements associated with river conveyance and bulk irrigation conveyance licences within the Coleambally and Murrumbidgee irrigation areas. These bulk irrigation conveyance licences are held by irrigation corporations to provide for losses within their distribution systems.

Similarly, the volume for Murray NSW includes the allocation announcements associated with river conveyance and bulk irrigation conveyance licences within the Murray irrigation area. This bulk irrigation conveyance licence is held by an irrigation corporation to provide for losses within the distribution system.

Victoria

The following table provides an allocation reconciliation for Victorian SDL areas.

Surface water allocation reconciliation – Victoria
SDL area

Carry-over from the 2010–11 year (ML)

Allocation for the 2011–12 year (ML)

Total temporary trade inward (ML)

Total temporary trade outward (ML)

Consumptive use within the 2011–12 year (ML)

Total forfeiture at end of the 2011–12 year (ML)

Estimated carry-over to the 2012–13 year
Ovens 0 22,477 93 93 2,882 19,595 0
Broken 10,130 11,069 23 23 5,736 5,708 9,753
Goulburn 836,107 1,085,354 316,986 321,873 975,284 182,032 759,258
Campaspe 212,682 60,748 65,942 56,628 20,325 63,440 198,978
Loddon 180,100 9,202 64,584 48,916 8,932 7,794 188,245
Vic Murray 1,625,117 1,299,447 693,402 945,177 1,270,622 –65,469 1,467,636
Wimmera-Mallee 0 75,820 0 0 26,267 49,553 0
All 2,864,073 2,564,178 1,141,029 1,372,710 2,310,048 262,653 2,623,870

Victorian allocation announcements are shown in the source valley, even if the water was taken in a different destination valley. Therefore, all entitlements in the Goulburn SDL area have their allocation announcements shown in that area, rather than the destination valleys of the Loddon or the Campaspe.

In this line item, allocation announcements that could not be specified under high reliability water share or a low reliability water share were reported as combined high and low reliability water share.

Victorian allocation volumes provided in this line item include environmental water allocations as shown in the following table.


Environmental water allocations included in Victorian allocations
SDL area Total allocation for the 2011–12 year (ML) Environmental water allocation included in the total allocation (ML)
Ovens 22,477 70
Broken 11,130 51
Goulburn 1,085,354 153,889
Campaspe 60,748 11,323
Loddon 9,202 3,564
Vic. Murray 1,299,447 241,414
Wimmera–Mallee 75,820 41,560
All 2,564,178 451,870

Quantification approach

Data source

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

Provided by

Bureau of Meteorology (the Bureau).

Method

  • Allocation announcements are usually the entitlements on issue multiplied by the percentage allocation announced.
  • Allocation announcement is calculated by the states.
  • WAM–supplied data are either measured, modelled or estimated.
  • 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.

Assumptions, limitations, caveats and approximations

  • Uncertainty reported by New South Wales Office of Water includes possible errors in the data handling processes.
  • For Queensland, as the allocation announcement includes both the allocation and water available at the end of the previous year, the carry-over value may be understated and the allocation announcement may be overstated.
  • 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.

Uncertainty information

Uncertainty of allocation announcements may in part be due to existing entitlements being converted into a different class, new entitlements issued, or entitlements cancelled following commissioning of a water saving infrastructure project.

The following table shows the WAM uncertainty percentages and the measurement method applied that relates to the reported percentage. 

 

WAM uncertainty percentages
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 table below outlines the WAM uncertainty percentage for each entitlement class for each jurisdiction.


Uncertainty percentages for the jurisdiction
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