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HEALTHY, WORKING MURRAY–DARLING BASIN Basin Plan Annual Report 2014–15

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HEALTHY, WORKING MURRAY–DARLING BASIN Basin Plan Annual Report 2014–15 TOWARDS A HEALTHY, WORKING MURRAY–DARLING BASIN Basin Plan annual report 2014–15 i Basin Plan annual report 2014–15 Acknowledgement of the Traditional Owners The Murray–Darling Basin Authority acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Owners, and their Nations, of the Murray– Darling Basin, who have a deep cultural, social, environmental, spiritual and economic connection to their lands and waters. We understand the need for recognition of Traditional Owner knowledge and cultural values in natural resource management associated with the Basin. The approach of Traditional Owners to caring for the natural landscape, including water, can be expressed in the words of Darren Perry (Chair of the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations). ‘The environment that Aboriginal people know as Country has not been allowed to have a voice in contemporary Australia. Aboriginal First Nations have been listening to Country for many thousands of years and can speak for Country so that others can know what Country needs. Through the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations and the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations the voice of Country can be heard by all’. ii Basin Plan annual report 2014–15 Contents The Aboriginal Waterways Assessment About this report 02 35 program 03 The 2014–15 year in review 37 Working together Productive and resilient industries and Implementing the Basin Plan 07 confident communities 38 08 Evaluating social and economic outcomes 42 Constraints management 13 Recovering water 43 Adjusting the sustainable diversion limits Social and economic benefits and impacts Groundwater reviews 19 of environmental watering 44 20 Water fit for community and industry use 45 Northern Basin review Healthy and resilient rivers, wetlands and Looking ahead 23 floodplains 47 A Basin-wide approach to environmental Towards 2024 24 watering 48 26 Evaluating environmental outcomes 49 More information Case studies Re-using water — Gunbower Understanding communities Salinity success story 10 21 33 Forest Watering efficiently at Hattah Coorong, Lower Lakes Dairy farm upgrade 12 27 Lakes 34 and Murray Mouth Irrigation upgrade delivers Working together — Murray A community member’s 17 benefits 31 hardyhead 39 perspective Basin Plan annual report 2014–15 1 About this report This is the second stand-alone report on how the Basin The first ever Basin-wide environmental watering Plan and associated reforms are tracking against social, strategy was released, setting measurable outcomes economic and environmental outcomes. It provides for improvement. Governments worked together an update on progress made during 2014–15 towards to deliver over 2,000 GL to meet Basin-wide achieving the sustainable and equitable use of the annual watering priorities. Early results show that Murray–Darling Basin’s scarce water resources. environmental watering benefited native fish, native vegetation, waterbirds and river flows. The Murray–Darling Basin is a complex, diverse and dynamic system. Its characteristics are constantly The Basin Plan is a long-term reform. It is being changing in response to the influences of people, the rolled out over many years to give communities climate and the way water is used — for production, time to adapt. Even so, some communities are communities and the environment. more vulnerable than others and face particular challenges. Many are feeling the stress of economic, The aim of the Basin Plan is to ensure that water is climatic and policy changes that have occurred over shared between all users, including the environment, recent decades. in a sustainable way. It does this by managing the Basin as one system. This will enable the river The MDBA has been gathering information systems to continue to support communities and and identifying long-term social, economic and industries in the long term as they adapt to changes, environmental trends and changes happening in including a changing climate. communities and industries. The next step will be to identify causes of long-term trends and changes and In 2014–15, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority isolate those which are likely to have been influenced (MDBA) continued working with Basin governments by the Basin Plan. This work will contribute to a much and communities. This included reviewing the Plan’s more detailed evaluation of the Plan. settings for sustainable diversion limits, and exploring ways to deliver environmental water more effectively This report uses three themes to track progress: and efficiently by easing constraints. The Plan is productive and resilient industries and confident designed to adapt the way the Basin’s water resources communities; healthy and resilient rivers, wetlands are managed based on what is learnt. and floodplains; and working together. This year more water was recovered to improve the This report draws from information provided Basin environment, bringing the total to 71% of the by Basin state governments, the Commonwealth water recovery target (up from 69% in 2013–14). As Environmental Water Office, the Department of part of the water recovery program, the Australian Agriculture and Water Resources, the MDBA and Government invested a further $550 million in water- other Australian Government agencies. efficient infrastructure. 2 Basin Plan annual report 2014–15 THE 2014–15 YEAR IN REVIEW Reports from the Basin governments for 2014–15 show that they are working together in consultation with Basin communities to progressively implement different elements of the Basin Plan. Productive and resilient Healthy and resilient Working industries and confident rivers, wetlands together communities and floodplains (page 7) (page 23) (page 37) SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC EVALUATION PLANNING AT A BASIN-WIDE SCALE WORKING WITH GOVERNMENTS The MDBA continued to collect The Basin-wide environmental Basin governments are information to assess how watering strategy was published. developing projects to reduce communities are adjusting to change It sets Basin-scale long-term the water recovery target and the impact of the Basin Plan measurable outcomes and provides while still achieving equivalent guidance on watering strategies environmental outcomes WATER TRADE Basin governments are ENVIRONMENTAL WATER DELIVERED TO New water trade rules took effect, developing proposals to deliver WHOLE-OF-BASIN PRIORITIES improving opportunities for water environmental water more users to manage risks Whole-of-Basin priorities received efficiently (addressing constraints) RECOVERING WATER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT over 2,000 GL of environmental water, as water was re-used to provide WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES As at 30 June 2015, 1,951 GL (71%) multiple benefits downstream of the water recovery target of Communities were involved 2,750 GL has been recovered, up Monitoring showed improvements in decisions about where and from 69% last year for native fish, waterbirds and when to water, and maximising native vegetation in response to benefits for different water users The Australian Government invested a environmental watering events further $550 million on water-efficient The MDBA and states worked infrastructure on farms, and water New water management structures, with landholders to better delivery systems designed to maximise the use of understand the effects of environmental water, were tested addressing constraints The Australian Government introduced legislation (which took effect in Three Aboriginal communities The Northern Basin Advisory October 2015) to cap surface water trialled the Aboriginal Waterways Committee, industry groups, purchases in the Basin at 1,500 GL Assessment tool as a way to communities and scientists consistently measure and prioritise contributed to progress on the river and wetland health northern Basin review Basin Plan annual report 2014–15 3 2014–15 CLIMATE — PERSISTING DRY CONDITIONS Rainfall across the Basin was lower than average, with particularly dry conditions in Victoria, compared to the previous year. Overall the drought is continuing which is reflected in storage volumes declining further, compared to 2013–14, see Figure 1. Northern Basin Northern Basin average to below storages Charleville average rainfall, Cheepie Roma Chinchilla except in the lower Brisbane Darling, where 30% 23% Toowoomba Cunnamulla St George rainfall was above Goondiwindi average July June Dirranbandi 2014 2015 Moree drought conditions eased slightly in Bourke er Riv Narrabri ling Queensland but not Dar Tamworth enough to make a Cobar Wilcannia significant impact Broken Hill Dubbo for agricultural Menindee production Ivanhoe Condobolin Orange Sydney rainfall very much Morgan Murray River Mildura Griffith Renmark Murrumbidgee River below average in the Adelaide Leeton Southern Basin Barwon–Culgoa area Murray Bridge Wagga Wagga storages Swan Hill Deniliquin Canberra M Goolwa urray River Albury–Wodonga Southern Basin Horsham Bendigo Shepparton 47% % lowest rainfall on 66 record for Victoria Melbourne July June 2014 2015 drought conditions Rainfall from July 2014 to June 2015 intensified Highest on record Below average compared to the Well above average Well below average previous year Above average Lowest on record Average the 2015–16 water year may involve Figure 1: Murray–Darling Basin rainfall and storage (storage figures do not include water in private storages) lower allocations 4 Basin Plan annual report 2014–15 Water diversions across the Basin Surface water 12,208 11,652 11,590 Watercourse diversions in 11,250 the Basin dropped to a low 9,688 8,812
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