Commonwealth environmental
water use options 2014-15:
Planning approach
1
Cover image credit: Rainbow bee-eater and white-browed woodswallow, Great Darling
Anabranch. Photo: Rebecca Gee © CEWO.
Acknowledgement of the traditional owners of the Murray-Darling Basin
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office respectfully acknowledges the traditional
owners, their Elders past and present, their Nations of the Murray-Darling Basin, and their cultural,
social, environmental, spiritual and economic connection to their lands and waters.
© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia, 2014.
Commonwealth environmental water use options 2014–15: Planning approach is licensed by the Commonwealth of
Australia for use under a Creative Commons By Attribution 3.0 Australia licence with the exception of the Coat of Arms of
the Commonwealth of Australia, the logo of the agency responsible for publishing the report, content supplied by third
parties, and any images depicting people. For licence conditions see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/
This report should be attributed as ‘Commonwealth environmental water use options 2014–15: Planning approach,
Commonwealth of Australia 2014’.
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the
Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the
contents of this publication are factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or
completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly
through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication.
2
Commonwealth environmental water
use options 2014–15: Planning approach
Table of contents
1. Introduction
5
1.1.
Document purpose .......................................................................................................................... 5
1.2.
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder .................................................................... 5
1.2.1.
Roles and responsibilities of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
5
1.2.2.
Principles for Commonwealth environmental water use
5
1.2.3.
Roles and responsibilities of delivery partners
6
1.2.4.
Determining Commonwealth environmental water use
6
1.2.5.
Supporting social, cultural and economic outcomes
7
1.2.6.
Longer-term strategy for Commonwealth water portfolio management
7
1.3.
The Basin Plan .................................................................................................................................... 8
1.3.1.
The Basin Plan and requirements for the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
8
1.3.2.
Basin Annual Watering Priorities
8
1.4.
Your Suggestions ............................................................................................................................... 8
1.5.
Further information ........................................................................................................................... 9
2. Background
10
2.1.
Description of the Murray-Darling Basin and our planning areas ......................................... 10
2.2.
Sources of information for planning and delivering Commonwealth environmental water
............................................................................................................................................................ 11
2.3.
Delivering environmental water in the Murray-Darling Basin ................................................. 11
2.4.
Seasonal, operational and management considerations for 2014–15 in the MurrayDarling Basin .................................................................................................................................... 12
3. Water availability
13
3.1.
Commonwealth environmental water holdings in the Murray-Darling Basin in 2014–15 . 13
3.2.
Trade of environmental water allocations ................................................................................ 14
3.3.
Other sources of environmental water allocations ................................................................. 14
3.4.
Natural or unregulated flows and planned environmental water ....................................... 14
4. Approach to planning for 2014–15 water use
16
4.1.
Key drivers of planning for water use ......................................................................................... 16
4.2.
Planning for a range of resource availability in 2014–15 ........................................................ 16
4.3.
Developing watering options ....................................................................................................... 17
4.3.1.
Determining the purpose of the watering action
17
4.3.2.
Basin scale environmental objectives and expected outcomes
18
4.3.3.
Flow types for achieving ecological outcomes
21
5. Next steps: From planning to water delivery
23
6. Monitoring and Evaluation
24
7. References
26
3
List of Figures
Figure 1: Summary of the key matters of annual planning and operational decision-making......... 16
Figure 2: Example of how inflows may vary and impact on water resource availability over the
course of a water year............................................................................................................................................ 17
Figure 3: Determining the purpose of watering options based on environmental demands and
water availability ...................................................................................................................................................... 18
Figure 4: Illustration of the different flow types that may be targeted by environmental watering
(MDBA 2011). ............................................................................................................................................................. 22
Figure 5: Operational and broad-scale monitoring under the Basin Plan. .............................................. 24
List of Tables
Table 1: Commonwealth environmental water holdings and forecast water availability as at
31 May 2014. .............................................................................................................................................................. 13
Table 2: Basin Plan overall objectives for water-dependent ecosystems. ............................................... 18
Table 3: Logic showing how expected outcomes from watering actions contribute to Basin Plan
objectives. .................................................................................................................................................................. 20
4
1. Introduction
1.1.
Document purpose
This document sets out the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office’s (the Office) approach
to planning for water use during the 2014–15 water year. Sections 1 and 2 describe the legislative
context for Commonwealth environmental water use and summarises how the Office works with
delivery partners and communities in planning and implementing watering actions across the
Murray-Darling Basin.
The availability of Commonwealth environmental water is summarised in Section 3, with the broad
approach to planning, implementing and monitoring of watering actions in 2014–15 set out in
Sections 4 to 6.
This document is complemented by individual water use options for each of ten planning areas
across the Murray-Darling Basin. The documents that describe these water use options are
available at www.environment.gov.au/topics/water/commonwealth-environmental-wateroffice/publications-and-resources.
1.2.
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
1.2.1. Roles and responsibilities of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder is an independent statutory position established
by the Water Act 2007 (the Water Act) to manage the Commonwealth environmental water
holdings. The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder leads and is supported by the Office, a
division of the Australian Government Department of the Environment.
Under the Water Act, Commonwealth environmental water must be managed to protect or
restore environmental assets, so as to give effect to relevant international agreements. The Water
Act also requires that the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder perform its functions and
exercise its powers consistently with and in a manner that gives effect to the Basin Plan and that
Commonwealth environmental water is managed in accordance with the Basin Plan’s
environmental watering plan.
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder must also comply with the specific requirements
and standards of Commonwealth legal, policy and environmental frameworks, including the
Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997, the Public Service Act 1999 and the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
1.2.2. Principles for Commonwealth environmental water use
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder is committed to being a ‘good neighbour’ and
has adopted the following approach to managing environmental water:

Maximising the environmental outcomes: The Commonwealth environmental water portfolio is
used to achieve the best environmental effect, through water delivery, carry over and trade.

No intended harm: a conservative risk based approach to environmental flow management is
taken so that unintended impacts do not occur. All decisions on water use are informed by a
comprehensive assessment of risk, with arrangements put in place to ensure risks are
appropriately managed. Commonwealth environmental water is also ordered and delivered
at flow rates generally below the operational limits to provide a buffer against unpredictable
local inflows resulting from rainfall.

Using local knowledge: We are committed to working closely with communities and delivery
partners (including state agencies, river operators and local advisory groups) so they can
engage meaningfully on Commonwealth environmental water management. This
5
engagement is critical to ensure water is delivered to important environmental assets and
potential impacts and risks are identified and managed.

Negotiating consent: If potentially unacceptable impacts on private property are identified
we will negotiate with affected landholders to avoid or minimise any potential problems and
obtain consent to watering events. In many situations landholders support watering events
because the outcomes are mutually beneficial, such as by creating environmental benefits
while also supporting the productivity of floodplain pastures.

Equal treatment: Commonwealth environmental water is delivered by river operators within
the current operating framework that applies to all types of water deliveries. Commonwealth
environmental water is subject to fees and charges and receives the same allocations as
equivalent entitlements held for consumptive use. The underlying entitlement characteristics
should not be changed; however, the operating rules which enable water use should
continue to evolve to meet the needs of all water users, just as they always have.

Flexibility: At times of critical environmental need, the Commonwealth may assert its rights to
access its share of channel capacity. However, in the event of channel capacity becoming
limited, we can be flexible about how and when environmental water is ordered so as to
minimise any potential impact on others.
1.2.3. Roles and responsibilities of delivery partners
Commonwealth environmental water is delivered by a range of delivery partners, including state
governments, catchment management authorities, regional and local land managers and river
operators. These partners deliver water for all water users in accordance with the rules and
regulations governing the delivery of water in each water source.
Annual water use options are developed in consultation with state government departments and
agencies, river operators, catchment management and land service agencies, local
environmental watering advisory groups, wetland managers, holders of environmental water,
landholders and communities and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA). The
Commonwealth Environmental Water Scientific Advisory Panel, an independent panel comprised
of prominent scientists and experts in fields such as hydrology, limnology, river operations, ecology
and aquatic ecosystems, also provides important advice to the Office.
1.2.4. Determining Commonwealth environmental water use
To ensure the use of Commonwealth environmental water is efficient, effective and consistent
with statutory obligations, the Office has developed a framework (available at:
www.environment.gov.au/topics/water/commonwealth-environmental-water-office/assessmentframework) to guide the determination of Commonwealth environmental water use. A key
component of this process is annual planning and the development of water use options.
Annual planning provides a robust information base to support decision-making throughout the
water year. Annual planning by the Office considers environmental water demands across the
Murray-Darling Basin, both within catchments and across state and catchment boundaries. The
Office’s annual planning develops potential options for water use that aim to contribute to these
Basin-wide demands. The MDBA’s Basin annual environmental watering priorities (see Section
1.3.2) are also an input into determining watering options, along with Water Resource Plan (WRP)
area priorities developed by Basin states.
The options, which describe potential watering actions, series of actions, or watering strategies, do
not represent a commitment for water use. Consistent with the Office’s framework, decisions to
make water available for any of the potential options will be subject to an assessment against five
published criteria (available at: www.environment.gov.au/resource/criteria-assessing-optionscommonwealth-environmental-water-use) and seasonal, operational and management
considerations at the time of the action.
6
1.2.5. Supporting social, cultural and economic outcomes
While the primary purpose of any Commonwealth environmental watering action is to achieve
environmental outcomes, there are also opportunities to support complementary social, cultural
and economic outcomes.
Providing environmental water to rivers, wetlands and floodplains can support recreational and
tourism activities (such as fishing, birdwatching, boating/kayaking and camping), improve water
quality and create a more sustainable environment to underpin commercial activities. In planning
environmental watering actions, the Office welcomes local community groups’ and local
governments’ ideas and advice on opportunities for achieving complementary social and
economic outcomes. This could include providing information on important local wetlands,
recreational activities or tourism events.
The Office recognises and acknowledges that the traditional owners and their Nations in the
Murray-Darling Basin have a deep cultural, social, environmental, spiritual and economic
connection to their lands and waters. The concept of cultural flows has been developed to help
translate this complex relationship into the language of water planning and management. The
Northern Murray-Darling Basin Aboriginal Nations and the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous
Nations have adopted the following definition of cultural flows: “Water entitlements that are
legally and beneficially owned by the Indigenous Nations and are of sufficient and adequate
quantity to improve the spiritual, cultural, environmental, social and economic conditions of those
Indigenous Nations. This is our inherent right”1.
While environmental flows are not cultural flows, there are opportunities to support
complementary cultural outcomes through environmental water use. For this reason, the Office
engages with Indigenous nations to identify such opportunities and welcomes interested
Indigenous communities or organisations bringing forward proposals.
1.2.6. Longer-term strategy for Commonwealth water portfolio management
This document focuses on Commonwealth environmental water use in the 2014–15 water year.
However, in addition to using water within the current year there are a range of tools available to
manage Commonwealth environmental water including carrying it over for use in future years
and trading (disposal or acquisition). Information on how the Office plans for water use, carryover
and trade is included in Managing the Commonwealth environmental water portfolio:
www.environment.gov.au/resource/managing-commonwealth-environmental-water-portfolio.
Portfolio management tools of carryover and trade allow Commonwealth environmental water
to be managed to achieve environmental outcomes over the longer term. Multi-year planning
will help to utilise all management tools to the best effect to support environmental outcomes
across the Murray-Darling Basin. A longer term commitment will also help provide certainty for
delivery partners and communities and assist the Office meet its obligations under the Basin Plan.
The Office has already begun to make Commonwealth environmental water available for use
over multiple years. The Office has worked collaboratively with delivery partners to make
Commonwealth environmental water available:


over three years for a number of lower Murray wetlands in the Victorian Mallee region (see
Commonwealth environmental water use options 2014–15: Victorian Rivers); and
over five years for the Warrego River at Toorale National Park-State Conservation Area (see
Commonwealth environmental water use options 2014–15: Northern Unregulated Rivers)
The Office continues to seek opportunities to develop longer term arrangements, and to move
toward longer term planning for all the catchments where the Commonwealth holds water.
Echuca Declaration, as adopted by Northern Murray-Darling Basin Aboriginal Nations and the Murray Lower Darling
Rivers Indigenous Nations on 19 May 2010.
1
7
1.3.
The Basin Plan
1.3.1. The Basin Plan and requirements for the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
The Basin Plan is a high-level plan for ensuring that the Basin’s water resources are managed in an
integrated and sustainable way. Key components include sustainable limits on surface water and
groundwater extraction (referred to as ‘sustainable diversion limits’ or SDLs); an environmental
watering plan; a water quality and salinity management plan; water resource plan requirements;
water trading rules; and a monitoring and evaluation programme.
Under the Basin Plan, Commonwealth environmental water use must:

be consistent with the environmental watering plan’s objectives

be consistent with the Basin-wide environmental watering strategy, once in place

have regard to the Basin annual environmental watering priorities

be in accordance with the principles to be applied in environmental watering, which include
maximising environmental outcomes, having regard to risks and costs, working effectively with
local communities, applying adaptive management; and the precautionary principle.

have regard to the water quality and salinity targets for managing flows.
The Basin Plan also places a number of other obligations relating to the Office’s water trading and
monitoring, evaluation and reporting activities.
1.3.2. Basin Annual Watering Priorities
Each year the MDBA must identify Basin Annual Environmental Watering Priorities. The Office has
been consulted in the development of the priorities for 2014–15. Through an iterative process, the
Office’s development of Commonwealth environmental watering options for 2014–15 has
informed the development of the Basin annual watering priorities and vice versa.
The Basin annual watering priorities for 2014–15 are identified in the relevant Commonwealth
water use options planning area documents
www.environment.gov.au/topics/water/commonwealth-environmental-wateroffice/publications-and-resources. Commonwealth environmental water use will seek to
contribute to meeting the Basin annual environmental watering priorities, subject to conditions as
they unfold throughout the year.
1.4.
Your Suggestions
The Office welcomes information from the community on how environmental water can best be
managed. If you have any comments or suggestions, please call 1800 218 478 or send an email
to: ewater@environment.gov.au
Local groups, state governments and others are helping to manage Commonwealth
environmental water, including by assisting to:

inform where it is best used

deliver the water

monitor outcomes.
Individuals and groups within the Basin are also encouraged to submit suggestions for the use of
Commonwealth environmental water. For more information on how to submit a suggestion please
visit: www.environment.gov.au/node/18973.
8
All information and suggestions will be considered in conjunction with existing engagement
processes established by state governments (such as local environmental water advisory groups)
where possible.
1.5.
Further information
The Office website: www.environment.gov.au/aggregation/commonwealth-environmentalwater-office - contains a broad range of publications and information about the activities
undertaken by the Office. Many of the key publications relating to the planning and
management of Commonwealth environmental water that have been referred to in this report
are listed in the References section.
Further information relating to this report and the related planning area reports can also be
obtained from the Office by calling 1800 218 478 or emailing to: ewater@environment.gov.au.
9
2. Background
2.1.
Description of the Murray-Darling Basin and our planning areas
The Murray-Darling Basin is home to Australia’s largest river system and extends over one million
square kilometres of south-eastern Australia. It includes a variety of different landscapes with
unique climatic conditions and can broadly be divided into northern and southern systems.
Rivers in the northern catchments are less regulated and have extremely variable flows. Most
floods in the northern catchments take place as a result of summer rainfall. At high flows, water
spreads out over a vast floodplain and a significant amount of water does not return to the rivers.
Periods of low or no flow in the northern catchments can last months or even years.
The southern catchments are highly regulated systems that flow through a variety of landscapes
across New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and South Australia. The headwaters of the Murray River
and several of its northern Victorian tributaries, as well as the Murrumbidgee River catchment,
originate in the wetter, cooler climate of the Australian Alps before flowing westward into the
warmer, drier climate of the floodplains. In comparison to the northern catchments, the southern
catchments are generally cooler with the highest rainfall occurring in winter and spring.
The Basin is divided into 19 regions and the Office has grouped several of these together for
planning purposes, where regions share similar characteristics regarding environmental water
management. For example, the Queensland and NSW portions of the Warrego, Moonie,
Condamine-Balonne/Nebine and the upper Border Rivers catchments (including a short reach of
the Queensland Severn River and the Macintyre River), and 1 640 km of the Barwon-Darling River
as far as Menindee Lakes, are grouped together as the northern unregulated rivers. These
catchments are predominantly unregulated systems in which the majority of water use occurs by
diversion of river and overland flows during episodic flow events.
The 10 planning areas used by the Office are:
Northern Unregulated Rivers
Lachlan River Valley
Border Rivers
Murrumbidgee River Valley
Gwydir River Valley
Victorian Rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin
Namoi River Valley
Mid-Murray Region
Macquarie River Valley
Lower Murray-Darling Region
The natural environment of the Basin includes rivers, wetlands and floodplains that support a
diverse range of native plants and animals, many of which are threatened or not found anywhere
else in the world. The Basin is also home to several migratory bird species protected under
international agreements. The Basin includes 16 wetlands that are recognised under the Ramsar
Convention as being internationally important and in excess of 200 wetlands listed in A directory
of important wetlands in Australia.
River regulation has affected the natural resources of the Basin by altering flow patterns and
seasonality. In particular, small to medium floods have been significantly affected with river
regulation now containing and regulating these flow events. These changes to natural flow
regimes have negatively affected the water resources and biodiversity of the Basin. The
Sustainable Rivers Audit 2 identified only two catchments in moderate to good health at the
conclusion of its monitoring programme in 2010, while the health of the majority of catchments
was considered to be poor (Murray-Darling Basin Authority [MDBA] 2012). Impacts on the
environment were further exacerbated by the effects of the millennium drought although
drought-breaking inflows were experienced in 2010–11, followed by another wet year in 2011–12.
Planning for the use of Commonwealth environmental water draws on the best available
resources to understand conditions and inform watering priorities. Commonwealth environmental
watering seeks to protect and restore the environmental assets of the Basin through the provision
10
of flows to restore more natural flow variability (including appropriate drying periods) and support
the needs of water-dependent ecosystems.
2.2.
Sources of information for planning and delivering Commonwealth
environmental water
Water use planning and decision making takes into account the best available information,
including climatic, hydrological, environmental and catchment information. In considering the
availability of water to meet environmental demands (Section 3), important sources of
information include water availability forecasts issued by the state water authorities; Bureau of
Meteorology products, such as seasonal streamflow forecasts; and flow condition and storage
data from river operators.
In planning and making decisions on water use Basin states, local natural resource management
organisations and community (including Indigenous) groups also inform the Office’s consideration
of the particular values and watering requirements of targeted ecosystems, strategies for
watering and the risks and feasibility of delivering water.
Technical documents, such as the Environmental Water Requirements developed by the MDBA as
part of the modelling undertaken to inform the Basin Plan’s Sustainable Diversion Limits, also
provide some useful information. However, this modelling is not prescriptive as to how
environmental water should be used, but rather the Office has flexibility and discretion in how
Commonwealth environmental water is delivered to achieve the greatest environmental
outcomes. The Office can therefore make decisions based on the best available science and
current seasonal, operational and management considerations.
2.3.
Delivering environmental water in the Murray-Darling Basin
As at 31 May 2014, the Commonwealth environmental water holdings included over
1 700 gigalitres (GL) of registered water entitlements (for a break down of entitlement volume and
type per catchment see Section 3). Over the long-term these entitlements are expected to yield
an average annual volume of over 1 260 GL. The delivery of Commonwealth environmental water
began in 2008–09 with small-scale actions designed to provide critical support to flora and fauna
during the millennium drought. Currently, Commonwealth environmental water is used to support
a range of watering actions, including large-scale river flows and low-level floodplain inundation.
Commonwealth environmental water has been successfully delivered in each of the MurrayDarling Basin planning areas with over 3 400 GL of Commonwealth environmental water delivered
since 2008–09.
In the regulated catchments, Commonwealth environmental watering actions are designed to
complement river flows including ‘piggybacking’ on rainfall events where possible. This also
serves to ensure the most efficient use of environmental water. Downstream river flows are
provided through gravity-fed releases from storages such as dams and weir pools, while pumping
is sometimes utilised when targeting environmental assets that are disconnected from the main
channel and can’t be watered via overbank flows.
In the unregulated catchments of the northern basin, entitlements provide opportunistic access to
unregulated flows as determined by licence conditions relating to stream flow thresholds and
maximum extraction rates. ‘Use’ of the Commonwealth’s entitlements in unregulated streams
generally involves leaving water in-stream to contribute to a more natural flow regime. The
protection of this water, over the long-term and/or an event basis (as appropriate) is the focus of
the Memorandums of Understanding on Water Shepherding that the Commonwealth has
entered into with the NSW and Queensland governments. Work on the implementation of these
agreements will continue during 2014–15.
The delivery of the Commonwealth environmental water is undertaken by river operators (e.g.
NSW State Water Corporation) or irrigation corporations (e.g. Murrumbidgee Irrigation). They are
responsible for all water deliveries, whether environmental or consumptive, and must operate in
accordance with the rules and regulations governing the delivery of water in each water source.
11
Importantly, the Office aims to coordinate the use of Commonwealth environmental water with
the delivery of state environmental water (including water entitlements held for the environment
by state water holders and water provided for the environment under rules in state water plans)
and other water (e.g. irrigation, conveyance, stock and domestics) to maximise effective and
efficient use. Coordination may occur through schedules and other agreements, and ongoing
collaborative arrangements with delivery partners.
2.4.
Seasonal, operational and management considerations for 2014–15 in the
Murray-Darling Basin
Commonwealth environmental watering is subject to a range of operational constraints that must
be actively considered in the design and implementation of watering actions, such as release
capacities at storages and channel capacity issues for regulated flows. The exact nature of these
operational constraints varies between catchments and details are provided in each of the
regional planning area water use options documents.
Commonwealth environmental watering is undertaken in full consideration of all environmental,
operational and social, cultural, heritage and economic risks. The Office has established
arrangements that incorporate risk management in the planning and implementation of watering
actions. These include the requirement to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment for each
watering action in consideration of seasonal, operational and management issues close to the
time of delivery. Commonwealth environmental water is composed of entitlements previously
used for irrigation and all environmental water is delivered by river operators within the legislative
arrangements and operating rules that apply to all releases. Commonwealth environmental
water is also generally ordered and delivered at flow rates below the operational limits to provide
a buffer against risks such as unpredictable local inflows resulting from rainfall.
12
3. Water availability
3.1.
Commonwealth environmental water holdings in the Murray-Darling Basin
in 2014–15
Commonwealth environmental water holdings in the Murray-Darling Basin available for use,
carryover or trade are shown in Table 1 below. Allocations available against the
Commonwealth’s entitlements during the year are subject to allocation announcements by state
governments, reflecting inflows and water storage levels.
Table 1: Commonwealth environmental water holdings and forecast water availability as at
31 May 2014.
2014–15
Planning area
Catchment
Entitlement
held (GL)
Long-term
average
annual
yield (GL)
Estimated
Carryover
from 2013–
14 (GL)
Forecast
water
availability for
2014–15
(GL)1,2,3
Northern
Unregulated
Rivers
CondamineBalonne
63.3
41.2
N/A
Up to 114.6
Moonie
1.4
1.1
N/A
Up to 1.4
Warrego
33.9
25.8
8.1
Up to 41.9
Barwon-Darling
22.3
22.3
48.4
Up to 59.4
Border Rivers (Qld
unregulated)
4.5
1.8
N/A
Up to 7.2
Border Rivers
Border Rivers (Qld
and NSW
regulated)
12.6
4.3
5
6-10
Gwydir
Gwydir
109.0
36.2
80
80-135
Namoi
Namoi
7.0
5.4
6
6–14
Peel
1.1
0.3
N/A
0.1-0.6
Macquarie
MacquarieCastlereagh
128.2
52.5
19
19-141
Lachlan
Lachlan
87.9
37.4
44
44-131
Murrumbidgee
Murrumbidgee
247.1
153.3
56
128-219
Mid-Murray
Murray (NSW)
345.6
282.2
104
204-375
Murray (Victorian)
277.4
254.0
118
329-380
Lower Darling
1.2
1.0
0.4
1.2
Murray (SA)
112.6
102.2
0
114
Goulburn-Broken
235.2
214.4
15
234
Campaspe
6.9
6.4
0.2
7
Loddon
3.3
2.8
0
3
Ovens
0.1
0.1
0
0.1
Wimmera-Avoca
28.0
22.6
0
Up to 28
Lower Murray
Victorian
Rivers
Notes
1.
2.
Forecasts are based on the best available information including State forecasts and historical inflow scenarios.
Forecasts include carryover from 2013–14. Forecasts for regulated catchments are given to the nearest whole gigalitre
except where the entitlement held by the Commonwealth is below 1 gigalitre.
Total forecast water in Victoria assumes that 100 per cent of water held in spilliable accounts becomes available
under a medium or dry scenario and 50 per cent becomes available under a wet scenario.
13
3.
These figures do not include supplementary, unregulated or ground water accruals in regulated catchments, for
details of forecasts for these entitlements types please see the relevant water use options document.
For up to date water holdings information, visit: http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/water/commonwealthenvironmental-water-office/about-commonwealth-environmental-water/how-much
3.2.
Trade of environmental water allocations
As is the case for other entitlement holders, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder may
trade (purchase or sell) allocations to improve the capacity of the water portfolio to achieve
environmental benefits. Decisions to trade are based on an assessment of current and likely future
environmental needs and the ability of the water portfolio to meet these needs.
The Water Act limits the circumstances under which trade can occur and how the proceeds of a
sale are used. Allocations may be sold under Section 106 (2) of the Water Act if the proceeds are
used to acquire other water which will improve the capacity of the portfolio to meet the
objectives of the environmental watering plan. Allocations may also be sold under Section 106 (1)
if the water is not required within the water year to meet the objectives of the environmental
watering plan (see Section 1.3.1) and if it cannot be carried over for use in future years. If trade
does occur under this provision then the proceeds from the trade can be used to fund activities
that are consistent with the statutory functions of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
and / or to acquire other water which will improve the capacity of the portfolio to protect or
restore environmental assets.
In this context, the CEWH does not expect to sell or buy more than a small proportion of water in
any given year, and the approach to trade will be conservative and managed so that
unintended impacts are minimised.
The Office will provide further information prior to undertaking any trading action. The Office will
also ensure that trade is undertaken in a way that is financially responsible, fair, equitable,
transparent and accountable. The Commonwealth Environmental Water Trading Framework and
Discussion paper – Trading of Commonwealth environmental water provide more detail about
how the Office plans and conducts water trading activities:
www.environment.gov.au/resource/commonwealth-environmental-water-trading-framework
and
www.environment.gov.au/resource/discussion-paper-–-trading-commonwealth-environmentalwater.
3.3.
Other sources of environmental water allocations
Other sources of environmental water that may be available to complement Commonwealth
environmental water delivery include water held by other environmental water holders. Details of
the water available to other environmental water holders are available at the following websites:




Victorian Environmental Water Holder: www.vewh.vic.gov.au/
New South Wales ‘Riverbank’:
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/environmentalwater/riverbank.htm
South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources:
www.waterforgood.sa.gov.au/rivers-reservoirs-aquifers/river-murray/environmental-watermanagement/
The Living Murray: www.mdba.gov.au/programs/tlm
3.4.
Natural or unregulated flows and planned environmental water
Water entitlements held for the environment account for only a small percentage of long-term
average flows in the Murray-Darling Basin. In addition to water entitlements held by environmental
water holders, environmental demands may also be met via natural or unregulated flows and
water provided for the environment under rules in state water plans (referred to as ‘planned
14
environmental water’). These planned environmental water rules include those limiting the
quantity and timing of water extracted by other users, minimum flow rules, dam translucency rules
and other specified arrangements for the release of water for intended environmental benefits.
The Bureau of Meteorology provides a seasonal stream-flow forecasting service, which delivers
probabilistic forecasts of unregulated stream-flow volumes for the next three months at a site or
total inflows into major water supply storages (www.bom.gov.au/water/ssf/). Forecast products
include the likelihood of low, near median and high flows for natural or unregulated flows and
planned environmental water actions. Forecast accuracy at these sites varies with time, location
and prevailing conditions.
It is important to note that management of public storages for water conservation and flood
mitigation is the responsibility of the MDBA (for the Murray system) and state governments (for the
remainder of Murray-Darling Basin storages).
15
4. Approach to planning for 2014–15 water use
4.1.
Key drivers of planning for water use
As shown in Figure 1 below, there are two key drivers of annual water use planning:

inflows to the Murray-Darling Basin

long-term environmental objectives identified in the Basin Plan.
The way in which these drivers inform annual water use planning, and in turn water use decisionmaking, is described in the following sections.
Figure 1: Summary of the key matters of annual planning and operational decision-making.
4.2.
Planning for a range of resource availability in 2014–15
Given the variable climate experienced in the Basin, inflows can be difficult to forecast for a
12 month period. As such, the Office plans for a full range of inflows from very low (such as periods
of drought) to very high (such as during periods of flooding).





very low inflows have a 90 per cent probability of exceedance based on historical inflows for
the catchment;
low, a 75 per cent probability of exceedence
moderate, a 50 per cent probability of exceedence
high, a 25 per cent probability of exceedence and
very high, a 10 per cent probability of exceedence
Inflows will also influence opportunities, constraints and risks for environmental watering. This is
shown in Section 2.2 of each of the area-specific water use options documents.
16
Similarly, inflows will also impact on water resource availability, along with water allocations, over
the course of 2014–15.
An example is provided in Figure 2. As the scope of watering actions and the environmental
outcomes that can be achieved will be limited by the availability of water to achieve these
outcomes, the water use options for 2014–15 have been developed for the full range of water
resource availability in scope, as guided by possible inflows.
Figure 2: Example of how inflows may vary and impact on water resource availability over the
course of a water year2.
4.3.
Developing watering options
4.3.1. Determining the purpose of the watering action
Given the statutory role of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder to protect or restore
environmental assets, a purpose for individual watering options is determined within the spectrum
of protection and restoration. The purpose of watering actions is driven by two key factors:
1. Demand according to environmental conditions: Watering needs are considered on the basis
of factors such as ecological condition, the status of environmental assets in the context of
wetting and drying cycles and the time since a suitable flow has occurred for key processes
such as nutrient and organic matter exchange or recruitment events.
2. Water availability (supply) to meet environmental demands: The scope of watering actions
and the environmental outcomes that can be achieved can be limited by availability of
water. Subject to system constraints, Commonwealth environmental water will be used in
conjunction with natural and unregulated flows, consumptive water, and other sources of
environmental water. Water resource availability reflects a combination of all sources of water
that contribute to environmental benefits.
The way in which environmental demands and water availability inform the purpose of watering
options is shown in Figure 3.
2
In this example the blue lines show the potential range of inflows, resulting in a range of possible resource availability (a
factor of both inflows and allocations) from very low to very high. The red line shows a hypothetical example of how
inflows might track over the course of the year, shifting water resource availability from the starting point in this example of
moderate to high by the end of the year.
17
Figure 3: Determining the purpose of watering options based on environmental demands and
water availability
4.3.2. Basin scale environmental objectives and expected outcomes
Commonwealth environmental water contributes towards achieving the environmental
objectives of the Basin Plan. The Basin Plan objectives for water-dependent ecosystems are
outlined in the environmental watering plan (Chapter 8 of the Basin Plan) and the water quality
and salinity management plan (Chapter 9) and are summarised in Table 2.
Table 2: Basin Plan overall objectives for water-dependent ecosystems.
Referred to in this
document as
Biodiversity
Basin Plan reference
To protect and restore the ecosystem functions
of water dependent ecosystems
Ecosystem function
Environmental
watering plan
To ensure that water dependent ecosystems are
resilient to climate change and other risks and
threats
Resilience
Environmental
watering plan
To ensure water quality is sufficient to achieve
the above objectives for water dependent
ecosystems, and for Ramsar wetlands, sufficient
to maintain ecological character
Water quality
Water quality and
salinity management
plan
Basin Plan overall objective
To protect and restore water dependent
ecosystems of the Murray-Darling Basin
Environmental
watering plan
The four overall objectives are long-term objectives relevant at the Basin scale. The achievement
of these objectives is through the cumulative contributions from all elements of the Basin Plan and
all environmental water (planned and held) of which Commonwealth environmental water is a
small part.
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The use of Commonwealth environmental water is planned on an annual basis to achieve
expected outcomes in relatively short timeframes and specific to a location (e.g. an
environmental asset, valley etc). The Office, along with the Murray-Darling Freshwater Research
Centre, has developed logic and cause and effect diagrams that illustrate how the short-term
expected outcomes of Commonwealth environmental water use contribute towards the Basin
Plan objectives.
Table 3 below provides the logic of how the expected outcomes from short-term watering actions
contribute to the four long-term Basin Plan objectives for water-dependent ecosystems. Whole of
Basin outcomes are the accumulation of short-term watering actions that contribute to the
objectives. Box 1 then provides an example of linking the short-term expected outcomes of
Commonwealth environmental water use as a contribution towards a Basin Plan objective.
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Table 3: Logic showing how expected outcomes from watering actions contribute to Basin Plan objectives.
Basin Plan Objectives
Basin Outcomes
5 year Expected Outcomes
Ecosystem
diversity
• Species diversity
1 year Expected Outcomes
• Vegetation diversity
• Reproduction
• Condition
Vegetation
• Growth and survival
Macroinvertebrates
• Germination
• Dispersal
• Macroinvertebrate diversity
• Fish diversity
• Condition
Biodiversity
(Basin Plan S. 8.05)
Species
diversity
• Larval abundance
• Reproduction
Fish
• Larval and juvenile
recruitment
• Waterbird diversity
Waterbirds
• Waterbird diversity and
population condition
(Abundance and Population
structure)
• Survival and condition
• Chicks
• Fledglings
Other vertebrate diversity
• Young
• Adult abundance
• Hydrological connectivity
including end of system flows
Connectivity
• Biotic dispersal and movement
Ecosystem Function
• Sediment transport
(Basin Plan S. 8.06)
• Primary productivity (of aquatic
ecosystems)
Process
• Decomposition
• Nutrient and carbon cycling
• Population condition
(individual refuges)
Resilience
(Basin Plan S. 8.07)
Ecosystem
resilience
• Individual survival and condition
(Individual refuges)
• Population condition
(landscape refuges)
• Individual condition (Ecosystem
resistance)
• Population condition
(Ecosystem recovery)
• Salinity
Water quality
• Dissolved oxygen
Chemical
• pH
(Basin Plan S. 9.04)
• Dissolved organic carbon
Biological
• Algal blooms
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Box 1: Example of how the short-term expected outcomes of Commonwealth environmental
water use contribute towards the achievement of a Basin Plan objective.
Providing environmental water within a river reach will provide expected outcomes for
reproduction, growth and survival of aquatic species e.g. native fish. Having aquatic species in
suitable condition to survive and reproduce is also an expected outcome. The diagram shows the
logic for how one year expected outcomes for an aquatic species at the site and area scale
contributes to the long- term Basin Plan objective related to biodiversity.
The <1 year expected outcomes are those that could be expected within a single year from a
single watering action, and the 1–5 year outcomes result from the cumulative impact of multiple
watering actions.
4.3.3. Flow types for achieving ecological outcomes
Each watering option is based on a specific flow type or types using the categorisation
developed by the MDBA in developing the Basin Plan (Figure 4). There are four generalised flow
types for delivering environmental water and a single watering option may encompass one or
more of these flow types:

base flows

freshes

bankfull

overbank (including wetland and floodplain inundation).
Note that ‘cease-to-flow’ events are also important in many systems but these do not require the
use of environmental water.
21
Figure 4: Illustration of the different flow types that may be targeted by environmental watering
(MDBA 2011).
The selection of flow type is guided by the purpose of the watering action (see Section 4.3.1
above) and the opportunities, constraints and risks associated with particular flows at particular
times.
Box 2: Example of how the purpose, expected outcome and flow type of a watering option are
determined
During moderate or average conditions, a river reach may require flows in the coming year as,
among other factors, it has been several years since the resident fish population has had a
successful breeding event. With sufficient resource availability (e.g. ‘high’), a watering action
could seek to create the right hydrological circumstances for breeding, and improve the health
and resilience of that ecosystem (Figure 3).
Given this purpose, environmental water may therefore be delivered as a spring fresh in the river
channel (Figure 4), in order to contribute to fish reproduction at the <1 year timescale. Over time
events of this nature would contribute to landscape fish diversity and ultimately to the Basin Plan
objectives relating to Biodiversity.
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5.Next steps: From planning to water delivery
The watering options identified for each planning area are broad in nature to enable the use of
Commonwealth environmental water to respond to changes in seasonal conditions and
environmental need that may occur during 2014–15. These options require further development
before decisions can be made and watering events can occur.
Local on-ground knowledge is important for developing the detail of a specific watering action
such as its magnitude, timing, triggers for commencement, rates of rise and fall and area to be
inundated. Once an action has been designed, the actions are assessed against the following
criteria:

ecological value of the river, floodplain or wetland

expected outcomes from watering

potential risks of watering

long-term sustainability and management of the site

cost effectiveness and feasibility of watering.
Site managers and local community groups provide important information to inform these
assessments. For further information see the Framework for Determining Commonwealth
environmental water use (available at: www.environment.gov.au/topics/water/commonwealthenvironmental-water-office/assessment-framework)
Following the design and assessment of watering events, a decision is made to commit water and
funding to the watering event. The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder also has regard
to the Basin Annual Priorities when making decisions on water use. Arrangements are then made
with delivery partners, including river operators, who manage the delivery of the water and
operational monitoring (see Section 6). Upon completion of the watering event, a review process
informs future watering events and long term management.
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6.Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring and evaluation of Commonwealth environmental water use is undertaken in
accordance with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement Framework, available
on the Office’s website at: www.environment.gov.au/topics/water/commonwealthenvironmental-water-office/monitoring-and-evaluation. The framework is a high level document
that provides overarching guidance for the development and implementation of monitoring and
evaluation activities. It has been informed by the Australian Government’s best practice Natural
Resource Management MERI Framework.
Consistent with the role under the Water Act and Basin Plan, monitoring and evaluation that the
Office puts in place will focus on the environmental response to the use of Commonwealth
environmental water, or what is known as intervention monitoring. How intervention monitoring of
Commonwealth environmental water fits in with operational monitoring and broad scale
monitoring under the Basin Plan is shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5: Operational and broad-scale monitoring under the Basin Plan.
Operational monitoring
Operational monitoring is monitoring that helps assess whether water has been delivered as
planned (e.g. the volumes, timing (frequency and duration), location and flow rates of water
delivered) and at a high level can include immediate environmental responses. Operational
monitoring will continue for all watering actions to ensure water is delivered as planned and to
monitor immediate environmental responses. Operational monitoring also helps to manage
unintended consequences. Operational monitoring is mostly undertaken by delivery partners in
conjunction with the Office.
24
Intervention monitoring
Intervention monitoring is monitoring which supports an assessment of the ecological response to
water use. The Office commissions intervention monitoring of selected watering actions to:

demonstrate that Commonwealth environmental water is being managed well

demonstrate environmental outcomes

help managers of environmental water learn from experience and improve the delivery of
water over time.
The focus of monitoring and evaluation is currently transitioning from short (one year) to longer
term (five year) projects.
The Office has established long-term intervention monitoring at selected areas within the MurrayDarling Basin to commence in 2014–15. The approach has a sound scientific basis that will allow us
to translate the results of monitoring to other areas and identify the contribution to Basin Plan
objectives. The seven areas where monitoring will be undertaken are:

Gwydir River system (wetlands and floodplains)

Lachlan River system (in-stream and on fringing wetlands)

Murrumbidgee River system (in-stream, on fringing wetlands and floodplains)

Edward-Wakool River system (in-stream and on fringing wetlands)

Goulburn River (in-stream and on fringing wetlands)

Lower Murray River (in-stream and on fringing wetlands)

Junction of the Warrego and Darling rivers (in-stream and floodplains, as well as an indicator
of upstream unregulated rivers).
These areas have been chosen to be broadly representative of Commonwealth environmental
watering, and complement existing monitoring programmes in the Murray-Darling Basin, including
The Living Murray programme and Basin state monitoring initiatives.
The Office will continue to publish on its website results from all monitoring and evaluation that has
been commissioned. This includes producing an environmental water outcomes report, which
summarises the overall environmental outcomes from Commonwealth environmental water use.
Intervention monitoring will play an important role in informing future water use through adaptive
management.
Adaptive management
The practice of environmental water management will continue to evolve through the
development of innovative and flexible approaches. This will help maximise environmental
outcomes despite uncertainty over future conditions and changing circumstances.
The Office uses monitoring results to:

evaluate the outcomes from use of Commonwealth environmental water and how it has
contributed to achieving the environmental objectives of the Basin Plan

support adaptive and improved management of Commonwealth environmental water

identify information gaps to help build new knowledge.
25
7.References
Murray-Darling Basin Authority (2011). The proposed “environmentally sustainable level of take” for
surface water of the Murray-Darling Basin: Methods and outcomes. MDBA publication no: 226/11.
Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Canberra.
Murray-Darling Basin Authority (2012). Sustainable Rivers Audit 2: The ecological health of rivers in
the Murray–Darling Basin at the end of the Millennium Drought (2008–2010). Summary. MDBA
Publication 75/12. Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Canberra.
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