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

The volumetric value for the line item for the 2012–13 year was 2,066,946 ML. The line item represents entitled diversion of non-allocated surface water, except for 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 2012–13year

Surface water resource plan area		State/Territory	Volume (ML) for the 2012–13 year
Code	Name
SW20	Warrego–Paroo–Nebine	Qld	1,016
SW19	Condamine–Balonne	Qld	629,762
SW18	Moonie	Qld	30,617
SW17	Qld Border Rivers	Qld	131,494
SW16	NSW Border Rivers	NSW	61,759
SW12	Barwon–Darling Watercourse	NSW	189,306
SW13	NSW Intersecting Streams	NSW	3,309
SW15	Gwydir	NSW	160,718
SW14	Namoi	NSW	153,408
SW11	Macquarie–Castlereagh	NSW	37,016
Sub-total Northern Basin			1,398,405
SW10	Lachlan	NSW	16,028
SW9	Murrumbidgee NSW	NSW	373,019
SW8	NSW Murray and Lower Darling	NSW	210,610
SW3	Northern Victoria	Vic.	40,024
SW2	Vic. Murray	Vic.	26,417
SW4	Wimmera–Mallee	Vic.	–
SW5 and SW7	SA Murray Region and Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges	SA	–
SW6	SA River Murray	SA	–
SW1	ACT	ACT	2443
Sub-total Southern Basin			668,541
Total for the region			2,066,946

 

Details of entitled diversion of non-allocated surface water to users (excluding urban water systems) in the MDB region during the 2012–13 year

Surface water resource plan area	Sustainable diversion limit area		State/Territory	Entitlement Class	Volume (ML) for the 2012–13 year
	Code	Name
SW20 Warrego–Paroo–Nebine	SS29	Paroo	Qld	unsupplemented	20
	SS28	Warrego	Qld	unsupplemented	996
	SS27	Nebine	Qld	unsupplemented	0
SW19 Condamine–Balonne	SS26	Condamine–Balonne	Qld	unsupplemented	629,762
SW18 Moonie	SS25	Moonie	Qld	unsupplemented	30,617
SW17 Qld Border Rivers	SS24	Qld Border Rivers	Qld	unsupplemented	131,494
Sub-total Queensland					792,889
SW16 NSW Border Rivers	SS23	NSW Border Rivers	NSW	supplementary	38,938
				unregulated	22,821
				Sub-total	61,759
SW12 Barwon–Darling Watercourse	SS19	Barwon–Darling Watercourse	NSW	unregulated	189,306
SW13 NSW Intersecting Streams	SS17	NSW Intersecting Streams		unregulated	3,309
SW15 Gwydir	SS22	Gwydir	NSW	supplementary	116,718
				unregulated	44,000
				Sub-total	160,718
SW14 Namoi	SS21	Namoi	NSW	supplementary	40,408
				unregulated	113,000
				Sub-total	153,408
SW11 Macquarie–Castlereagh	SS20	Macquarie–Castlereagh	NSW	supplementary	1,728
				unregulated	35,288
				Sub-total	37,016
SW10 Lachlan	SS16	Lachlan	NSW	supplementary	686
				unregulated	15,342
				Sub-total	16,028
SW9 Murrumbidgee NSW	SS15	Murrumbidgee NSW	NSW	supplementary	156,259
				unregulated	216,760
				Sub-total	373,019
SW8 NSW Murray and Lower Darling	SS18	Lower Darling	NSW	supplementary	32,903
	SS14	NSW Murray	NSW	supplementary	150,050
				unregulated	27,657
				Sub-total	177,707
Sub-total New South Wales					1,205,173
SW2 Vic. Murray	SS3	Kiewa	Vic.	unregulated	6,124
SW3 Northern Victoria	SS4	Ovens	Vic.	unregulated	7,600
	SS5	Broken	Vic.	unregulated	1,315
	SS6	Goulburn	Vic.	unregulated	11,224
	SS7	Campaspe	Vic.	unregulated	3,275
	SS8	Loddon	Vic.	unregulated	16,610
SW2 Vic. Murray	SS2	Vic. Murray	Vic.	unregulated	20,293
Sub-total Victoria					66,441
SW1 ACT	SS1	ACT	ACT	unregulated multi-purpose	2,443
Sub-total Australian Capital Territory					2,443
Total for the region					2,066,946

Environmental water use accounted in the line item

The volumes provided in the above table include following environmental water use:

• Gwydir – 10,123 ML
• Murrumbidgee NSW – 3,894
• Lower Darling – 32,903 ML
• NSW Murray – 16,237 ML
• Vic Murray – 17,119 ML

These are volumes diverted from the source (not includes environmental water used in water source) as reported by the states.

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.

New South Wales data includes 7,475 ML of water diverted from the unregulated Fish River within the Macquarie–Castlereagh region to Sydney Catchment Authority, 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 NSW volumes include Australian Capital Territory supplies for which Murrumbidgee New South Wales sustainable diversion limit 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 (24 March 2014), Queensland (5 February 2014), and Victoria (14 February 2014), and stored in the HYDRO database.

Bureau of Meteorology.

Australian Capital Territory sustainable diversion limit (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 and Territory. 

 

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	5–40
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