Murray–Darling Basin: Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities
Water availability in the Murray–Darling Basin region increased by 75,426 ML during the 2015–16 year. This increase is reported after three years in a row in which the water availability in the region decreased. The change in water availability in the region at the end of the year is represented by the change in net water assets.
The Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities is provided in the table below. The statement is prepared on an accrual basis and presents the changes in water assets and water liabilities that occurred during the reporting year. These changes include accrual transactions (e.g. allocations and forfeitures) and actual water flows, both natural and engineered.
Items in the statements are hyperlinked to the associated section of the Statement details. Methods used to derive item volumes are provided in the Reference information.
for the year ended 30 June 2016
| 2016 ML | 2015 ML | |
|---|---|---|
| Water asset increases | ||
| Surface water increases | 23,078,494 | 18,170,707 |
| Precipitation | 1,302,477 | 1,199,912 |
| Inter-region inflow | 0 | 0 |
| Runoff | 19,091,888 | 14,403,148 |
| Point return: irrigation | 295,507 | 297,113 |
| Discharge: urban supply system | 0 | 0 |
| Discharge: user | – | – |
| Claims: inter-region | 1,761,592 | 1,921,622 |
| Return flow: environmental purposes | 590,987 | 314,011 |
| Discharge: wastewater | 36,043 | 34,901 |
| Total surface water increases | 23,078,494 | 18,170,707 |
| Groundwater increases | 410,559 | 2,263,928 |
| Inter-region inflow | 2,553 | 2,657 |
| Inter-region coastal inflow | 77 | 90 |
| Recharge: landscape | 407,340 | 2,189,814 |
| Leakage: farm dams | – | – |
| Leakage: urban system | – | – |
| Leakage: irrigation | – | – |
| Managed aquifer recharge: individual user | 589 | 267 |
| Other increases | 0 | 71,100 |
| Total groundwater increases | 410,559 | 2,263,928 |
| Total water asset increases | 23,489,053 | 20,434,635 |
| Water liability decreases | ||
| Surface water liability decreases | (980,800) | (555,942) |
| Adjustment and forfeiture: individual users | (549,952) | (763,930) |
| Adjustment and forfeiture: urban system | 76,491 | 139,032 |
| Adjustment and forfeiture: environmental purposes | (507,339) | 68,956 |
| Total surface water liability decreases | (980,800) | (555,942) |
| Groundwater liability decreases | 1,020,948 | 163,336 |
| Adjustment and forfeiture: individual users | 990,726 | 129,352 |
| Adjustment and forfeiture: urban system | 29,534 | 34,302 |
| Adjustment and forfeiture: environmental purposes | 688 | (318) |
| Total groundwater liability decreases | 1,020,948 | 163,336 |
| Total water liability decreases | 40,148 | (392,606) |
| Water asset decreases | ||
| Surface water decreases | 15,505,870 | 12,567,628 |
| Evaporation | 3,709,214 | 4,871,102 |
| Outflow | 795,000 | 1,196,000 |
| Recharge: landscape | – | – |
| Overflow: landscape | 59,546 | 21,490 |
| Diversion: statutory rights | 59,249 | 27,692 |
| Non-allocated diversion: individual users | 818,728 | 773,927 |
| Non-allocated diversion: urban system | 12,255 | 10,561 |
| River and floodplain losses | 9,873,996 | 5,285,926 |
| Claims: inter-region | 0 | 100,000 |
| Non-allocated environmental diversions and other environmental decreases | 177,882 | 280,930 |
| Total surface water decreases | 15,505,870 | 12,567,628 |
| Groundwater decreases | 325,067 | 2,370,689 |
| Inter-region outflow | 57 | 24 |
| Inter-region coastal outflow | 1,700 | 1,532 |
| Discharge: landscape | 85,641 | 2,144,416 |
| Extraction: statutory rights | 237,669 | 221,332 |
| Non-allocated extraction: individual users | 0 | 3,385 |
| Other decreases | 0 | 0 |
| Total groundwater decreases | 325,067 | 2,370,689 |
| Total water asset decreases | 15,830,937 | 14,938,317 |
| Water liability increases | ||
| Surface water liability increases | 6,418,474 | 7,663,138 |
| Allocation: individual users | 4,488,836 | 5,206,841 |
| Allocation: urban system | 542,659 | 504,852 |
| Allocation: environmental purposes | 1,386,979 | 1,951,445 |
| Total surface water liability increases | 6,418,474 | 7,663,138 |
| Groundwater liability increases | 2,218,287 | 2,239,389 |
| Allocation: individual users | 2,166,333 | 2,166,465 |
| Allocation: urban system | 50,681 | 71,085 |
| Allocation: environmental purposes | 1,273 | 1,839 |
| Total groundwater liability increases | 2,218,287 | 2,239,389 |
| Total water liability increases | 8,636,761 | 9,902,527 |
| Unaccounted-for difference | ||
| Unaccounted-for difference | 1,013,923 | 1,362,980 |
| Unaccounted-for difference | 1,013,923 | 1,362,980 |
| Total unaccounted-for difference | 1,013,923 | 1,362,980 |
| Total unaccounted-for difference | 1,013,923 | 1,362,980 |
| Change in net water assets | 75,426 | (3,435,835) |