Murray Irrigation Limited A.C.N. 067 197 933 Compliance & Environment Report “environmental sustainability~ it’s vital to our business” 2002/03 Table of Contents Joint Statement: Chairman of the Board & General Manager ............... 1 1. Acknowledgements .................................................. 3 2. Executive Summary ................................................. 4 3. Company Environmental Governance ..................... 7 3.1. Organisational Profile ....................................................................... 7 3.1.1. Nature of Ownership .......................................................................................... 7 3.1.2. Scale and Location of Organisation ................................................................... 7 3.1.3. Products & Services........................................................................................... 8 3.1.4. Nature of Markets Served .................................................................................. 9 3.1.5. Irrigation in Context.......................................................................................... 10 3.2. About the Report ............................................................................. 14 3.2.1. Report Purpose................................................................................................ 14 3.2.2. Reporting Period .............................................................................................. 14 3.2.3. Previous Reports ............................................................................................. 14 3.2.4. Report Boundaries ........................................................................................... 14 3.2.5. Report Profile ................................................................................................... 15 3.2.6. Accuracy & Independence ............................................................................... 15 3.2.7. Compliance Index ............................................................................................ 15 3.3. Management Structure.................................................................... 18 3.3.1. Murray Irrigation Board of Directors................................................................. 18 3.3.2. Environment Committee .................................................................................. 18 3.3.3. Organisational Structure .................................................................................. 18 3.4. Policies ............................................................................................. 20 3.4.1. Company Vision Statement: ............................................................................ 20 3.4.2. Company Mission Statement: .......................................................................... 20 3.4.3. Company Environment Policy:......................................................................... 20 3.4.4. Company Environmental Objectives:............................................................... 21 3.5. Stakeholder Engagement................................................................ 23 3.5.1. Stakeholder Identification................................................................................. 23 3.5.2. Stakeholder Consultation................................................................................. 24 3.5.3. Involvement in External Initiatives.................................................................... 25 4. Company Environmental Performance .................. 28 4.1. Administration ................................................................................. 28 4.1.1. Energy.............................................................................................................. 28 4.1.2. Fuel .................................................................................................................. 28 4.1.3. Water ............................................................................................................... 28 4.1.4. Waste Disposal Practices ................................................................................ 28 4.1.5. Recycling ......................................................................................................... 28 4.1.6. Use of Hazardous Materials............................................................................. 29 4.2. Irrigation Supply .............................................................................. 30 4.2.1. Overview .......................................................................................................... 30 4.2.2. Diversion, Deliveries & Losses ........................................................................ 31 4.2.3. Quality of Irrigation Water ................................................................................ 31 4.2.4. Supply Refurbishment & Review ..................................................................... 33 4.2.5. Maintenance and Operations of Floodplain Structures.................................... 33 4.2.6. Seepage and Erosion Control.......................................................................... 34 4.2.7. Telemetry ......................................................................................................... 34 4.2.8. Water Trade ..................................................................................................... 36 4.3. Stormwater Management ................................................................ 38 4.3.1. Overview .......................................................................................................... 39 4.3.2. Water Quality Monitoring ................................................................................. 41 4.3.3. Summary of Water Quality............................................................................... 42 Murray Irrigation Limited Compliance & Environment Report 2002/03 Page i 4.3.4. Pesticide Monitoring......................................................................................... 55 4.3.5. Blue-Green Algae Monitoring........................................................................... 57 4.3.6. Impact on Receiving Waterways...................................................................... 58 4.3.7. Pumping Drainage Water into Supply Channels.............................................. 62 4.3.8. Summary of Agricultural Chemical use by Landholders .................................. 62 4.4. Wakool Tullakool Subsurface Drainage Scheme.......................... 64 4.4.1. Overview .......................................................................................................... 65 4.4.2. 2002/03 Operation ........................................................................................... 66 4.4.3. Short-term Management & Optimisation of the Scheme ................................. 68 4.4.4. Groundwater Modelling of the Scheme............................................................ 68 4.4.5. Other Tubewell Pumping ................................................................................. 69 4.5. Research & Development ............................................................... 70 4.5.1. Murray Irrigation R&D program........................................................................ 70 4.5.2. Murray LWMP R&D program ........................................................................... 75 4.6. Environmental Investigations......................................................... 80 5. Irrigation Environmental Performance.................... 81 5.1. Resource Use................................................................................... 82 5.1.1. Climatic Conditions .......................................................................................... 82 5.1.2. Landuse ........................................................................................................... 84 5.1.3. Irrigation Layout ............................................................................................... 84 5.1.4. Water Use ........................................................................................................ 85 5.1.5. Total Farm Water Balance ............................................................................... 88 5.1.6. Rice Water Use................................................................................................ 92 5.1.7. Changes to Ownership .................................................................................... 95 5.2. Murray Land & Water Management Plans ..................................... 96 5.2.1. Overview .......................................................................................................... 97 5.2.2. Berriquin LWMP............................................................................................. 105 5.2.3. Denimein LWMP ............................................................................................ 111 5.2.4. Cadell LWMP ................................................................................................. 120 5.2.5. Wakool LWMP ............................................................................................... 131 5.2.6. Stormwater Escape Construction .................................................................. 139 5.2.7. Annual Review of Progress............................................................................ 145 5.3. Groundwater Impact...................................................................... 148 5.3.1.