Murray–Darling Basin overview
Climate and Water
Rainfall across Murray–Darling Basin during July 2015–May 2016 and June 2016 compared with historical records (1900–2015)
- In 2015–16, climate was influenced by strong El Niño conditions contributing to below-average annual rainfall across Australia for most of the year.
- In June 2016, two heavy rainfall events brought large amounts of rainfall across southeastern Australia.
Percentage-full volume during 1 July 2013–30 June 2016 for region storages
- In the Murray–Darling Basin region, storage volumes dropped from 42% to 39% full during the 2015–16 year, the fourth successive annual decrease since 2012.
Water availability
Water availability and abstractions in the region for 2015–16
- Total water allocation was 12,243,162 ML, which was 7% less than previous year.
- 65% of allocated water was abstracted, which is less than the previous year and primarily reflects the decreased surface water availability and drier conditions in the region for most of the year.
Water sources and supply
Total water sourced in the region for 2015–16 and five water resource plan areas which are the highest water users
- Total water sourced by the region was 9,232,595 ML, which was 11% less than the previous year.
- Surface water made up 83% of total water use including delivery of held environmental water across the region.
Users of water in the region for the 2015–16 year and five water resource plan areas which are the highest water users
- Approximately 80% of total water supply was used by individual users: mainly for irrigation purposes.
- 15% of water supply was for environmental purposes; a large proportion of this occurred in the River Murray in South Australia.
Water trade
Interstate trade allocation activity in the Murray–Darling Basin region in 2015–16
- The Murray–Darling Basin accounts for more than 95% of surface water entitlement trade and almost all of the allocation trade in the National Water Account.
- The volume of trade in surface water allocations in the region was 5,347,000 ML, a decrease of 5% from last year.
- Queensland and South Australia were net importers of allocation trade, while New South Wales and Victoria were net exporters, which is similar to the previous 2 years.