• Region overview
• Contextual information
  • Physical information
  • Administration
  • Water rights
  • Climate overview
  • Water overview
• Water Accounting Statements
  • Water Assets and Water Liabilities
  • Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities
  • Water Flows
• Notes
  • Accounting policies
  • Supporting information
  • Quantification approach
  • Reconciliations
  • Segments
  • Water resources & systems
  • Water access & use
  • Future outlook
  • References
• Accountability statement

Murray–Darling Basin
Water access and use

Water rights, entitlements, allocations and restrictions

Introduction

This note provides information about the water access rights granted by jurisdictions to the users of the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) region's water resources and the associated allocation announcements, diversions, and extractions. Information about any restrictions to water access rights is available through links provided in this note.

High-level information on legislative, administrative and governing arrangements of surface water rights in the MDB region is available under Water entitlements in 'Water rights' in the 'Contextual information'.

Other arrangements, contracts, or inter-basin agreements that may or may not result in the creation of water assets and water liabilities are not reported here; however they are available in  Surface water and Groundwater notes, depending on which water resource or supply they affect.

The 2014 Account acknowledges the varying jurisdictional legislative water resource management frameworks related to Australian rights to water that support water resource management in Australia. The jurisdictional legislative water resource management frameworks vary greatly between jurisdictions, sometimes making comparisons difficult. To facilitate meaningful comparison between the water accounting reports included in the 2014 Account, the Bureau of Meteorology (the Bureau) has developed and applied an accounting concept to classify and report water rights within a water-asset/water-liability framework.

According to that framework, surface water rights are categorised broadly into:

• water rights that may not create a water liability: Other statutory surface water rights and Surface water access entitlement for non-allocated diversions
  
• water rights that may create a water liability: Surface water access entitlement for allocated diversions
  

Groundwater rights are categorised broadly into:

• water rights that may not create a water liability: Other statutory groundwater rights and 'Groundwater access entitlement for non-allocated extractions' (no information available for the MDB region)
• water rights that may create a water liability: Groundwater access entitlement for allocated extractions.
  

Surface water rights

A detailed downloadable table provides a breakdown of surface water rights for all categories relevant to the MDB region based on water resource plan (WRP) area.

The following jurisdiction-specific characteristics apply to the information presented in tables for Northern, Southern and the whole MDB region.

• In Queensland: entitlement giving access to unregulated (unsupplemented) flows may report either the volumetric limit (the maximum volume of water that can be abstracted over a given period) or the nominal volume  (for water allocations with flow conditions, the nominal volume estimates the long-term annual average volume of accessible water for the entitlement).
• In Queensland: entitlement giving access to regulated (supplemented) flows may report the nominal volume, against which allocations are announced.
• In New South Wales: entitlements giving access to unregulated flows may report the entitled volume, which specifies an upper limit to the volume of water that can be abstracted over a given period.
• In New South Wales: entitlement giving access to regulated flows may report the entitled volume, against which allocations are announced.
• In Victoria: entitlements giving access to unregulated flows may report the entitled volume, which specifies an upper limit to the volume of water that can be abstracted over a 12-month period.
• In Victoria: entitlement giving access to regulated flows may report the entitled volume, against which allocations are announced.
• In South Australia: all entitlements have been classified as giving access to regulated flow and may report the entitled volume, against which allocations are announced.

See the National Water Account Glossary for definitions of rights, regulated, unregulated and entitlements.

Other statutory surface water rights

The volume for the 2013–14 year was 68,210 ML. The volume includes surface water rights (including landowner basic rights, riparian rights, and mining rights not under water access entitlements) other than entitlements within the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) region. The downloadable table presents breakdown information on sustainable diversion limit (SDL) area basis.

Surface water access entitlement for non-allocated diversions

The volume for the 2013–14 year was 2,946,896 ML. The volume includes surface water entitlement or other arrangement for which no surface water liability was recognised in the 2014 Account. For the Murray–Darling Basin region, the volume includes surface water access entitlements that give access to unregulated flow, including supplementary entitlements (entitlements within regulated systems that give access to unregulated flow in New South Wales).  Unregulated (called 'unsupplemented' in Queensland) entitlements have been categorised here.

The downloadable table presents summarised information on WRP area basis. Detailed breakdown information on SDL area basis is provided in the downloadable table.

Surface water access entitlement for allocated diversions

The volume for the 2013–14 year was 12,469,268 ML. The volume includes surface water entitlement or other arrangement that may produce a surface water liability. For the Murray–Darling Basin region, volume includes surface water access entitlements that give access to regulated flow for non-urban and urban purposes. Regulated (called 'supplemented' in Queensland) entitlements have been categorised here.

The downloadable table presents summarised information on WRP area basis. Detailed breakdown information on SDL area basis for non-urban and urban purposes is provided in the downloadable table.

Surface water entitlement for environmental purpose

The volume for the 2013–14 year was 3,191,979 ML.

The downloadable table presents summarised information on WRP area basis.

Total water availabilty for allocation diversion is the sum of net carryover, allocation announcements and net allocation trade. Summarised information on surface water rights, water availability and diversions for non-environmental and environmental purposes are presented for Northern Basin, Southern Basin and whole MDB region for the 2012–13 year and the 2013–14 year in Figures 1 to 3 and as downloadable tables.

Northern Basin

Summarised information for Northern Basin is shown in Figure 1 and is available as a downloadable table.

Figure 1 Surface water access entitlements, water availability and diversions in the Northern Basin of the MDB region for the years ending 30 June 2014 and  30 June 2013

Southern Basin

Summarised information for Southern Basin is shown in Figure 2 and is available as a downloadable table.

Figure 2 Surface water access entitlements, water availability and diversions in the Southern Basin of the MDB region for the years ending 30 June 2013 and 30 June 2014

Whole region

Summarised information for the whole MDB region is shown in Figure 3 and is available as a downloadable table.

Figure 3 Surface water access entitlements, water availability and diversions for the whole MDB region for the years ending 30 June 2013 and 30 June 2014

Groundwater rights

A detailed downloadable table providing a breakdown of groundwater rights for all categories relevant to MDB region on WRP area basis is also provided.

In the tables, water right volumes for non-urban, urban and supplementary groundwater access entitlements are included under 'Groundwater access entitlement for allocated extractions'. No information is provided in the tables under  'Groundwater access entitlement for non-allocated extractions' (entitlement or other arrangement that may not produce a groundwater liability).  This is because all available entitlement information is provided under 'Groundwater access entitlement for allocated extractions' assuming entitled volume is a liability even though there was no formal allocation announcement.

See the National Water Account Glossary for definitions of rights, regulated, unregulated, entitlements.

Other statutory groundwater rights

The volume for the 2013–14 year was 241,380 ML. The volume includes groundwater rights (including landowner basic rights, riparian rights, and mining rights not under water access entitlements) other than entitlements within the Murray–Darling Basin region. The downloadable table presents breakdown information on SDL resource units basis.

Supplementary entitlements

Supplementary water access licences for groundwater extraction are issued to licence holders who have a history of extraction greater than their new aquifer access licence. The licences are issued for the 10-year period of the water sharing plan and are not normally tradeable. The volume of water available under the supplementary licence will be gradually reduced each year; by the end of the 10th year, there will be no water available under these licences (National Water Commission 2012) 

Groundwater access entitlement for allocated extractions

The volume for the 2013–14 year was 2,452,957 ML. The volume includes surface water entitlement or other arrangement that may produce a surface water liability. For the Murray–Darling Basin region, volume includes surface water access entitlements that give access to regulated flow for non-urban and urban purposes. Regulated (called 'supplemented' in Queensland) entitlements have been categorised here.

Detailed breakdown information on SDL area basis for non-urban and urban purposes is provided in the downloadable table.

Total water availabilty for allocation extraction is the sum of net carryover and allocation announcements. Summarised information on groundwater rights, water availability and extractions for non-environmental and environmental purposes are presented for Northern Basin, Southern Basin and whole MDB region for the 2012–13 year and the 2013–14 year in Figures 4 to 6 and as downloadable tables.

Northern Basin

Summarised information for Northern Basin is shown in Figure 4 and is available as a downloadable table.

Figure 4 Groundwater access entitlements, water availability and extractions in the Northern Basin of the MDB region for the years ending 30 June 2013 and 30 June 2014

Southern Basin

Summarised information for Southern Basin is shown in Figure 5 and is available as a downloadable table.

Figure 5 Groundwater access entitlements, water availability and extractions in the Southern Basin of the MDB region for the years ending 30 June 2013 and 30 June 2014

Whole region

Summarised information for the whole region is shown in Figure 6 and is available as a downloadable table.

Figure 6 Groundwater access entitlements, water availability and extractions in the whole MDB region for the years ending 30 June 2013 and 30 June 2014

Combined surface water and groundwater rights

For the 2013–14 year, combined surface water and groundwater access entitlements were available in the Australian Capital Territory within the Southern Basin of the Murray–Darling Basin region. There were 35 active entitlements with a total volume of 2,474 ML that may abstract water from either groundwater or surface water in the Australian Capital Territory.

Landscape water rights

Runoff harvesting entitlements are the water rights under which landscape runoff is harvested into Off-channel water storages. Reliable information on runoff harvesting entitlement volumes was not available for inclusion in the water account. Information on volume of water diverted under these entitlements during the 2013–14 year is available at Runoff harvesting into off-channel water storages and in the Off-channel storages note.

Following is an explanation of the different terms used within the Murray–Darling Basin and how each jurisdiction manages runoff that may be harvested from the land, thus preventing it from reaching a watercourse.

Queensland

Queensland uses the term 'overland flow'. Overland flow is water that runs across the land after rainfall, either before it enters a watercourse, after it leaves a watercourse as floodwater, or after it rises to the surface naturally from underground. Most water in rivers and underground reserves originates as overland flow. If too much water is intercepted before it reaches a watercourse, or if too much floodwater is intercepted before it returns to a watercourse, there can be serious implications for:

• towns, industries and farms that rely on watercourses for water supplies
• landholders who rely on beneficial flooding
• the maintenance of healthy waterways
• groundwater recharge
• ecosystems relying on periodic inundation.

A person may harvest overland flow for any purpose unless there is a moratorium notice, a WRP or wild river declaration that limits or alters the water that may be harvested. Rules in WRPs established under the Queensland Water Act 2000 regulate the building of works that harvest overland flow either actively or passively.

Works that harvest overland flow actively include:

• pumps, storages, sumps, drains and pipes used to harvest and store it
• any storage connected to another one used to harvest it, and the connecting infrastructure
• structures used to hold it for ponded pastures.

Works that harvest overland flow passively include:

• levees or diversion banks used to direct it into dams or to slow it down to increase the amount harvested. This does not include works used in soil conservation.

WRPs do not regulate works that interfere with, but were not built specifically to harvest overland flow; however, local planning laws may still regulate the building of these structures, which include:

• contour banks
• fences
• roads.

Where the construction of overland flow works is regulated, the development may be either assessable or self-assessable development under the Queensland Sustainable Planning Act 2009. Currently, the harvesting of overland flow is regulated in the following water resource plan areas:

• Border Rivers
• Condamine and Balonne
• Moonie
• Warrego, Paroo and Nebine.

In all of these areas, the harvesting of overland flow requires:

• no increase in overland flow take permitted for purposes other than listed in the WRP in these plan areas
• no increase in overland flow take permitted for irrigation purposes
• an authorisation to harvest overland flow for purposes other than stock and domestic
• a development permit under the Queensland Sustainable Planning Act 2009 for most works for harvesting overland flow.

New South Wales

Landholders in most New South Wales rural areas are allowed to collect a proportion of the rainfall runoff on their property and store it in one or more dams of up to a certain size. This is known as a 'harvestable right'. Harvestable right water is generally intended for essential stock and household use but can be used for any purpose.

All rural landholders in New South Wales are able to maintain or build farm dams. There are several categories of farm dams that do not require a licence:

• harvestable right dams
• dams built before 1999 used only for stock and domestic purposes
• dams up to one megalitre on small properties.

In addition to rainfall runoff harvesting, New South Wales has addressed floodplain harvesting. Floodplain harvesting is the collection, abstraction, or impoundment of water flowing across floodplains.

Harvesting of on-farm rainfall runoff is not included within the definition of floodplain harvesting; however, because rainfall runoff can be harvested by the same infrastructure as floodplain abstractions, it is important to specify the regulatory distinction between the two types of water abstraction. All rainfall runoff harvesting must be in accordance with the harvestable rights order by which the area is constituted as provided for under Chapter 3, Part 1, Division 2 of the New South Wales Water Management Act 2000. Within most of New South Wales, the allowable maximum harvestable right is currently 10% of average annual runoff. The runoff is primarily a function of rainfall, evaporation, soil type, topography, and vegetation cover. The allowable runoff harvesting volume is converted to a maximum harvestable right dam capacity, using a publicly available, web-based calculator. The allowable harvestable right volume of runoff will be assumed to have been abstracted and will be factored into the assessment of floodplain harvesting abstractions.

New South Wales Floodplain Harvesting Policy (NSW Office of Water 2013) outlines how floodplain harvesting abstractions will be managed within long-term average annual abstraction limits under water sharing plans and the Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council Cap where applicable. There will be no growth in overall abstractions on a valley-wide basis as a result of the implementation of this policy. All floodplain harvesting activities will require a water supply work approval and a floodplain harvesting water access licence issued under the New South Wales Water Management Act 2000.

Victoria

The Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy for Victoria discusses the impacts of interception activities. Interception activities are a risk to water availability because they capture rainfall before it becomes surface runoff or groundwater recharge. These activities include small catchment dams (for farms or domestic and stock use), changes in land use and the impact of forest regeneration due to bushfires. Historically, these activities have not required a water entitlement (except for small catchment dams for irrigation or commercial purposes, which have required a licence since 2002); however, they can reduce the amount of water available to downstream entitlement holders and the environment.

Unlike dams for commercial and irrigation use, dams for domestic and stock use are not licensed and therefore can continue to be built without scrutiny of their impact on downstream users and the environment. In Victoria, rights to water for domestic and stock use (private rights) are specified in s8 of the Victorian Water Act 1989.  Under this section, people are able to access water without a formal entitlement and free of charge under specific arrangements in the Victorian Water Act 1989.  This includes farm dams for domestic and stock purposes.

Based on current estimates, unlicensed dams capture 6% of the available runoff generated by landscape in northern Victoria. At a local level, the impact of unlicensed dams can be even greater.

Several actions have been highlighted in the Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy to manage the impacts of stock and domestic use. Some key actions will be:

• requiring the registration of all new or altered domestic and stock dams within rural residential areas and promoting sustainable use in accordance with guidelines for reasonable domestic and stock use;
• monitoring growth in domestic and stock use
• clarifying the need to obtain a Victorian Water Act 1989 s51 licence for harvesting water for uses other than domestic and stock purposes.

South Australia

The South Australia Government's Water for Good strategy identifies a number of projects to increase the volume of water collected from stormwater harvesting, both within Adelaide and in rural South Australia. These projects involve storing and treating stormwater in wetlands and aquifers to improve water quality.  Only a small number of such projects are within the South Australian MDB region. Landscape water rights within the South Australian MDB region include water access entitlements in the Marne Saunders and Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges for water flowing over the land, whether modified or not, excluding water contained in a watercourse.

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory Government's Think Water Act Water strategy (Australian Capital Territory Government 2011b) for sustainable water resource management in the Australian Capital Territory, outlines actions the Australian Capital Territory government plans to improve management of stormwater runoff, including adopting water sensitive urban design principles. 

Water restrictions

The downloadable table provides information on water restrictions applicable during the 2013–14 year for different entitlement classes within the region.

Information on limitations related to available water for New South Wales SDL resource units is available in New South Wales Office of Water's available water determinations for 2013–14 (NSW Office of Water 2014b).

Information on limitations on allocations for high and low reliability water shares (non-urban use) in Victorian SDL resource units in 2013–14 is available in Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries' monthly water reports (Department of Environment and Primary Industries 2014a).

For the SDL resource units not included in the above table, water restriction information is not available.

Water market activity

Purpose of the note

This note reports on water market activities that occurred in the Murray–Darling Basin region during the 2013–14 year.

Content of the note

Both surface water and groundwater trade is reported for the Murray–Darling Basin region for the 2013–14 year. The following information on water trades is included in this note:

• approved permanent trade of surface water and groundwater entitlements
• approved lease of surface water and groundwater entitlements
• approved trade of surface water and groundwater allocations
• impact of inter-valley trade on regions' water assets and liabilities.

Water trade

During the 2013–14 year, no water was traded into or out of the Murray–Darling Basin region. Surface water and groundwater entitlement and allocation trade within the Murray–Darling Basin region during the 2013–14 year is summarised in the following Table 1.

Surface water trade

The volumes provided in the downloadable table were based on data available at the sources as given below under relevant headings.

Surface water entitlement trade

Surface water entitlement trade for the Murray–Darling Basin region is reported under 'Trade of surface water entitlement within region' for the reporting year. This volume includes information on permanent entitlement sales within and between SDL resource units approved during the 2013–14 year. No entitlement water trade occurred between the two segments (the Northern Basin and the Southern Basin) as defined in the Murray–Darling Basin region or into the region or outside the region. Currently, there are no protocols in place to permit water trade into or out of the Murray–Darling Basin region.

Trade of surface water entitlement within region

The volume for the 2013–14 year was 1,957,514 ML.  This volume is information on intra-regional surface water entitlement trade (permanent water trade) within the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) region.  The downloadable table presents breakdown information on SDL resource unit basis.

Surface water entitlement lease

Surface water entitlement lease for the Murray–Darling Basin region occured within the region for the reporting year. Seasonal water flow associated with lease of surface water entitlements is included in allocation and tagged trade within the region under 'Surface water allocation and tagged trade'.

Lease of surface water entitlement within region

The volume for the 2013–14 year was 24,020 ML. Information on leases was available only for Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. The downloadable table provides the details of the leases. Movement of water associated with the leases is included under 'Surface water allocation trade within region'.

Surface water allocation and tagged trade

Surface water allocation trade for the Murray–Darling Basin region occured for the reporting year and includes allocation trade within and into (from other SDL resource unit) SDL resource unit, and within and out of (to other SDL resource unit) SDL resource unit. Allocation trade volumes provided include tagged trade and environmental water trades. No allocation trade occurred between the segments and outside the region. Trade of consumptive water (for the purposes irrigation, urban and industrial) between the Southern Basin and the Northern Basin is prohibited.

Surface water allocation trade within region

The volume of surface water allocation trade within and into SDL resource units for the 2013–14 year was 5,217,964 ML, and of surface water allocation trade within and out of SDL resource units for the 2013–14 year was 5,217,966 ML ML for the whole MDB region. The volume includes information on water allocation  and tagged trade within the Murray–Darling Basin region.

The two downloadable tables provide a summary and detailed breakdown information on allocation and tagged trade within the region.

The volumes provided in these tables were based on data available at the sources (see 'Quantification approach'). All intra-organisational trading in New South Wales Murray and New South Wales Murrumbidgee WRP areas have been accounted under 'general security entitlement class'. Therefore, the volume for this entitlement class could be overestimated and the volume for 'high security entitlment class' could be underestimated. Also, when trading zones are not aligning with SDL resource unit, volumes to SDL resource unit have been allocated on available information. In the table, purchase volumes include water purchased internally and from outside sources for a reporting unit. Sold volumes include water sold internally and to outside areas from a reporting unit. Allocation trade volumes including environmental water trade and transferred volumes due to tagging of entitlements are included in the values provided.

Trading volumes include environmental trade volumes. Reliable data source for details of environmental trades was not available at the time of data collection for the 2014 Account.

Inter-state surface water allocation trade

Inter-state allocation trade during the 2013–14 year resulted in net inward movement of water for Queensland and South Australia and net outward movement for New South Wales and Victoria as shown in Table 2 and summarised in Figure 7. A similar trend of net allocation trade was observed for the 2012–13 year. The downlodable table provides the details.

Interstate trade allocation trading activity, expressed as volume and direction of net trade, in the Murray–Darling Basin in 2013–14 figure is available at National Overview webpage.

Figure 7 Direction and volume (ML) of interstate trades in the Murray–Darling Basin in 2013–14

Groundwater trade

During the 2013–14 year, no groundwater was traded into or out of the MDB region.

Table 1 in the Water trade section summarises entitlement and allocation groundwater trade within the MDB region during the 2013–14 year.

Groundwater entitlement trade

Groundwater entitlement trade occured within the Murray–Darling Basin region for the reporting year. This includes the volume of permanent entitlement sales within and between groundwater WRP areas approved during the 2013–14 year. No entitlement trade occurred between two segments (the Northern Basin and the Southern Basin) as defined in the MDB region or between the segments and outside the region.

Groundwater entitlement within region

The volume of groundwater trade for the 2013–14 year was 137,296 ML. All the trades provided were within respective WRP areas.  The downloadable table presents breakdown information on groundwater resource plan area basis.

Groundwater entitlement lease

There was lease of groundwater entitlement during the 2013–14 year in South Australia of 1,235 ML within the Murray-Darling Basin region, in the South Australia Mallee Prescribed Wells Area groundwater resource plan area.

Groundwater allocation and tagged trade

Groundwater allocation trade occured within the Murray–Darling Basin region for the reporting year. This includes the volume of allocation trade within water resource plan areas. Allocation trade volumes provided in this note include tagged trade. No allocation trade ocurred between two segments (the Northern Basin and the Southern Basin) as defined in the Murray–Darling Basin region or between the segments and outside the region.

Groundwater allocation trade within region

The volume for the 2013–14 year was 129,930 ML. All the trades provided were within respective WRP areas.  The downloadable table presents breakdown information on groundwater resource plan area basis.

Impact of trade on the region's water assets and water liabilities

All water trades occurred within the boundaries of the Murray–Darling Basin region and no water trade crossed the boundary between the Northern Basin and the Southern Basin.

Nevertheless, water trades between different WRP areas of the Murray–Darling Basin had a significant impact on the allocations announced, diverted, forfeited, and carried over. This is reflected in the water assets and liabilities of the WRP area. These transactions are not reported in this note; however, movement of water as a result of those transactions has impacted on diversions volumes (reported at Entitled diversion of allocated surface water to users and Entitled diversion of allocated surface water to urban water supply in the water accounting statements). Any water availability imbalances associated with the transactions have been considered under Surface water allocation announcements and  Surface water allocation announcements: urban water supply.

 Impact of inter-valley trade on water assets and water liabilities

Water traded into or out of valleys within the Murray–Darling Basin region impacts on the valleys' water assets and water liabilities in several ways, including:

• creation of claims and obligations between valleys
• transfer of the obligation to deliver allocated water to the water users.

In the case of trade into a valley:

• when the trade transaction is approved, there is the creation of a claim (non-physical water asset) by the destination valley of the trade (i.e. where the purchaser is registered) against the source valley (i.e. where the seller is registered)
• delivery obligation is moved from the selling valley to the buying valley
• when water is physically transferred to the destination valley, it decreases the destination valley's claim (non-physical water asset) against the source valley.

Creation of claims and obligations between valleys

In the case of trade out of a valley, the reverse occurs:

• when the trade transaction is approved, there is the creation of an obligation (water liability) in the source valley of the trade towards the destination valley
• when water is physically transferred out of the source valley, it decreases the source valley's obligation (water liability) towards the destination valley.

Note that in both cases the inter-valley transfer may occur in a subsequent water year to the year to when the trade was approved. The inter-valley transfer may be cancelled by back-trade or the inter-valley transfer account may spill, which cancels the obligation to the destination valley. For instance, water traded to South Australia up to 31 March in a water year is delivered from September–April in that water year in the same pattern of delivery as the remaining South Australian monthly diversion entitlements from the month following when the trade occurred to the end of April. Water traded from 01 April–30 June is adjusted for over the following September–April.

Transfer of the obligation to deliver water to the users

When water is traded from a source valley to a destination valley, the obligation (water liability) to deliver the allocated water to the user is transferred from the source to the destination valley. The newly created liability in the destination valley will be settled when the allocated water is diverted by the purchaser of the water trade.

Water use

Economic, social and cultural benefit

Surface water and groundwater resources within the Murray–Darling Basin region are used for primarily irrigation supply as well as for private water supply for purposes such as agriculture and industry. Town water supplies are made for various purposes, including residential needs, industrial and commercial purposes.

Economic benefits

Water supplies made under some of the entitlement classes relevant to the following entitlement categories have contributed to economic benefits:

• Surface water access entitlement for non-allocated diversions
• Surface water access entitlement for allocated diversions
• Groundwater access entitlement for allocated extractions

 The 2014 Account does not recognise details of economic contributions made under the entitlement classes of those entitlement categories.

It is also possible that water supplies made under other statutory surface water and groundwater rights have also contributed to economic benefits. The 2014 Account does not recognise those contributions.

The 2014 Account assumes that the water right/entitlement class represents its purpose; however, it is likely that people use water for other activities in addition to the intended purpose of the right/entitlement class. This is the case particularly in valleys where trade has been conducted. With trades, it is possible that water moved from different classes and changed the volume for the intended purpose. The 2014 Account provides information based on the class or categorisation of rights or entitlement, but it does not provide information about where or how water was finally used.

Social benefits

Town water supplies are made for various purposes including residential needs, and industrial and commercial purposes. These have been categorised under the social benefit category, assuming their main purpose within the MDB region is to serve residential needs. With that assumption, water right or entitlement classes directly related to social benefits identified in the Murray–Darling Basin region for the 2013–14 year were:

• surface water basic right – stock and domestic
• surface water entitlements – stock and domestic
• surface water entitlements – urban supplies
• surface water entitlements – high security – community and education
• surface water entitlements – high security – research
• groundwater basic right – stock and domestic
• groundwater entitlements – urban supplies.

It is also possible that water supplies made under entitlement categories other than stated in the above list have contributed to social benefits. The 2014 Account does not recognise those contributions.

Stock and domestic licences for surface water and groundwater basic rights allow the right holders to abstract water to meet basic requirements for household and stock purposes. Urban water entitlements associated with surface water and groundwater allow water utilities and local councils to provide water for residential needs.

Cultural benefits

Cultural basic right allows abstraction of water by anyone who holds native title rights with respect to water, as determined under the Australian Government Native Title Act 1993. The right holders can abstract water for a range of needs without holding a water access licence. This includes accessing water for personal, domestic and non-commercial communal purposes such as:

• manufacture of traditional artefacts
• hunting, fishing, and gathering
• recreation
• cultural purposes
• ceremonial purposes.

Specific licences for Aboriginal cultural use occur in New South Wales. See 'Jurisdictional provisions for social and cultural water supplies' below.

In general, water regimes required to support cultural values are not quantitatively defined in allocation plans; however, the cultural values are considered within the environmental water provisions.

Jurisdictional provisions for social and cultural water supplies

Queensland

Queensland WRPs identify that (as outcomes for sustainable water management, among others) the following social and cultural benefits are required (Queensland Government 2009b). Water is to be allocated and managed in a way that seeks to achieve a balance in the following outcomes:

• to make water available to support economic activity in the WRP area while recognising the social and cultural values of communities in the Murray–Darling Basin region
• to build social cohesiveness in the community by recognising the multiple users of water, including both Indigenous and non-Indigenous social and cultural needs
• to promote improved understanding of social and cultural resources.

 Water management rules have been adopted in water resources plan areas to achieve these outcomes.

New South Wales

The vision in the Water Sharing Plan for the Murrumbidgee Regulated River Water Source 2003 is to provide for equitable sharing of limited water resources to sustain a healthy and productive river, to contribute to the welfare and well-being of Murrumbidgee regional communities.

The objectives of the Murrumbidgee plan are to:

• protect basic landholder rights, as specified in the New South Wales Water Management Act 2000, including native title rights
• protect town water supply
• provide for identified recreational water needs
• protect identified Indigenous and traditional uses of water.

Town water supplies are protected by water access licences. In addition, the Murrumbidgee plan also makes provisions for 'regulated river: high security–Aboriginal cultural supplies'.

Other water sharing plans that have commenced in New South Wales have similar visions and objectives with respect to social and cultural benefits.

The New South Wales plans have also generally adopted an approach that indicates sites of Aboriginal significance, including wetlands, are managed through the environmental watering regime. Although 1,093 ML has been recorded as Aboriginal cultural supplies in the Murrumbidgee NSW SDL resource unit, no specific information is available to identify details of  Aboriginal sites that benefitted from the supply in the 2013–14 year.

Australian Capital Territory

Limited information was available to explain how the Australian Capital Territory addresses the social and cultural benefits of water.

An objective of the Australian Capital Territory Water Resources Act 1998 is to ensure that the use and management of the water resources of the Australian Capital Territory sustain the physical, economic, and social well-being of the people of the territory while protecting the ecosystems that depend on those resources.

Victoria

Some of the strategies for managing water for social benefit in Victoria are addressed through the:

• Victorian permanent water saving rules
• incentive and rebate schemes
• actions to increase water recycling and alternative water supplies
• stormwater and urban water recycling projects
• upgrading of existing treatment facilities.

South Australia

The Water Allocation Plan for the River Murray Prescribed Watercourse sets out provisions for country towns and urban supplies. It also prescribes an allocation for recreation class.

Information on rights and water use related to social and cultural benefits

Rights related to social and cultural aspects and relevant water use in the 2013–14 year in the Murray–Darling Basin region are listed in Table 3.

 – = no separate information is available

Environmental benefit

This note provides details on the water management categorisations under which environmental benefits and environmental water outcomes are provided.

Information on legislative, administrative and governance arrangements of environmental water in the region is available in the Environmental water management section of the 'Contextual information'. It also includes information on organisations responsible for environmental water management in the jurisdictions.

In the Murray–Darling Basin region, environmental benefit is delivered through two broad management categorisations: planned environmental water and held environmental water.

Planned environmental water

Planned environmental water is further categorised into:

• Planned regulated (or supplemented) surface water: The dominant feature of environmental water management in this categorisation is the ability to control or influence flow by operational releases from storage.
• Planned unregulated surface water: In this categorisation, water is managed for environmental benefit through controlling the water access regime.

Planned partly regulated (or supplemented) surface water

This type of environmental water delivery occurs in some river reaches in the Murray-Darling Basin region through the active release of environmental allocations from a storage at the direction of the respective environmental entitlement holder or when triggers are met (not directed). Other entitlements may become available as rules are met and can then be managed by respective government department.

The water regime in place at given locations on the rivers (environmental water determination) and the storage release rules (environmental water commitments) are specified in approved water sharing and management plans that are listed under Water management plans in 'Administration' in the 'Contextual information'.

Planned unregulated surface water

Environmental water determination for planned unregulated surface water categorisation is based on provisions made in approved water sharing and management plans. Water management plans in 'Administration' in the 'Contextual information' include details of these plans within the Murray-Darling Basin region.

Held environmental water

The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) managed 2,126,100 ML of water entitlements, which has a long-term average yield of 1,454,244 ML per year as applicable at end of the 2013–14 year (Commonwealth Environmental Water Office) website. The registered environmental entitlements held by CEWH during the 2013–14 year (as recorded on 30 June 2014) are provided in the downlodable table.

Entitlement volumes shown reflect only those that have been recorded as being legally held (or under the administrative operations of the environmental water manager). The entitlement volumes will be subject to change as water continues to be acquired under some programmes. In particular, the volumes held by the CEWH will increase as more entitlements are acquired.

The environmental entitlements are summarised under surface water and groundwater environmental entitlements.

Surface water environmental entitlements

A summary table of entitlements held or owned by environmental managers in the Murray-Darling Basin region as applicable in the 2013-14 year is downloadable here.

Environmental water outcomes

Consolidated information on water released under entitlements held for the benefit of the environment was not available for the 2013–14 year. Available information on environmental water outcomes primarily on held environmental water categorisation is provided here.

Detailed table of environmental water outcomes held or owned by environmental managers in the Murray-Darling Basin region as applicable in the 2013-14 year is downloadable here.

Commonwealth programmes

During the 2013–14 year 982,100 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered within the MDB region. Details on where and how the delivered volume was used is available from the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (Commonwealth Environmental Water Office) website. Commonwealth environmental water contributed to 36 watering actions in 16 catchments in the Murray-Darling Basin.

In 2013-14, a total of 326,600 ML of The Living Murray environmental water was delivered to the six Murray River icon sites (Murray–Darling Basin Authority 2015).
This was acheived by coordinating flows from the Murray, Goulburn and Campaspe systems with other environmental holders resulting in maximum ecological benefit at multiple sites throughout the River Murray System.

The Living Murray Program was established in 2002 to improve the health of the River Murray system. It is one of Australia's largest river restoration programs. The Living Murray Program focuses on maintaining the health of six icon sites along the river, chosen for their environmental, cultural and international significance. It is a partnership among the Australian, New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian, and Australian Capital Territory Governments.

The Living Murray Program is focusing on improving the environment at the following six icon sites along the river:

• Barmah–Millewa Forest
• Gunbower–Koondrook–Perricoota Forest
• Hattah Lakes
• Chowilla Floodplain and Lindsay–Wallpolla Islands
• Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth
• River Murray Channel.

These sites have been chosen for their high ecological value. Most are listed as internationally significant wetlands under the Ramsar convention and are of cultural significance to Indigenous people and the broader community.

Australian Capital Territory

No annual report is published by the Australian Capital Territory Government on environmental watering activities.

National Water Account 2014

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