Murray–Darling Basin
21.2 Surface water allocation announcements – urban water system

The volumetric value for the line item for the 2012–13 year was 539,037 ML for the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) region. The line item represents surface water allocation announcements for urban water systems associated with a number of entitlement classes (551,017 ML) less net allocation trade outward (11,980 ML) in the MDB region.

The following two tables provide a summary and breakdown information on surface water allocation announcements for urban water systems within the region. 

 

Summary of surface water allocation announcements for urban water systems in the MDB region

Water Resource Plan (WRP) area		State/Territory	Volume (ML) for the 2012–13 year
Code	Name
SW20	Warrego–Paroo–Nebine	Qld	0
SW19	Condamine–Balonne	Qld	0
SW18	Moonie	Qld	n/a
SW17	Qld Border Rivers	Qld	0
SW16	NSW Border Rivers	NSW	620
SW12	Barwon–Darling Watercourse	NSW	0
SW11	NSW Intersecting Streams	NSW	n/a
SW15	Gwydir	NSW	3,836
SW14	Namoi	NSW	19,186
SW11	Macquarie–Castlereagh	NSW	18,845
Sub-total Northern Basin			42,487
SW10	Lachlan	NSW	15,545
SW9	Murrumbidgee	NSW	43,585
SW8	NSW Murray and Lower Darling	NSW	46,827
SW3	Northern Victoria	Vic.	46,109
SW2	Vic. Murray	Vic.	58,154
SW4	Wimmera–Malee	Vic.	47,310
SW5 and 7	SA Murray Region and Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges	SA	n/a
SW6	SA Murray	SA	180,000
SW1	ACT	ACT	71,000
Sub-total Southern Basin			508,530
Total for the region			551,017

 

Details of surface water allocation announcements for urban water systems in the MDB region

Water resource plan area	Sustainable diversion limit area		State/Territory	Entitlement class	Volume (ML) for the 2012–13 year
	Code	Name
SW16 NSW Border Rivers	SS23	NSW Border Rivers	NSW	local water utility	620
SW15 Gwydir	SS22	Gwydir	NSW	local water utility	3,836
SW14 Namoi	SS21	Namoi	NSW	local water utility	19,186
SW11 Macquarie–Castlereagh	SS20	Macquarie–Castlereagh	NSW	local water utility	18,805
			NSW	high security town water supply	40
			NSW	Sub-total	18,845
SW10 Lachlan	SS16	Lachlan	NSW	local water utility	15,545
SW9 Murrumbidgee NSW	SS15	Murrumbidgee NSW	NSW	local water utility	23,816
				high security town water supply	19,769
				Sub-total	43,585
SW8 NSW Murray and Lower Darling	SS18	Lower Darling	NSW	local water utility	10,135
	SS14	NSW Murray	NSW	local water utility	33,497
				high security town water supply	3,195
				Sub-total	36,692
Sub-total New South Wales					148,444
SW3 Northern Victoria	SS4	Ovens	Vic.	urban–regulated	7,832
	SS5	Broken	Vic.	urban–regulated	232
	SS6	Goulburn	Vic.	urban–regulated	35,910
	SS7	Campaspe	Vic.	urban–regulated	819
	SS8	Loddon	Vic.	urban–regulated	1,316
SW2 Vic. Murray	SS2	Vic. Murray	Vic.	urban–regulated	58,154
SW4 Wimmera–Mallee	SS9	Wimmera–Mallee	Vic.	urban–regulated	47,310
Sub-total Victoria					151,573
SW7 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges	SS13	Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges	SA	urban	–
	SS12	Marne Saunders	SA	urban	–
SW5 SA Murray Region	SS10	SA non-prescribed areas	SA	urban	–
SW6 SA River Murray	SS11	SA Murray	SA	class 2: other urban (country town) water supply	50,000
				class 6: Metro-Adelaide water supply scheme	130,000
				combined classes urban	0
				Sub-total	180,000
Sub-total South Australia					180,000
SW1 ACT	SS1	ACT	ACT	urban–regulated	71,000
Total for the region					551,017

– = no data available

Queensland

In Queensland, the resource operations 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 2013 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, surface water allocation announcements for both urban and non-urban supplemented entitlements are included in line item 21.1 Surface water allocation announcements.

New South Wales

New South Wales volumes reported in this line item contain the allocation announcements made under major and local water utility classes as well as the high security town water supply class. Water use for cultural, industrial, research, community, and education activities have been categorised as non-urban.  Therefore, related allocation announcements are included in line item 21.1 Surface water allocation announcements.

In calculating allocation announcements, impacts of implementing new water sharing plans and abolishing existing plans have been taken into account. In addition, water availability related to allocation announcements took into account impact of reservoir spilling.

Victoria

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 sustainable diversion limit (SDL) area have their allocation announcements shown in that area, rather than the destination valleys of the Loddon or the Campaspe.

Transfers to Melbourne via the North–South pipeline occur under a commercial arrangement and not under an entitlement. Therefore, no separate allocation volumes are available.

Australian Capital Territory

In the Australian Capital Territory, no formal allocation announcement is made to extract water from storages. The allocation announcement for the year is assumed to be equal to the total entitlement volume.

(1) New South Wales Office of Water: water accounting section; and (2) water audit monitoring (WAM) data received from Australian Capital Territory (5 February 2014), Queensland (5 February 2014), South Australia (17 March 2014), and Victoria (14 February 2014). WAM data are stored in the Murray–Darling Basin Authority HYDRO database.

 

Bureau of Meteorology (the Bureau).

• Allocation announcements are usually the entitlements on issue multiplied by the percentage allocation announced.
• Allocation announcement is as calculated by the States and Australian Capital Territory.
• WAM–supplied data are either measured, modelled or estimated.
• The data supplied by New South Wales Office 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.

 

Uncertainty estimates reported by New South Wales  Office of Water include possible errors in the data handling processes.

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

 

Uncertainty percentages from jurisdictions

State	Entitlement class	Uncertainty (%)
Qld	Condamine Balonne	5
Qld	Border Rivers	5
Qld	Moonie System	n/a
Qld	Nebine	n/a
Qld	Warrego	5
Qld	Paroo	n/a
NSW	Combined NSW regulated data reliability	10
Vic.	Broken	5–10
Vic.	Goulburn	5
Vic.	Campaspe	5
Vic.	Loddon	5
Vic.	Ovens	5
Vic.	Murray	5–10
Vic.	Wimmera–Mallee	5
SA	class 2 and class 6	5

A prior period error resulted in the restatement of the 2011–12 year volume. The volume reported in the 2012 Account for SS1 Australian Capital Territory SDL area was 70,000 ML for the 2011–12 year. This volume was 1,000 ML less than the correct volume.  This was due to a data translation error.  As a result, the line item value was updated as 583, 020 ML from previous 582,020 for 2011–12 year for the 2013 Account.