Irrigation Allocations and Restrictions

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In the North East region, restrictions on irrigation diversions exist, as specified by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE).

The process of developing Bulk Water Entitlements (BWEs) for the Murray system has enabled identification of potential benefits associated with reforming existing retail water entitlement arrangements. Two recent products have been proposed by Goulburn-Murray Water, including high security and low security entitlements, which will replace the previous Water Right and Sales entitlements. These entitlements have clear, well understood securities and can be independently traded, giving greater flexibility to water users to meet their own usage needs. These will significantly benefit agricultural production in the North East catchment in the near future.

Total usage of irrigation water in the North East between 1996/97 and 1998/99 has not changed substantially. It decreased from 44 617 ML in 1996/97 to 41 774 ML in 1997/98, however, increasing in 1998/99 to a total of 42 815.

Over the period 1996/97 to 1998/99 sales water has fallen from 4 608 ML to just 2 700 ML. This accounts for the reduction in total diversions from rivers, streams, lakes and main channels since usage under the entitlement/domestic and stock allowance has remained stable over this time. Although total Permanent Water Entitlements (PWEs) have remained stable over the period, some fluctuation has occurred in the gross supply of offtakes from the Kiewa and Ovens Rivers.

Although the Ovens River catchment lies in one of the most favoured rainfall areas of the state, increased demand for irrigation over the past fifteen years has almost completely committed the developed resource of most streams. On two such systems, the Buffalo River and King River, storages were built to safeguard supplies and to allow for additional irrigation. Lake Buffalo, situated on the Buffalo River, was completed in 1965 and has a capacity of 24 000 ML. In 1971, Lake William Hovel on the King River was completed with a capacity of 13 500 ML (DWR, 1989).

See the ‘News and Systems Reports’ section of the Goulburn Murray Water website (external link) for an up to date ‘Estimated Irrigation Deliveries Report' throughout the region.

The Northern Victorian Water Exchange was established on 3 September, 1998, to facilitate and encourage temporary (annual) water trading by establishing a transparent process that will provide market information on prices and volumes. A total of 30 828 ML were traded during the 1998/99 irrigation season (Goulburn-Murray Water, 1999). Pool prices are available in the Goulburn-Murray Water Annual Report for 1998/99.

References

Department of Water Resources (1989). A Water Resource Handbook. Melbourne.

Goulburn-Murray Water (1997). Annual Report 1996/97. Tatura.

Goulburn-Murray Water (1998). Annual Report 1997/98. Tatura.

Goulburn-Murray Water (1999). Annual Report 1998/99. Tatura.

Goulburn-Murray Water Irrigation Deliveries for Season 1996/97 in the North East region

			Diversions from rivers, streams, lakes & main channels		Total usage ML
Area/ district	Total PWEs allocated* ML	Gross supply of offtakes** ML	Usage under entitlement/ domestic & stock allowance ML	Sales usage ML
Mitta Mitta River	19 492	15 099	12 267	2 832	15 099
Kiewa River	11 326	11 350	10 385	965	11 350
Ovens River	39 134	18 168	17 357	811	18 168
Total	69 952	44 617	40 009	4 608	44 617

Source: Goulburn-Murray Water (1997)

* PWEs are Permanent Water Entitlements allocated as at 30 June, 1998. These include irrigation and private diversions.

** Excluding volumes passed to other areas.

Goulburn-Murray Water Irrigation Deliveries for Season 1997/98 in the North East region

			Diversions from rivers, streams, lakes & main channels		Total usage ML
Area/ district	Total PWEs allocated* ML	Gross supply of offtakes** ML	Usage under entitlement/ domestic & stock allowance ML	Sales usage ML
Mitta Mitta River	19 380	17 677	3 801	0	3 801
Kiewa River	11 585	10 954	9 283	1 671	10 954
Ovens River	39 192	27 019	23 549	3 470	27 019
Total	70 157	55 650	36 633	5 141	41 774

Source: Goulburn-Murray Water (1998)

* PWEs are Permanent Water Entitlements allocated as at 30 June, 1998. These include irrigation and private diversions.

** Excluding volumes passed to other areas.

Goulburn-Murray Water Irrigation Deliveries for Season 1998/99 in the North East region

			Diversions from rivers, streams, lakes & main channels		Total usage ML
Area/ district	Total PWEs allocated* ML	Gross supply of offtakes** ML	Usage under entitlement/ domestic & stock allowance ML	Sales usage ML
Mitta Mitta River	19 779	14 254	13 072	1 182	14 254
Kiewa River	11 623	7 705	6 747	958	7 705
Ovens River	38 935	20 856	20 296	560	20 856
Total	70 337	42 815	40 115	2 700	42 815

Source: Goulburn-Murray Water (1999)

* PWEs are Permanent Water Entitlements allocated as at 30 June, 1999. These include irrigation and private diversions.

** Excluding volumes passed to other areas

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