Murray–Darling Basin
22.1 Groundwater allocation announcements

Supporting information
Quantification approach

Supporting information

The volumetric value for the line item for the 2012–13 year was 2,146,993 ML. The line item represents groundwater allocation announcements (excluding urban water systems) associated with a number of entitlement classes in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) region. Information on groundwater allocation announcements for urban water systems is included in line item 22.2 Groundwater allocation announcements – urban water system.

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

Summary of groundwater allocation announcements (excluding urban water systems in the MDB region in the 2012–13 year)
Groundwater resource plan area		State/Territory	Volume (ML) for the 2012–13 year
Code	Name	State/Territory	Volume (ML) for the 2012–13 year
GW22	Warrego–Paroo–Nebine	Qld	447
GW21	Condamine–Balonne	Qld	165,238
GW20	Moonie	Qld	20
GW19	Qld Border Rivers	Qld	18,722
GW18	New South Wales Border Rivers Alluvium	NSW	17,435
GW17	New England Fractured Rock and Northern Basalts	NSW	10,171
GW16	Eastern Porous Rock	NSW	17,338
GW15	Gwydir Alluvium	NSW	34,834
GW14	Namoi Alluvium	NSW	276,368
GW13	New South Wales Great Artesian Basin Shallow	NSW	5,637
GW12	Macquarie–Castlereagh Alluvium	NSW	114,900
GW11	Lachlan and South Western Fractured Rock	NSW	0
GW7	Darling Alluvium	NSW	–
*Sub-total Northern Basin*			*661,110*
GW11	Lachlan and South Western Fractured Rock	NSW	79,567
GW7	Darling Alluvium	NSW	928
GW10	Lachlan Alluvium	NSW	292,851
GW9	Murrumbidgee Alluvium	NSW	342,662
GW8	Murray Alluvium	NSW	240,038
GW6	Western Porous Rock	NSW	32,272
GW2	Goulburn–Murray	Vic.	403,201
GW3	Wimmera–Mallee (groundwater)	Vic.	37,185
GW5	Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges	SA	10,459
GW4	SA Murray Region	SA	45769
GW1	Australian Capital Territory (groundwater)	ACT	951
*Sub-total Southern Basin*			*1,485,883*
Total for the region			2,146,993

– = Data not available

Details of groundwater allocation announcements (excluding urban water systems in the MDB region in the 2012–13 year)
Groundwater resource plan area	Groundwater sustainable diversion limit area		State/Territory	Entitlement class	Volume (ML) for the 2012–13 year
Groundwater resource plan area	Code	Name	State/Territory	Entitlement class	Volume (ML) for the 2012–13 year
GW22 Warrego-Paroo-Nebine	GS60, GS63. GS66	Sediments above the Great Artesian Basin: Warrego-Paroo-Nebine St George Alluvium: Warrego-Paroo-Nebine Warrego Alluvium	Qld	aquifer	447
GW21 Condamine–Balonne	GS53, GS58, GS61, GS64 and GS65	Condamine Fractured Rock, Sediments above the GAB: Condamine–Balonne, St George Alluvium: Condamine–Balonne (shallow and deep), Upper Condamine Alluvium and Upper Condamine Basalts	Qld	aquifer	165,238
GW20 Moonie	GS59 and GS62	Sediments above the GAB: Moonie and St George Alluvium: Moonie	Qld	aquifer	20
GW19 Qld Border Rivers	GS54, GS55 and GS57	Qld Border Rivers Alluvium, Qld Border Rivers Fractured Rock and Sediments above the GAB: Border Rivers	Qld	aquifer	18,722
*Sub-total Queensland*					*184,427*
GW18 New South Wales Border Rivers Alluvium	GS32	NSW Border Rivers Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	15,877
GW18 New South Wales Border Rivers Alluvium	GS33	NSW Border Rivers Tributary Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	1,558
GW17 New England Fractured Rock and Northern Basalts	GS18	Inverell Basalt	NSW	aquifer	3,076
	GS22	Liverpool Ranges Basalt	NSW	aquifer	0
	GS37	New England Fold Belt	NSW	aquifer	7,095
	GS49	Warrumbungle Basalt	NSW	aquifer	0
GW16 Eastern Porous Rock	GS17	Gunnedah–Oxley Basin MDB	NSW	aquifer	17,338
GW16 Eastern Porous Rock	GS41	Sydney Basin MDB	NSW	aquifer	0
GW15 Gwydir Alluvium	GS24	Lower Gwydir Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	28,858
				supplementary	5,976
				*Sub-total*	*34,834*
GW14 Namoi Alluvium	GS29	Lower Namoi Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	81,596
				supplementary	6,262
				*Sub-total*	*87,858*
	GS30	Manilla Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	3,475
	GS40	Peel Valley Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	59,443
	GS47	Upper Namoi Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	110,131
				supplementary	12,282
				*Sub-total*	*122,413*
	GS48	Upper Namoi Tributary Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	3,179
GW13 New South Wales Great Artesian Basin Shallow	GS34 to GS 36	New South Wales GAB: Surat Shallow, Warrego Shallow and Central Shallow	NSW	aquifer	5,637
GW12 Macquarie–Castlereagh Alluvium	GS11	Bell Valley Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	4,538
	GS14	Castlereagh Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	583
	GS15	Collaburragundry–Talbragar Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	5,305
	GS16	Cudgegong Alluvium	NSW	aquifer and aquifer high security	10,685
	GS26	Lower Macquarie Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	65,375
				supplementary	719
				*Sub-total*	*66,094*
	GS45	Upper Macquarie Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	27,695
GW 11 Lachlan and South Western Fractured Rock (Northern Basin)	GS19	Kanmantoo Fold Belt	NSW	aquifer	0
GW 11 Lachlan and South Western Fractured Rock (Southern Basin)	GS10	Adelaide Fold Belt	NSW	aquifer	0
	GS 20	Lachlan Fold Belt	NSW	aquifer	63,729
				salinity and water table management	0
				*Sub-total*	*63,729*
	GS39	Orange Basalt	NSW	aquifer	9,500
	GS51	Young Granite	NSW	aquifer	6,338
GW7 Darling Alluvium	GS23	Lower Darling Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	928
GW10 Lachlan Alluvium	GS12	Belubula Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	8,250
	GS25	Lower Lachlan Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	105,678
				supplementary	10,619
				*Sub-total*	*116,297*
	GS44	Upper Lachlan Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	168,305
GW9 Murrumbidgee Alluvium	GS28	Lower Murrumbidgee Alluvium (shallow; Shepparton formation and deep; Calivil formation and Renmark Group)	NSW	aquifer	273,305
				supplementary	12,359
				*Sub-total*	*285,664*
	GS31	Mid Murrumbidgee Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	56,998
GW8 Murray Alluvium	GS13	Billabong Creek Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	3,547
				salinity and water table management	1,500
				*Sub-total*	*5,047*
	GS27	Lower Murray Alluvium (shallow; Shepparton formation and deep; Renmark Group and Calivil formation)	NSW	aquifer	145,331
				salinity and water table management	20,010
				supplementary	28,669
				*Sub-total*	*194,010*
	GS46	Upper Murray Alluvium	NSW	aquifer	40,981
GW6 Western Porous Rock	GS50	Western Porous Rock	NSW	aquifer	21,572
				salinity and water table management	10,700
				*Sub-total*	*32,272*
*Sub-total New South Wales*					*1,465,001*
GW2 Goulburn–Murray	GS8	Goulburn–Murray (Shepparton Irrigation Region, sedimentary plain, highlands and deep)	Vic.	aquifer	403,201
GW3 Wimmera–Mallee (groundwater)	GS9	Wimmera–Mallee (sedimentary plain, highlands and deep)	Vic.	aquifer	37,185
*Sub-total Victoria*					*440,386*
GW5 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges	GS1	Angas Bremer (Quaternary sediments and Murray Group limestone)	SA	aquifer	6,534
GW5 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges	GS4	Marne Saunders (Murray Group limestone and Renmark Group)	SA	aquifer	3,925
GW4 SA Murray Region	GS3	Mallee (Pliocene Sands, Murray Group limestone and Renmark Group)	SA	aquifer	43,558
GW4 SA Murray Region	GS5	Peake–Roby–Sherlock (unconfined and confined)	SA	aquifer	2,211
*Sub-total South Australia*					*56,228*
ACT (groundwater)	GS52	ACT (groundwater)	ACT	aquifer	951
*Sub-total ACT*					*951*
Total					2,146,993

Additional information

SDL areas other than included in the tables may have values relevant to the line item, however, relevant information was not available for the 2013 Account.

The volumes provided for Queensland, Victoria and Australian Capital Territory were based on calculations made on surface water CAP valleys. Therefore, volumes provided for individual SDL areas in these jurisdictions are approximated values.

Allocations may be made for urban, stock and domestic, or irrigation purposes under a single class of licence in the particular water resource plan area. Where the purpose was not known, and it was a general class of licence, the groundwater allocation announcement has been included in this line item under 'aquifer' entitlement class.

GS 32 NSW Border Rivers Alluvium includes both upstream Keetah Bridge and downstream Keetah Bridge alluvial groundwater sources.

GS 33 NSW Border Rivers Tributary Alluvium includes Macintyre and Ottleys Creek alluvial groundwater sources.

GS40 Peel Valley Alluvium–aquifer reports a combined volume based on water licences 'aquifer', aquifer (general security), and 'domestic and stock'.

GS28 Lower Murrumbidgee Alluvium–aquifer reports a combined volume based on water licences 'aquifer', and 'domestic and stock'.

Volumes reported here under GS47 Upper Namoi Alluvium are sourced from the following groundwater sources:

Upper Namoi Zone 1 Borambil creek
Upper Namoi Zone 2 Cox'S Creek (Mullaley to Boggabri)
Upper Namoi Zone 3 Mooki Valley (Breeza to Gunnedah)
Upper Namoi Zone 4 Namoi valley (Keepit Reservoir to Gin's Leap)
Upper Namoi Zone 5 Namoi Valley (Gin's Leap to Narrabri)
Upper Namoi Zone 6 Tributaries of the Liverpool Range (South to Pine Road)
Upper Namoi Zone 7 Yarraman Creek (east of Lake Goran to Mooki River)
Upper Namoi Zone 8 Mooki Valley (Quirindi–Pine Road to Breeza)
Upper Namoi Zone 9 Cox's Creek (up-stream Mullaley)
Upper Namoi Zone 10 Warrah Creek
Upper Namoi Zone 11 Maules Creek
Upper Namoi Zone 12 Kelvin Valley.

Water sharing plans were yet to commence or data were unavailable for the groundwater SDL areas listed in the following table.

Groundwater SDL areas for which data were not available for the line item
State	SDL area Code	Groundwater SDL area
Qld	GS56	Queensland MDB: Deep
NSW	GS43	Upper Gwydir Alluvium
NSW	GS21	Lake George Alluvium
NSW	GS42	Upper Darling Alluvium
SA	GS2	Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges
SA	GS6	SA Murray
SA	GS7	SA Murray salt interception schemes

Quantification approach

Data source

(1) New South Wales Office of Water: water access licence statistics; (2) South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources; (3) Groundwater resource plans for Victoria; and (4) water audit monitoring (WAM) data received from Australian Capital Territory (5 February 2014), Queensland (5 February 2014) and Victoria (14 February 2014). WAM data are stored in the Murray–Darling Basin Authority HYDRO database.

Provided by

Bureau of Meteorology (the Bureau).

Method

Allocation announcements were as calculated by the States.

Assumptions, limitations, caveats and approximations

The calculation of water made available may be affected by licences that have been cancelled or created part way through the 2012–13 year.
Information for New South Wales is based on data available in New South Wales Office of Water's water access licence statistics at the data collection stage. It is possible that changes if any from subsequent update to that data base have not been included in this line item.
The New South Wales Government does not guarantee that data are current nor does it guarantee that the data or the data capturing processes are free from corruption or error. Data provided are preliminary and New South Wales Office of Water's quality assurance procedures may be incomplete. The New South Wales Office of Water cannot warrant and does not represent that the material that appears on its website or any linked websites is complete, current, reliable and/or free from error.

Uncertainty information

The uncertainty estimate was not quantified.

Murray–Darling Basin 22.1 Groundwater allocation announcements