What Happened with Your Local Rivers Last Season?

Bunyip and Mornington Peninsula Basin Local Water Report 2015-16

Welcome to our annual Local Water Report for our Bunyip and Mornington Peninsula customers. We hope this report will give an insight on:

• how our rivers fared last season (2015-16) • groundwater level trends • the number of irrigation licences in each of our systems • how much water irrigators used last season, compared to previous years • emerging local water issues.

What happened with your local rivers last season?

Bunyip/Tarago River system The Bunyip/Tarago system experienced significant dry periods during the last 12 months due to the lack of spring rains leading into summer, and it was necessary to implement intermittent rosters during the months of January, February and March 2016.

Lang Lang River/Minnieburn system The Lang Lang River system held up reasonably well, with steady flows during the early part of the season. However, flows struggled during the later part of summer and it was necessary to restrict pumping activities during March 2016.

Other creeks and streams Due to the extensive dry period from spring to early autumn, a number of other streams including several on the Mornington Peninsula such as Main Creek, experienced very low flows.

Drainage Southern Rural Water is not responsible for managing the drainage system in the Kooweerup area. The drainage system in the Kooweerup – Longwarry Flood Protection District is the responsibility of Melbourne Water.

Melbourne Water works with Cardinia, Casey and Baw Baw Shire Councils and the local community to look after the district’s drains and flood protection structures using funds collected through a special rate, collected by South East Water.

Melbourne Water looks after the precept drains and the carrier drains, while council looks after the council-owned drains and the community is responsible for any private drains. How much water was used The table below compares last season’s usage with the previous four years:

River system Number of Licenced Total Volume Extracted (ML) licences* volume (ML)* 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 Bunyip Tarago 381 7,239 2,631 1,923 1,648 2,110 731 Lang Lang River 77 1,958 431 320 242 133 68 Cardinia Creek 39 770 371 356 310 255 11 Watsons Creek 8 719 196 217 313 81 112 Toomuc Creek 15 221 106 98 101 80 62 Deep Creek 7 150 25 39 51 28 37 Clyde Creek 8 597 41 95 66 125 64 Yallock Creek 42 859 404 307 472 253 199 Dandenong Creek 33 1,355 719 429 534 521 341 Main Creek 24 214 45 17 51 25 105 Stony Creek 24 349 20 21 23 13 19 Bunyip Basin Misc 6 1,007 298 262 285 107 269 Peninsula Basin Misc 65 1,653 577 508 388 416 362 Totals 729 17,091 5,864 4,592 3,811 3,624 1,749

* Does not include farm dam registration licences

What happened with your local groundwater last season?

Overview There are four Groundwater Management Units within the Bunyip and Peninsula basin (Frankston, Moorabbin, Nepean and Kooweerup). The main aquifers in Frankston Moorabbin and Nepean are shallow and sandy. In Kooweerup, the main aquifer is deep and confined.

Water quality and yield can vary greatly across the region and groundwater is generally used for irrigation or domestic and stock purposes.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has limited State Observation Bore Network coverage in Frankston and Moorabbin, but has quite extensive coverage in Nepean and Kooweerup.

Kooweerup Water Supply Protection Area (WSPA) Groundwater licence holders used an average of 35% of their licensed volume during the 2015/2016 season.

The annual report for the Kooweerup Water Supply Protection Area is available to download from our website at www.srw.com.au.

Frankston Groundwater levels have remained relatively stable over the past year; they are still above drought levels. Data is limited to the eastern boundary (where three bores are monitored).

Moorabbin The State Observation Bore Network coverage for the Moorabbin Groundwater Management Area (GMA) focuses on the eastern side. Water levels have dropped less than 0.5m during last 12 months.

Nepean (Mornington Peninsula) There is significant seasonal fluctuation in the Boneo area (which is where all of the licensed extraction occurs). Many of the monitoring bores near the coast have water levels close to sea level, but have been fairly stable over the period of record in the western area of the GMA.

Overall groundwater levels have remained stable or decreased slightly in the past 12 months. Salinity readings have remained within normal ranges. State Observation Bores The graphs below show how the State Observation Bores in your area have recorded the groundwater depths over time. 1 1 Jan-73 Jan-75 Jan-77 Jan-79 Jan-81 Jan-83 Jan-85 Jan-87 Jan-89 Jan-91 Jan-93 Jan-95 Jan-97 Jan-99 Jan-01 Jan-03 Jan-05 Jan-07 Jan-09 Jan- 1 Jan-13 Jan-15 Jan-73 Jan-75 Jan-77 Jan-79 Jan-81 Jan-83 Jan-85 Jan-87 Jan-89 Jan-91 Jan-93 Jan-95 Jan-97 Jan-99 Jan-01 Jan-03 Jan-05 Jan-07 Jan-09 Jan- 1 Jan-13 Jan-15 6 4

7 5

7 10 Depth below natural surface (m) Depth below natural surface (m)

11 8

12 Frankston - Dandenong/Hastings Road (62949) Moorabbin - Tramway Parade (80245) 1 1 Jan-77 Jan-79 Jan-81 Jan-83 Jan-85 Jan-87 Jan-89 Jan-91 Jan-93 Jan-95 Jan-97 Jan-99 Jan-01 Jan-03 Jan-05 Jan-07 Jan-09 Jan- 1 Jan-13 Jan-15 Jan-77 Jan-79 Jan-81 Jan-83 Jan-85 Jan-87 Jan-89 Jan-91 Jan-93 Jan-95 Jan-97 Jan-99 Jan-01 Jan-03 Jan-05 Jan-07 Jan-09 Jan- 1 Jan-13 Jan-15 4 4

5 9

11 Depth below natural surface (m) Depth below natural surface (m) 12

6 14

Nepean - Melbourne Road (84884) Nepean - Boneo Road (100018)

How much groundwater was used: The table below compares last season’s usage with the previous four years.

Groundwater system Number of Licenced Total Volume Extracted (ML) licences volume (ML) 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 Kooweerup WSPA Zone 1 52 1,053 495 257 335 332 228 Kooweerup WSPA Zone 2A 31 798 241 208 267 273 98 Kooweerup WSPA Zone 2B 85 2,968 992 920 637 921 247 Kooweerup WSPA Zone 3 16 425 20 16 16 8 19 Kooweerup WSPA Zone 4 53 1,809 539 388 384 468 170 Kooweerup WSPA Zone 5 68 1,964 319 278 224 254 229 Kooweerup WSPA Zone 6 16 635 34 20 26 83 35 Kooweerup WSPA Zone 7 23 2,900 1,707 1,610 1,388 1,134 896 Unincorporated 195 9,117 1,434 1,531 1,291 1,397 1,105 Frankston GMA 29 2,229 301 50 122 218 119 Moorabbin GMA* 50 2,581 1,293 1,171 1,132 1,053 873 Nepean GMA 71 6,109 2,961 2,417 3,004 3,159 3,152 Totals 689 32,588 10,336 8,866 8,826 9,300 7,171

*Also included in the Yarra Basin Water trading for 2015-16

Permanent trade Temporary trade Basin / GMU Number Volume (ML) Number Volume (ML) Kooweerup WSPA 13 202 25 712 Moorabbin GMA - - 3 90 Nepean GMA - - 3 289 Bunyip Basin 3 58 16 394

The table above shows the number and volume (ML) of water trades. Temporary and permanent volume trades show water trades across different locations, as distinct from ownership changes that are part of land transfers

Payment plans for annual accounts Following the collapse of farm gate milk returns in May, Southern Rural Water is acutely aware that many of our customers may be in financial or emotional distress.

Southern Rural Water operates a hardship policy, where we work with customers experiencing hardship to formalise an individual payment plan. We can help you create a weekly, fortnightly or monthly payment plan that suits your needs. Please contact us as quickly as possible to discuss your options.

Our annual accounts were mailed in late October. All customers have two options for payment, either by instalments or in full. If you elect to pay by instalments, the due dates are as follows:

21 November, 2016 20 January, 2017 20 March, 2017 22 May, 2017

Paying the first instalment on time is very important. If you miss the first payment, or pay it late, you will not be recorded as being on the plan and you will accrue interest if the whole account is not paid in full by the due date.

Even if you pay by instalments each year, you are not automatically placed on that plan, unless you make that first payment on time.

If you are paying in full, the due date is 20 December, 2016. For more information about individual payment plans or accounts, please contact us on 1300 139 510 or visit srw.com.au.

More information For more information about rural water use in your area, please contact local field officers, Frank Crameri on 0427 564 367 or Mathew Grivas on 0427 317 436 or phone Southern Rural Water on 1300 139 510. Southern Rural Water is publishing local water reports for all basins. You can view these online at our website (www.srw.com.au) or phone us to have a copy mailed to you.

Please don’t drink our water Any water from sources managed or licensed by Southern Rural Water, including irrigation storages, channels, rivers and creeks, groundwater and farm dams, is untreated. It should not be considered safe for human consumption without proper treatment.