Water Water his chapter reports on the quantity and quality of water in the catchments of the reporting area including the consumption of potable water. In this context, ‘water’ refers to the Trivers, aquatic habitats, creeks, wetlands, groundwater, dams, stormwater, potable water and the catchment activities which may impact upon them. There are two main issues in relation to water systems. Secondly, the quality of the water in the reporting area. Firstly, the quantity of existing within the river and groundwater water is often variable within many rivers due systems is also important, with threats to the periodic effects of drought and flood. arising from industrial, urban and agricultural Many rivers in Australia’s south have been pollution sources, as well as from treated dammed to provide a reliable water supply wastewater and stormwater. for agriculture and urban use and increasing The Murray-Darling Basin Authority is demand is placing pressure on inland water currently preparing the Murray-Darling Basin Table 3: Summary Table of Indicator Trend – Water Quantity Current Issue Indicator 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 Trend Dam Levels Average dam levels 17.2% 12.3% 60.5% Number of irrigation licences from surface water sources 6,279 5,002 5,087 Volume of surface water permissible for extraction under licences (GL) 1,519 1,397 1,595 Actual volume extracted through surface water licences (GL) 130 135 173 Water Extraction Number of bore licences from groundwater resources 21,667 26,321 22,987 Volume of groundwater permissible for extraction under licences (GL) 404 417 2,859 Water sharing plans in place 22 25 45 Total number of serviced properties 75,469 76,048 79,582 Total number of unserviced properties 10,369 18,584 17,591 Annual metered supply (ML) 25,060 24,355 21,599 Town Water Consumption Annual consumption (Total from WTP) (ML) 28,145 27,508 24,265 Average annual household use (kL/household) 329 303 209 Average level of water restrictions implemented 1.5 1.4 0.8 Area of irrigated Council managed parks, sportsgrounds, public open space (ha) 793 791 911 Council Water Consumption Water used by council for irrigation (including treated and untreated) (ML) 1,161 719 716 improvement no or little change worsening trend Note – the above table provides data for 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2010–11 from the same sources. The ‘Current Trend’ arrow relates to a comparison of last year’s (2009–10) data with this year’s (2010–11) data. Data should be read in terms of the limitations for indicators discussed throughout this chapter. Note also that there are some new indicators for 2010–11 for which no comparison can be made with previous years. Refer to the Appendix for a list of Councils included in the trend data. 20 2010–2011 Supplementary Report Regional State of the Environment Report Plan, as required by the Water Act 2007. The Basin Plan will provide an agreed Basin-wide framework to manage the water resources of Blayney Bogan the Murray–Darling Basin. The Basin Plan will Bourke identify, and seek to protect and restore, key Cabonne environmental assets which are essential to the Coonamble life of the rivers, their surrounding landscapes Cowra Dubbo and the cultural values of the communities Gilgandra which depend on those water resources. The Lachlan Basin Plan will also take into account the Mid-Western impact of this protection and restoration on Oberon individual communities, industries, regions and Warren Warrumbungle the wider economy. Wellington The Basin Plan is due to start in 2012. 0 2000000 4000000 6000000 8000000 10000000 Aspects of the plan, such as water trading Dollars rules, will take effect from this date while other aspects will only start when new State water resources plans start. The 2011–2012 Sixty-three local government areas in NSW, Figure 6: Flood damage Comprehensive SoE Report will discuss the including those in the Lachlan and Castlereagh estimates for each impacts of the Basin Plan on the Central catchments, were declared natural disaster Council in 2010–11 West Region. areas since December 2010 as a result of flooding. Flood warnings were in place for all western-flowing NSW rivers from the Namoi Issue – Water quantity to the Murrumbidgee. Many residents around the region were Condition evacuated including approximately 1,000 Continued demand for surface water and residents in low-lying areas of Coonamble the lack of rainfall (drought) in previous following the unseasonably wet summer reporting periods placed significant pressure which caused major flooding on the on not only town water supplies but also Castlereagh River. However, hundreds of water licences and allocation for agriculture people defied the warning, with the majority and industry. However, the past year has seen of residents choosing to remain. The Mayor drought conditions lift across the Central tried to encourage residents to move to West with the La Ninã weather pattern. The higher ground, even if only for the few hours particularly intense weather cycle meant that when the river peaked, as the Bureau of 2010 was the third wettest year for Australia Meteorology was concerned that the state (since national records began in 1900) with a of the town’s levee would leave residents national mean total rainfall of 690mm, well vulnerable. above the average of 465mm. In February 2011, there were major flood Late November 2010 to mid January 2011 warnings in place for the Culgoa, Bokhara, was extremely wet through much of eastern Birrie, Darling and Narran Rivers. Flooding Australia. Six major rain events affected lasted for between five to six weeks in many large parts of the eastern states resulting locations, as a result of the floodwaters in in widespread flooding on many rivers. Queensland moving south. The towns of Significant floods affected the Macquarie, Bourke, Louth, Tilpa and Wilcannia were all Lachlan and Castlereagh catchments in inland affected by major floods. NSW in early December 2010. Combined Across the region, the total estimated with the devastating flooding in southern flood damage bill in 2010–11 was $37.5M Queensland and widespread flooding in with flood damage being quantified in 14 of parts of northern and western Victoria and the 17 LGAs (see Figure 6). The highest cost Tasmania, the flooding, in terms of extent, was in the Dubbo LGA which had estimated impact and severity, was amongst the most flood damages of $9,473,000. The Lachlan significant in Australia’s recorded history. and Mid-Western LGAs had flood damage 2010–2011 Supplementary Report 21 Water Water ABOVE Flooding in estimates of almost $5M each, whilst more however the risk of flooding to the region Dubbo CBD. than $1.5M of flood damage was reported remains. The entire project is expected to in each of the Bourke, Warren, Warrumbungle cost more than $2.5M and while external and Wellington LGAs, ranging from $1.7M funding will be sought, the Council will to $3.8M. contribute around $800,000. In 2010, Dubbo City Council announced Although the floods were devastating an allocation of $3.5M for the construction for many, the rainfall also resulted in the of a stormwater pipeline to protect the CBD Murray-Darling Basin recording its wettest from floodwaters of up to 90 cm in depth. year on record, ending a record sequence of It has recognised its existing system is not large below-average rainfall years extending back enough to handle a flood of that magnitude to 2001. That led to a dramatic recovery in and is rectifying the problem to cater for a water storages across the basin from 26% at one-in-100 year (1% chance per year) event. the start of 2010 to 80% at the start of 2011. Narromine Shire Council is also planning Following record flooding in 2010 and 2011, to extend its flood levee so that houses will water from the Paroo River in south-west not have to raise their floor level. The Queensland flowed into the Darling River Department of Planning currently requires in New South Wales for the first time in 20 new houses to be built one metre above the years and only the third time since Europeans 1-in-100 flood level which has been causing arrived. The substantial flows and the environ- difficulties for new residents trying to build. mental benefits of the floods are expected to The levee raising will mean the stricter be great, particularly for riparian vegetation, controls of floor level will be relaxed, native fish and waterbirds. 22 2010–2011 Supplementary Report Regional State of the Environment Report Indicator – Average dam levels 150 Dam storage levels indicate both the current rainfall and the pressures that water 120 consumption place on water storages. Six major dams in the region – Carcoar, Wyangala, 90 Lake Cargelico, Windamere, Oberon and Burrendong – were used to indicate dam 60 levels. As shown in the summary table (Table 3), the average level for the total of these six Percent of Capacity Percent dams rose from 12.3% capacity in 2009–10 30 to 60.5% in 2010–11. A smaller dam, Lake Rowlands, on a 0 tributary of the Belubula River, had a storage Carcoar Wyangala Lake Cargelico Windamere Oberon Dam Burrendong level average of 90% during 2010–11. The High Low Average water consumption from the dam ranged from 422 kL per month to 7,838 per month during 2010–11. Indicator–Volume of surface water Figure 7: Dam levels for Figure 7 illustrates the dramatic turnaround permissible for extraction under licenses 2010–11. in dam storage levels in a single year as the drought was broken. Burrendong is one of A stabilisation in the number of surface water the two major dams in the region with a total irrigation licences was reported this year for the storage capacity of 1,188,000 ML.