Burdekin: Statement details
The region received average rainfall during the 2016–17 year, which was higher than the previous year. The increased rainfall contributed to higher annual streamflows across the region. As a result, storage volumes increased from 92% to 96% full during the 2016–17 year.
For further information on the region's water accounting statements scroll down this page or click on the links below:
Water assets
Surface water assets
- Surface water asset volumes in the Burdekin region were 1,946,398 ML at 30 June 2017.
Figure S1 Total storage volume in the region at 30 June 2017 compared with the previous 3 year
- Storage volumes increased from 92% to 96% full (1,941,577 ML) during the year.
- Above average rainfall in March and May maintained storage volumes towards the end of the reporting year.
Figure S2 Percentage-full volume on 30 June 2017 for each storage
- The volume of water in Lake Dalrymple contains more than 90% of the total surface water storage in the region.
- More detailed information on the individual storages within the region is available on the Bureau of Meteorology's Water Storage website.
Groundwater assets
- The aquifers in the Burdekin region are described in the Groundwater section of the 'Geographic information' section.
- A physical asset volume could not be defined for water stored in the aquifers. Instead, a non-physical groundwater asset was used in the Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities based on the total licensed entitlements.
Water liabilities
- Water liabilities in the Burdekin region refer to the volume of allocation remaining on licence entitlements at the end of the 2016–17 year.
| Individual users (ML) | Urban Systems (ML) | Irrigation scheme (ML) | Inter-region Transfer (ML) | |
| Opening balance at 1 July 2016 | 820* | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Allocation | 489,996 | 12,272 | 617,745 | 31,425 |
| Allocation diversion | (106,586) | (8,604) | (460,969) | (11,838) |
| Adjustment and forfeiture | (382,897) | (3,668) | (156,776) | (19,587) |
| Closing balance at 30 June 2017 | 1,333* | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*Volume includes carryover for individual users, irrigation and inter-region transfer.
| Individual users (ML) | Urban Systems (ML) | Irrigation scheme (ML) | |
| Opening balance at 1 July 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Allocation | 1,091 | 480 | 43,529 |
| Allocated extraction | (1,082) | (238) | (17,672) |
| Adjustment and forfeiture | (9) | (242) | (25,857) |
| Closing balance at 30 June 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- All the listed water supply licences for the region have a water management year that ends on 30 June.
- A more detailed description of water allocations and associated water rights in the Burdekin region is given in the Water rights note.
Water asset increases
- Total water asset increases for the year was 8,087,793 ML.
- The key water asset increase for the region was runoff, which made up 95% of total surface water asset increases.
- Runoff increased from the previous year as a result higher rainfall (see Climate and water).
Water asset decreases
- Total water asset decreases for the year was 5,463,816 ML.
- The key water asset decrease for the region was outflow from the region, which made up approximately 84% of the total water asset decreases. This reflects the relatively higher rainfall in 2016–17 compared to last year. In particular, cyclonic rainfall in March resulted in a 3-fold increase in total river outflow to sea (see Climate and water).
Water flows
- Total water inflows to the region was 8,087,793 ML, equal to the volume of Water asset increases.
- Total water outflows from the region were 6,070,805 ML, higher than the volume of Water asset decreases (5,463,816 ML) as it includes the flows corresponding to the accrual transactions—allocated diversions and allocated extractions (see the Water liabilities section above).
- A detailed description on all the water flows associated with the surface water and groundwater stores is provided in the Water stores note.
Unaccounted-for difference
- The unaccounted–for difference is the volume necessary to reconcile the opening water storage and closing water storage with the total water inflows and total water outflows reported in the water accounting statements.
| Volume ML | |
| Opening water storage balance 1 July 2016 | 1,979,038 |
| Total inflows | 8,087,793 |
| Total outflows | (6,070,805) |
| Closing water storage balance (30 June 2017) | (2,044,876) |
| Unaccounted-for difference | (1,951,150) |
- The unaccounted-for difference value is primarily attributed to uncertainties associated with the runoff estimate (see Methods).