Victorian Water Accounts 2007-2008 A statement of Victorian water resources Published by the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, January 2010 © The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment 2010 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne. Printed by Stream Solutions Printed on 100% Recycled paper. ISBN 978-1-74242-296-1 (print) ISBN 978-1-74242-297-8 (online) ISSN 1837-591X (print) ISSN 1837-5928 (online) For more information contact the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s Customer Service Centre 136 186. Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Data presented in this report has been compiled from a number of sources and varies in reliability. However, where possible checks on the accuracy of the data have been undertaken and the data compilation process is auditable. Acknowledgements Data compilation: GHD Editor: Ann White Foreword In 2007/08, Victoria received minimal relief from the low rainfall which has been the prevailing weather pattern for the twelfth straight year. The continuing drought highlights the need to annually record and report on Victoria’s water availability and use. The Victorian Water Accounts 2007-2008 is the fifth consecutive publication to provide a State-wide overview of Victoria’s water resource availability and use at bulk supply level. It was another year of low inflows and storages. Basic human needs for water were met through a range of contingencies and drought response plans implemented by Victoria’s water businesses. One exception to the drought was a major flood in Gippsland’s Thomson and Mitchell basins early in 2007/08, following heavy rain in June. The flood was responsible for significant damage to stock, farm lands and natural assets within the two basins, and created significant challenges for the managers of water assets in that region. Infrastructure works associated with The Next Stage of the Government’s Water Plan commenced in 2007/08 as Victoria aims to secure its future water supplies. Details regarding the supply impact of projects under the Water Plan are reported herein. I commend this document as a critical account of water availability, entitlement, use and related drought response measures for 2007/08. Tim Holding MP Minister for Water Victorian Water Accounts 2007-2008 Page i Alphabetical listing of Victoria’s river basins Basin Chapter Avoca 13 Barwon 28 Broken 9 Bunyip 23 Campaspe 11 Corangamite 29 East Gippsland 16 Glenelg 33 Goulburn 10 Hopkins 31 Kiewa 7 Latrobe 21 Loddon 12 Mallee 14 Maribyrnong 25 Millicent Coast 34 Mitchell 19 Moorabool 27 Murray 6 Otway Coast 30 Ovens 8 Portland Coast 32 Snowy 17 South Gippsland 22 Tambo 18 Thomson 20 Werribee 26 Wimmera 15 Yarra 24 Page ii Victorian Water Accounts 2007-2008 Contents Introduction xi Part 1 Overview of Victorian water resources 2007/08 1 1 Water availability 3 1.1 Rainfall 3 1.2 Streamflow 6 1.3 Storages 16 1.4 Groundwater 19 1.5 Conclusion 21 2 Management of scarce water resources 23 2.1 Living with less water 23 2.2 Role of government in responding to less water availability 23 2.3 Victoria’s regional sustainable water strategies 24 2.4 Victoria’s water plan 24 2.5 Urban water restrictions 26 2.6 Seasonal allocation of water in irrigation districts 28 2.7 Restrictions on diversions from unregulated streams 28 2.8 Seasonal allocations of groundwater in water supply protection areas 29 2.9 Emergency water supply network 29 2.10 Water carting 30 2.11 Augmenting water supply systems 31 2.12 Qualification of rights 33 2.13 Conclusion 34 3 Water for consumptive use 35 3.1 Victoria’s water allocation framework 35 3.2 Consumptive entitlements 35 3.3 Water availability and use 36 3.4 Urban water conservation measures 39 3.5 Surface water entitlement and use 41 3.6 Groundwater use 43 3.7 Statewide overview of groundwater use for 2007/08 43 3.8 Water entitlement transfers 45 3.9 Recycled water 47 3.10 Conclusions 49 4 Water for the environment 51 4.1 The environment’s share of water 51 4.2 Reporting on the EWR 51 4.3 Entitlements for the environment 51 4.4 Drought conditions and environmental water 52 4.5 Compliance with passing flow requirements 53 4.6 Total flow at basin outlet 53 4.7 Streamflow management plans 55 4.8 Donations 56 4.9 Interjurisdictional trade (Water from the Commonwealth) 56 4.10 Trade in environmental water 56 4.11 Conclusion 56 Part 2 Basin water accounts 2007/08 57 5 Overview of methodology 59 5.1 Introduction 59 5.2 Data sources 59 5.3 Comparison with 2006/07 59 Victorian Water Accounts 2007-2008 Page iii 5.4 Methodology, key assumptions and limitations of data 60 5.5 Seasonal allocations and restrictions on water use, diversions and extractions 62 5.6 Surface water balance 62 5.7 Small catchment dams 63 5.8 Volume diverted 63 5.9 Drought contingency measures 63 5.10 Water for the environment 63 5.11 Comparison of the water accounts with other data sources 63 6 Murray basin (Victoria) 65 6.1 Murray basin summary 65 6.2 Responsibilities for management of water resources 65 6.3 Rainfall, flows and storage in 2007/08 67 6.4 Total water resources in the basin 67 6.5 Location of water resources 69 6.6 Surface water resources 70 6.7 Groundwater resources 72 6.8 Drought contingency measures 74 6.9 Seasonal allocations and restrictions on water use, diversions and extractions 74 6.10 Recycled water 76 6.11 Water for the environment 77 7 Kiewa basin 79 7.1 Kiewa basin summary 79 7.2 Responsibilities for management of water resources 79 7.3 Rainfall, flows and storages in 2007/08 79 7.4 Total water resources in the basin 80 7.5 Location of water resources 81 7.6 Groundwater resources 84 7.7 Drought contingency measures 84 7.8 Seasonal allocations and restrictions on water use, diversions and extractions 84 7.9 Recycled water 85 7.10 Water for the environment 86 8 Ovens basin 87 8.1 Ovens basin summary 87 8.2 Responsibilities for management of water resources 87 8.3 Rainfall, flows and storages in 2007/08 87 8.4 Total water resources in the basin 88 8.5 Location of water resources 89 8.6 Surface water resources 90 8.7 Groundwater resources 92 8.8 Drought contingency measures 94 8.9 Seasonal allocations and restrictions on water use, diversions and extractions 94 8.10 Recycled water 95 8.11 Water for the environment 95 9 Broken basin 97 9.1 Broken basin summary 97 9.2 Responsibilities for management of water resources 97 9.3 Rainfall, flows and storages in 2007/08 97 9.4 Total water resources in the basin 98 9.5 Location of water resources 99 9.6 Surface water resources 100 9.7 Groundwater resources 102 9.8 Drought contingency measures 103 9.9 Seasonal allocations and restrictions on water use, diversions and extractions 104 9.10 Recycled water 104 Page iv Victorian Water Accounts 2007-2008 9.11 Water for the environment 105 10 Goulburn basin 107 10.1 Goulburn basin summary 107 10.2 Responsibilities for management of water resources 107 10.3 Rainfall, flows and storages in 2007/08 108 10.4 Total water resources in the basin 109 10.5 Location of water resources 110 10.6 Surface water resources 111 10.7 Groundwater resources 114 10.8 Drought contingency measures 116 10.9 Seasonal allocations and restrictions on water use, diversions and extractions 117 10.10 Recycled water 118 10.11 Water for the environment 118 11 Campaspe basin 121 11.1 Campaspe basin summary 121 11.2 Responsibilities for management of water resources 121 11.3 Rainfall, flows and storages in 2007/08 122 11.4 Total water resources in the basin 123 11.5 Location of water resources 124 11.6 Surface water resources 125 11.7 Groundwater resources 127 11.8 Drought contingency measures 129 11.9 Seasonal allocations and restrictions on water use, diversions and extractions 129 11.10 Recycled water 130 11.11 Water for the environment 130 12 Loddon basin 133 12.1 Loddon basin summary 133 12.2 Responsibilities for management of water resources 133 12.3 Rainfall, flows and storages in 2007/08 134 12.4 Total water resources in the basin 135 12.5 Location of water resources 136 12.6 Surface water resources 137 12.7 Groundwater resources 139 12.8 Drought contingency measures 141 12.9 Seasonal allocations and restrictions on water use, diversions and extractions 142 12.10 Recycled water 143 12.11 Water for the environment 143 13 Avoca basin 145 13.1 Avoca basin summary 145 13.2 Responsibilities for management of water resources 145 13.3 Rainfall, flows and storages in 2007/08 146 13.4 Total water resources in the basin 146 13.5 Location of water resources 147 13.6 Surface water resources 148 13.7 Groundwater resources 149 13.8 Drought contingency measures 149 13.9 Seasonal allocations and restrictions on water use, diversions and extractions 149 13.10 Recycled water 150 13.11 Water for the environment 150 14 Mallee basin 151 14.1 Mallee basin summary 151 14.2 Responsibilities for management of water resources 151 14.3 Rainfall, flows and storages in 2007/08 151 14.4 Location of water resources 152 Victorian Water Accounts 2007-2008 Page v 14.5 Total water resources in the basin 153 14.6