Future prospects

Figure S15 Water outlook for the Ord region for 2018–19

• Outflows and discharges from the region's storages are expected to exceed inflows, which is likely to result in a decrease in water assets at the end of the year.

Expected inflows

• The next few months (November–January) are usually when about half of the region's annual rainfall occurs. According to the Bureau of Meteorology's climate outlook (from 25 October 2018), El Niño is likely to develop before the end of the year, which typically results in below-average wet season rainfall for northern Australia.
• Sea surface temperatures across northern Australia have been average to cooler than average during the early part of the 2018–19 year. These conditions can also lead to reduced rainfall over the next few months as less moisture in the atmosphere is available for rain-bearing weather systems.
• Inflows into the region's storages for the 2018–19 year, particularly during the November–January period, are expected to be below average.

Future commitments

• Water use is expected to be slightly higher than 2017–18, primarily due to the likely increase in water supply to the Goomig Farmlands as development continues in this irrigation area.