National Overview
Water availability

Water assets

Water assets in the National Water Account include water held in storages, rivers, lakes, and groundwater aquifers; and treated water, generated through desalination and wastewater recycling. They also include rights or claims to water, for example, to water from outside the region.

Across the National Water Account regions, total surface water assets in 2013–14 were just under 34,500,000 ML, a decrease of approximately 1% from 2012­–13 and 20% from 2011–12. This is largely a result of a net reduction in the volume of water held in storages, particularly within the Murray–Darling Basin region, due to reduced inflows throughout the last two years.

Surface water assets on 30 June 2012, 2013 and 2014

Groundwater assets are mostly defined as a prescribed volume based on a long-term, annual average volume of water that can be abstracted without depleting the groundwater resource. As such, groundwater assets do not reflect the year to year variation in the actual volume of water stored in aquifers in response to rainfall patterns and variable abstraction rates.

Of the nine National Water Account regions, only Adelaide, Melbourne, Murray–Darling Basin and South East Queensland have recognised groundwater assets. In 2013–14, groundwater assets in the Murray–Darling Basin decreased by more than 25% from the previous year. This is because there was a change in method for recognising the prescribed volume of groundwater assets in the region. In 2013–14, the volume was based on sustainable diversion limits; in 2012–13 it was based on permissible consumption volumes.

Groundwater assets on 30 June 2012, 2013 and 2014

Water access entitlements, allocations, and abstractions

Various systems of entitlements and allocations are used in the regions to manage competing demands for water. Generally entitlement volumes do not vary much from year to year, as these are largely defined within water sharing plans to ensure sustainable levels of take. A water allocation is the actual amount of water that can be taken in a particular season or reporting period, and is often adjusted regularly depending on water availability.

In the Melbourne, Murray–Darling Basin, Perth and South East Queensland regions, surface water allocations are announced following a determination of water availability. Except for Murray–Darling Basin, surface water availability in these regions in 2013–14 was similar to the previous year. In the Murray–Darling Basin, surface water allocations decreased from 66% of the entitlement in 2012–13 to 61% in 2013–14, indicating lower water availability. In the five other regions, water allocations were 100% of the entitlement because the entitlements were either not subject to formal allocation announcements or a full allocation was made against the entitlement.

Surface water access entitlements, allocations and abstractions for the years ending 30 June 2012, 2013 and 2014

Groundwater allocations are only announced in the Murray–Darling Basin. A 99% allocation in that region in 2013–14 reflected generally high groundwater availability. Across all regions, groundwater abstractions were generally between 20–50% of the entitlement. However, in the Ord and Perth regions, groundwater abstractions tend to be a relatively high percentage of entitlement, as the majority of abstractions are not measured but are assumed equal to the licence holders’ allocations. In Perth, the groundwater entitlement has decreased from 2011–12 and 2012–13, in recognition of the need to reduce abstractions to a more sustainable level.

Groundwater access entitlements, allocations and abstractions for the years ending 30 June 2012, 2013 and 2014