South East Queensland: Supporting information
- Dry conditions contributed to low runoff and storage inflows across the region.
- Storage volumes at 30 June 2020 were 60% full, the lowest end-of-year level in more than 10 years.
- 68% of the allocated water was taken in 2019–20, primarily for residential use.
For further information on the region's water accounting statements scroll down this page or click on the links below:
Water assets
- Total water asset volumes in the region at 30 June 2020 were 1,560 GL, around 98% of which is water held in storages. The remaining amount is water held in rivers and aquifers.
Figure S1 Total storage volume in the region at 30 June 2020 compared with the previous 10 years
- Storage volumes decreased from 65% full at 30 June 2019 to 60% full at 30 June 2020, the fourth annual decrease in storage over the last five years.
- The end-of-year storage at 30 June 2020 was the lowest in more than 10 years.
- Five storages (Wivenhoe, Somerset, Hinze, North Pine and Wyaralong) make up more than 80% of the region's total surface water storage.
FigureS2 Percentage-full volume on 30 June 2020 for each storage and total storage volume from 2013–2020 (inset)
- In early February 2020, storage levels had dropped to 52% full, the lowest level since March 2009.
- High rainfall in mid-February 2020 resulted in a rise in storage levels across the region, the first significant rise in storage since February 2018.
- More detailed information on the individual storages within the region is available on the Bureau of Meteorology's Water Storage website.
Water liabilities

- Water liabilities in the South East Queensland region refer to the volume of allocation remaining on licence entitlements at the end of the 2019–20 year.
Description | Individual users (ML) | Urban system (ML) | |
Opening balance at 1 July 2019 | 0 | 0 | |
add | Allocation | 90,913 | 483,113 |
less | Allocated diversion | 48,273 | 351,787 |
less | Adjustment and forfeiture | 42,640 | 131,326 |
Closing balance at 30 June 2020 | 0 | 0 |
Description | Individual users (ML) | |
Opening balance at 1 July 2019 | 0 | |
add | Allocation | 28,395 |
less | Allocated diversion | 11,222 |
less | Adjustment and forfeiture | 17,173 |
Closing balance at 30 June 2020 | 0 |
- All water supply licences for the region have a water management year that ends on 30 June.
- As there are no carry-over provisions for water supply licences in the South East Queensland region, the portion of water allocation that has not been abstracted at the end of a water year is forfeited and the allocation remaining at the end of the year is 0 ML.
- A more detailed description of water allocations in the South East Queensland region is given in the Water use section below.
Water flows

Figure S3 Water inflows and outflows for the region's water stores and systems during the 2019–20 year
- Total surface water flows into the region's storages was around 2,974 GL. The key item contributing to surface water inflows was runoff, which made up more than 90% of the total surface water inflows.
- For the fifth consecutive year, runoff was lower than average (based on modelled data from 1971–2020) due to relatively poor rainfall across the region.
- A key item contributing to surface water outflows from the region's storages was river outflow, which made up almost two thirds of the total surface water outflows. River outflow was below average due to the dry conditions and low runoff across the region.
- Water taken from surface water and groundwater resources for consumptive use was 435 GL, around 15% of the total outflow (see Water use section below).
Water use

Figure S4 Water taken for consumptive use in the South East Queensland region in 2019–20
- Total surface water diverted in the region was 410 GL.
- 87% of the total surface water diverted was to the urban system by the Queensland bulk water supply authority, Seqwater.
- 12% of the total diversion was for individual users (comprising allocated and non-allocated diversions) while 1% was for individual users under a statutory right.
- Total groundwater extracted in the region was 25 GL.
- 72% of groundwater extraction was for individual users (comprising both allocated and non-allocated extraction); 28% was used for the urban water system.
Figure S5 Surface water access allocations and diversions in the South East Queensland region for the years ending 30 June, from 2012–2020
- In 2019–20, total surface water allocation was 574 GL, mostly for urban system supply. 70% of the allocated surface water was taken.
- Allocated diversions for urban supply were relatively high, similar to the previous year. The higher surface water supply over the last two years was influenced by the very dry conditions across the region resulting in a high water demand from customers.
- Allocations for individual users increased by almost 50% from last year due to a number of additional licences being issued in the Mary Basin during the year.
Figure S6 Groundwater access allocations and extractions in the South East Queensland region for the years ending 30 June, from 2012–2020
- In 2019–20, total groundwater allocation was 28 GL, all for private and commercial use. 40% of the allocated groundwater was taken.
- The groundwater allocation increased by more than 100% from previous years. This large increase was due to a number of additional licences being issued during the year.
- Groundwater extraction for individual users was relatively high, similar to the previous year. The higher groundwater supply over the last two years was influenced by the very dry conditions across the region resulting in a high water demand from users.
Urban system supply
Figure S7 Water sources used in South East Queensland's urban water system during the 2019–20 year compared with the previous nine years
- Total inflow to the water supply system was 377 GL, approximately 4% higher than last year.
- Surface water inflow made up almost 94% of urban supply; groundwater and desalinated water made up 2% and 4% of the total respectively.
- The contribution of desalinated water to urban supply was the highest since 2010–11. The very dry conditions during the year, particularly during the latter half of 2019, meant Seqwater had to increase its reliance on desalinated water supply to meet urban demand.
Water market activity

- All trade or lease of water access entitlements or allocations is for surface water only.
- In 2019–20, 8,599 ML of surface water allocations and 1,326 ML of surface water entitlements were traded.
- For more information on water markets in the region, see the Water Markets Dashboard.
Cultural and environmental water

Cultural benefit
- The Gold Coast, Moreton, Mary Basin and Logan Basin water plans define general and ecological outcomes, and outline strategies to achieve these outcomes. This includes water for social and cultural benefits.
Environmental benefit
Environmental water provisions
- Environmental water provisions are defined for rivers in all four water plan areas (Gold Coast, Moreton, Mary Basin, and Logan Basin) to maintain the rivers' natural ecological processes.
- Environmental water requirements are met using two different water management scenarios: planned, partly regulated surface water and planned, unregulated surface water.
Environmental water outcomes
- The environmental outcomes under the four water plans have been derived in consideration of the current state of the water resources in the respective plan areas, recognising that the natural state of the water courses, lakes and springs has changed because of water infrastructure, flow supplementation and water use.
- Environmental outcomes are generally assessed over a longer time frame and combine streamflow, water supply scheme and ecological research data.