Murray–Darling Basin: Administration
Surface water and groundwater management
Water legislation
The main legislative instruments governing water resource management within the Murray–Darling Basin region are:
- Australian Government Water Act 2007
- The Basin Plan Basin Plan 2012
- Queensland Water Act 2000
- New South Wales Water Act 1912
- New South Wales Water Management Act 2000
- Australian Capital Territory Water Resources Act 2007
- Victorian Water Act 1989
- South Australia Natural Resources Management Act 2004.
Water management plans
Basin plan
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) released the draft Murray–Darling Basin plan for public exhibition in November 2011 (MDBA 2016c). Thereafter during the 2012–13 year, consultation with community, stakeholders, and the Basin States and the Territory was undertaken. After the end of the consultations and negotiations, the Basin Plan was adopted by the Commonwealth Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities in November 2012.
The Basin Plan aims to optimise social, economic and environmental outcomes arising from the use of the Basin water resource in the national interest. It establishes long-term average sustainable diversion limits (SDL) in 29 surface water SDL resource units and 81 groundwater SDL resource units. Compliance with the SDLs is required from 1 July 2019. There is a period of transition from the Cap to SDLs by 2019.
During the transition period, the Cap will continue to be the instrument for compliance for surface water diversions through until the 2019–20 year or for as long as Schedule E of the Murray–Darling Basin Agreement remains in effect. Although enforcement will only be against the Cap during the transition period, the MDBA will publish information about permitted and actual diversions under section 71 of the Australian Government Water Act 2007. This will ensure there is a level of transparency and accountability for all basin water resources until SDLs take effect in the 2019–20 year.
Ensuring a balance between the water needs of communities, industries and the environment is key to achieving a healthy working Basin. The Basin Plan sets new long-term average sustainable diversion limits (SDLs) that reflect an environmentally sustainable level of water use (or 'take'). Based on the Basin Plan assessments, proposed SDLs for surface water and groundwater are 10,873,000 and 3,324,000 ML per year respectively for the whole Basin.
Surface water
The 2015 Account provides information on the volume of surface water available for water resource plan areas in the region. This is presented in Figure C11 (Murray–Darling Basin Authority 2016d). More details about the 20 water resource plan areas for surface water and 29 SDL resource units are available in the downloadable table.
Figure C11 Water Resource Plan areas for surface water within the Murray–Darling Basin region
Detailed map for SDL resource units for surface water are available from the MDBA website.
Groundwater
The 2015 Account provides information the volume of groundwater available for water resource plan areas in the regions. This is shown in Figure C12 (Murray–Darling Basin Authority 2016d). More details of 22 water resource plan areas for groundwater and 281 SDL resource units are available in the downloadable table.
Figure C12 Water Resource Plan areas for groundwater within the Murray–Darling Basin region
Detailed maps for SDL resource units are available for groundwater and deep groundwater from the MDBA website.
Surface water and Groundwater management plans
Details regarding the Basin States' and Territory's water and groundwater management plans in the Murray–Darling Basin region are as follows:
- Queensland: The water management instruments for surface water are water resource plans and resource operations plans. The plans are available from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines website. Through an amendment to the Water Act 2000 (Qld), existing water resource plans are to continue until 30 June 2019.
The Warrego, Paroo, Bullo, and Nebine Water Resource Plans are currently under review. The other plans, as a result of an amendment to the Water Act 2000 (Qld), are to remain in place until 30 June 2019. These plans are also likely to be extended with review and accredition prior the the SDL implementation date (as specified in the Basin Plan). - New South Wales: The water management instruments for surface water are water sharing plans. Details regarding these plans are available from the NSW Office of Water website. The water sharing plans are generally in place for a 10-year period after which they are reviewed. From time to time they be suspended due to severe water shortages, under s. 49(a) of the Water Management Act 2000 (NSW).
- Australian Capital Territory: The Water Resources Act 2007 (ACT) does not provide for statutory water management plans. Instead, the ACT government has in place its own water management guidelines. Details regarding water management activities in the ACT may be viewed on the Environment and Planning Directorate website, or in Administration section in the Canberra region account.
- Victoria: Victoria's water entitlement and allocation framework provides the basis for the management of Victoria's water resources and governs how water can be abstracted and used. The framework considers all water resources (surface water and groundwater) for both consumptive and environmental purposes. The Victorian Government has in place the Victorian Waterway Management Strategy which determines state waterway health and policy targets. The strategy is available from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Two regional sustainable water strategies applicable to Murray–Darling Basin region areas within Victoria are the Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy and the Western Region Sustainable Water Strategy.
- South Australia: A number of water allocation plans and regional natural resource management plans are in place. All water allocation plans and regional natural resource plans are required to be reviewed within 10 years of adoption under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (SA).
Further details regarding these water allocation plans and natural resource plans are available from the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, or from Administration section in the Adelaide region account. - Border Groundwater Agreement (Victoria–South Australia):Victoria and South Australia entered into agreement in 1985. It was susequently updated in 2005 (Government of South Australia 2005). It states that the available groundwater shall be shared equitably between the two states along a 20-km wide designated area extending on both sides of the border.
Environmental water management
Environmental water legislation
Environmental water in the Murray–Darling Basin region is governed by the same legislation as surface water, as detailed in surface water legislation (see Water legislation).
Under Section 22 of the Water Act 2007, the Basin Plan must contain an environmental watering plan (EWP). The content of the EWP must also comply with Section 28 of the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth).
Environmental water provisions
The Environmental water provisions (EWP) is a part of the Basin Plan. Its purpose is to achieve the best possible environmental outcomes using the increased but still finite amount of water made available by the Basin Plan. The EWP (MDBA 2016a) is designed to restore, protect and nourish the Basin's environment as a whole, as well as specific environmental assets such as wetlands, red gum forests, and floodplains. It will also protect the Basin's biodiversity and its native plants and animals. The EWP sets out how this water together with existing environmental water will be used.
The EWP coordinates and manages existing environmental water plans for the recovery of additional environmental water and coordinates the management of existing and additionally required environmental water.
Environmental water management information applicable to the Murray–Darling Basin region can be found in Environmental water. Some key features within the Murray–Darling Basin region are stated below:
- Each jurisdiction has legislative goals for managing surface water and groundwater systems. This includes managing environmental water outcomes in the Murray–Darling Basin region.
- Within each jurisdiction, the water management plans that have been developed or are still in development address requirements to provide water for the environment by setting aside volumes that cannot be abstracted from the system and through releasing volumes from a storage in a controlled manner to achieve a set of conditions downstream. The restrictions on abstraction also apply to groundwater systems.
- In addition to water management plans, other programmes have been introduced by the Basin, State and Territory Governments and the Australian Government to increase the volume of water that is provided for the environment. For example, the Australian Government has introduced the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program (SRWUIP), which is a national programme investing in rural water use, management and efficiency projects, including improved water knowledge and market reforms. Under the programme, water savings are recovered for the environment through three main components: irrigation infrastructure projects; supply measures (by using water more efficiently); and water purchase (Australian Government Department of the Environment 2016c). The water rights acquired by the Australian Government under this programme become part of the Commonwealth environmental water holdings. These holdings are managed by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH).
- Jurisdictions have also delivered significant water recovery programmes over the recent past, such as New South Wales River Bank, Rivers Environmental Restoration Program and the Wetland Recovery Program.
- Entitlements are held for the purpose of watering the environment as a result of the above mentioned and other programmes (e.g. environmental entitlements held by the Minister for Environment in New South Wales, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority for the Living Murray program, and the Victorian Environmental Water Holder in Victoria (VEWH)).
Commonwealth environmental water programmes
Information about Commonwealth environmental water management involving the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) can be found on the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office website.
The CEWH can trade Commonwealth environmental water and water holdings subject to conditions in the Australian Government Water Act 2007. Commonwealth environmental water holdings are published in the CEWH's annual report and are updated each month on the Commonwealth environmental water holdings website.
Information about environmental water delivery under the Living Murray Initiative can be obtained from MDBA website.
Queensland
The structure of the Queensland water resource plans is primarily aimed at providing planned environmental water rather than using held environmental water. There is no environmental water holder within Queensland. The Commonwealth Government has acquired entitlements in Queensland for environmental benefit.
New South Wales
Department of Primary Industries Water (DPI Water) is responsible for water licences and regulation, including oversight of planned environmental water. The Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) within the Department of Premier and Cabinet collaborates with many other partners to manage environmental water in New South Wales, including delivery of allocations from held environmental water and utilising planned environmental water to deliver environmental benefits.
Australian Capital Territory
The Environment and Planning Directorate (EPD) has developed the 2013 Environmental Flow Guidelines. The objectives set in the guidelines are met by releases from the storages, as planned partly regulated surface water management, rather than using held environmental water.
There is no environmental water holder within the Australian Capital Territory and the Commonwealth Government has not purchased any entitlements for environmental benefit within the Australian Capital Territory.
Victoria
The Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) hold entitlements that could be used for environmental benefit during the 2014–15 year. A mixture of planned environmental water, which is addressed in the bulk entitlements and other rules, and water entitlements are used to deliver environmental benefits.
South Australia
The South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR) manages environmental water. A mixture of planned environmental water and held environmental water is delivered to improve the ecological health of the River Murray, including wetlands, floodplains, the Lower Lakes and the Coorong.
Organisations responsible for water management
Tables C1 to C6 detail the organisations responsible for water management within the Murray–Darling Basin region.
| Organisation | Responsibilities | ||||||||
| 1. environmental water management | |||||||||
| 2. water resource management | |||||||||
| 3. water availability determinations | |||||||||
| 4. water allocation announcements | |||||||||
| 5. wholesale water delivery | |||||||||
| 6. water infrastructure operations | |||||||||
| 7. administration and management of water legislation and licensing | |||||||||
| 8. administration and processing of water trades | |||||||||
| 9. water extraction and use approvals | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| Icon Water1 | x | x | x | ||||||
| Environment and Planning Directorate | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
| National Capital Authority | x | ||||||||
1For Canberra water supply.
| Organisation | Responsibilities | ||||||||
| 1. environmental water management | |||||||||
| 2. water resource management | |||||||||
| 3. water availability determinations | |||||||||
| 4. water allocation announcements | |||||||||
| 5. wholesale water delivery | |||||||||
| 6. water infrastructure operations | |||||||||
| 7. administration and management of water legislation and licensing | |||||||||
| 8. administration and processing of water trades | |||||||||
| 9. water extraction and use approvals | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| DPI Water1 | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| NSW Office of Environment and Heritage2 | x | ||||||||
| WaterNSW3 | x | x | x | x | |||||
| Land and Property Management Authority4 | x | ||||||||
| Murrumbidgee Irrigation5 | x | x | x | x | |||||
| Murray Irrigation Limited5 | x | x | x | x | |||||
| Jemalong Irrigation5 | x | x | x | x | |||||
| Coleambally Irrigation Cooperative Ltd5 | x | x | x | x | |||||
| Western Murray Irrigation Ltd5 | x | x | x | x | |||||
| Local councils6 | |||||||||
1Administer and process water trades: only entitlement trades.
2Environmental water management: and discretionary environmental water.
3Administer and process water trades: process only allocation trades.
4Administer entitlement register.
5Includes also trade prerogatives: process and approve water trades internal to the irrigation corporation. Intrastate trades and interstate trades require State Water Corporation approval for allocation trades and NSW Office of Water approval for entitlement trades.
6In New South Wales, local councils hold water access entitlements to abstract water.
| Organisation | Responsibilities | ||||||||
| 1. environmental water management | |||||||||
| 2. water resource management | |||||||||
| 3. water availability determinations | |||||||||
| 4. water allocation announcements | |||||||||
| 5. wholesale water delivery | |||||||||
| 6. water infrastructure operations | |||||||||
| 7. administration and management water legislation and licensing | |||||||||
| 8. administration and processing of water trades | |||||||||
| 9. water extraction and use approvals | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| Department of Natural Resources and Mines | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| SunWater1 | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Local councils2 | x | x | x | x | |||||
1Only administers water allocation within water supply schemes it manages and operates.
2In Queensland, local councils may hold water licences, supplemented water allocations and/or unsupplemented water allocations.
| Organisation | Responsibilities | ||||||||
| 1. environmental water management | |||||||||
| 2. water resource management | |||||||||
| 3. water availability determinations | |||||||||
| 4. water allocation announcements | |||||||||
| 5. wholesale water delivery | |||||||||
| 6. water infrastructure operations | |||||||||
| 7. administration and management of water legislation and licensing | |||||||||
| 8. administration and processing of water trades | |||||||||
| 9. water extraction and use approvals | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation | x | x | x | x | |||||
| SA Water | x | x | |||||||
| Natural Resources SA Murray–Darling Basin | x | x | x | x | |||||
| South East Natural Resources Management Board | x | x | x | x | x | ||||
| Central Irrigation Trust1 | x | x | x | x | |||||
| Renmark irrigation Trust | x | x | x | x | |||||
| Qualco–Sunlands Irrigation Trust | x | x | x | ||||||
| Lower Murray Irrigation | x | x | |||||||
| Creeks Pipeline Company Ltd | x | x | |||||||
| Local councils2 | x | ||||||||
1Also includes internal water trade processing and approving within the irrigation trust. Intrastate and interstate trades require the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources's approval.
2In South Australia, water access entitlements are held by SA Water, who has retail arrangements with local councils for water abstractions.
| Organisation | Responsibilities | ||||||||
| 1. environmental water management | |||||||||
| 2. water resource management | |||||||||
| 3. water availability determinations | |||||||||
| 4. water allocation announcements | |||||||||
| 5. wholesale water delivery | |||||||||
| 6. water infrastructure operations | |||||||||
| 7. administration and management of water legislation and licensing | |||||||||
| 8. administration and processing of water trades | |||||||||
| 9. water extraction and use approvals | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (with effect from 1 January 2015; previously the Department of Environment and Primary Industries))1 | x | x | x | ||||||
| Victorian Environmental Water Holder | x | ||||||||
| Goulburn Murray Water Corporation | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Lower Murray Water Corporation | x | x | x | x | |||||
| Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water Corporation | x | x | x | x | x | ||||
| Local councils2 | |||||||||
1With effect from 1 January 2015, the Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning (DELWP) has been delivering specific functions previously delivered by the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI). It is likely that some of the DEPI links provided in the National Water Account will be available through the DELWP website instead of the DEPI website.
2In Victoria, bulk water access entitlements are held by the water corporations,which are obliged to supply entitlements under the licences referred to in the schedules within their bulk entitlement conversion orders. Water and wastewater management functions under the Victorian Water Act 1989 are performed by statutory water corporations (not by local councils).
| Organisation | Responsibilities | ||||||||
| 1. environmental water management | |||||||||
| 2. water resource management | |||||||||
| 3. water availability determinations | |||||||||
| 4. water allocation announcements | |||||||||
| 5. wholesale water delivery | |||||||||
| 6. water infrastructure operations | |||||||||
| 7. administration and management of water legislation and licensing | |||||||||
| 8. administration and processing of water trades | |||||||||
| 9. water extraction and use approvals | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| Murray–Darling Basin Authority | x | x | x | x | |||||
| Commonwealth Environmental Water Office1 | x | ||||||||
| Snowy Hydro Ltd2 | x | x | x | ||||||
1Manages Commonwealth environmental water holdings under the Australian Government Water Act 2007.
2Transfer water into the Murray–Darling Basin region.