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Melbourne: Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities

as at 30 June 2021

  • Water availability in the Melbourne region's storages increased during 2020–21.
  • Water availability is represented by the net water assets, which are the volume of water assets minus the water liabilities.

Schematic representation of the Melbourne region. Total surface water and groundwater assets at 30 June 2021 was 2,157 GL. Total water liabilities was 597 GL. Closing net water assets at 30 June 2021 was 1,560 GL, 17% more than last year.

The Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities is provided in the table below. The statement presents the volume of water assets, and water liabilities at the start and end of the reporting year.

 

 

Select comparative year

 2021 ML2020 ML2019 ML2018 ML2017 ML2016 ML
Water assets
Surface water 1,503,8951,280,9461,030,7171,181,9251,271,8841,173,724
Accessible storages1,417,4231,198,027**944,690**1,093,026**1,175,637**1,087,598
Dead storages76,62376,62376,62376,62376,62376,623
Rivers9,8496,2969,404**12,276**19,624**9,503
 
Groundwater 38,63838,63838,61938,61938,61938,619
Water table aquifer22,07322,07322,05422,05422,05422,054
Underlying aquifers16,56516,56516,56516,56516,56516,565
 
Urban water system 614,330564,415470,750510,500542,413511,509
Urban system storages28,90628,61328,80928,41929,02629,828
Claims: surface water*585,424535,802441,941482,081513,387481,681
Claims: groundwater*000000
 
Total water assets2,156,8631,883,999**1,540,086**1,731,044**1,852,916**1,723,852
Water liabilities
Surface water liability596,875547,031447,899490,489524,382485,193
Allocation remaining: individual users11,45111,2295,9588,40810,9953,512
Allocation remaining: urban system*585,424535,802441,941482,081513,387481,681
Commitment: inter-region000000
 
Groundwater liability000000
Allocation remaining: individual users000000
Allocation remaining: urban system*000000
 
Total water liabilities596,875547,031447,899490,489524,382485,193
Net water assets
Net surface water assets907,020733,915582,818691,436747,502688,531
Opening net surface water assets733,915**582,818**691,436**747,502**688,531**867,256
Change in net surface water assets173,105**151,097(108,618)**(56,066)**58,971**(178,725)
Closing net surface water assets907,020733,915**582,818**691,436**747,502**688,531
 
Net groundwater assets38,63838,63838,61938,61938,61938,619
Opening net groundwater assets38,63838,61938,61938,61938,61938,619
Change in net groundwater assets0190000
Closing net groundwater assets38,63838,63838,61938,61938,61938,619
 
Net urban water assets614,330564,415470,750510,500542,413511,509
Opening net urban water assets564,415470,750510,500542,413511,509513,006
Change in net urban water assets49,91593,665(39,750)(31,913)30,904(1,497)
Closing net urban water assets614,330564,415470,750510,500542,413511,509
Total closing net water assets 1,559,9881,336,968**1,092,187**1,240,555**1,328,534**1,238,659
       
Total change in net water assets223,020**244,781(148,368)**(87,979)**89,875**(180,222)

 

* between-store claims / liabilities

** different to published volume in historical accounts (see Governance for more information)

Note: quantification approaches used to derive each item volume are provided in the Methods