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Murray-Darling Basin
Commission e-Letter No. 80 August 2008
Welcome to the Murray-Darling Basin Commission monthly e-letter with reports of happenings across the basin. Contributions are welcome. Please send items of up to 300 words to the editor at sam.leone@mdbc.gov.au An online html version is available at: www.mdbc.gov.au/communications/s-scribe/eLetter_menu (Also see our monthly children’s e-newspaper The River, with regular features and activities, at: http://www.mdbc.gov.au/subs/The_River/index.html ) Please feel free to pass this e-letter along to anybody who might be interested. To subscribe online go to www.mdbc.gov.au/communications/s-scribe To be removed from the mailing list, please reply to this message with “unsubscribe” in the subject heading. This newsletter currently has 1730 subscribers.
That’s the main finding of a Basin wide preliminary collection of public and private storage carried out by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission over the past week. Acting Chief Executive Mr Les Roberts said figures supplied by all basin partner governments estimated that, at the end of July, total public active storage held was about 4800 GL. The capacity is 22,609 GL. (Active storage is water which can be released using only gravity). “Most of this water is already earmarked for critical human needs and a small amount is held as carry over or announced allocations,” Mr Roberts said. Carry over water is already “owned” by users who chose to carry over part of the water available to them last year for use this year. “The amount of water currently available for use as a carry over or already allocated is about 1400 GL or only 6 per cent of capacity. “Some areas of the Basin are still in deficit meaning they do not have enough water to cover the delivery of even water for critical human, stock and domestic needs and will be relying on further inflows to their dams to make up the shortfall,” Mr Roberts said. “Estimates from partner governments show that private storages in the north of the Basin are estimated to be holding about 810 GL - which is less than estimates being reported in the media. In the southern Basin, private storage is spread across many smaller farm dams.” Mr Roberts said the MDBC had also released a fact sheet today showing the water needs at the Lower Lakes. “Given the current level of storage it’s not feasible to refill the lakes by transferring water from other parts of the Basin without any further significant rain. “As little as 20 per cent of any water released in the north of the Basin would reach the Lower Lakes in South Australia, meaning that four or five times the water needed at the lakes would need to be released from that far upstream. “Management of many issues in the Basin are now heavily reliant on inflows over late winter and spring and governments will need to maintain flexibility to manage the situation based on real time information,” Mr Roberts said. The Basin water storages table and the Lower Lakes fact sheet are available at www.mdbc.gov.au July
inflows well below long term average
The MDBC’s general manager o friver operations Mr David Dreverman said that during July, the increased flows from the Kiewa and Ovens Rivers partially refilled Lake Mulwala and the water level is now 124.4 m AHD (or 0.5 m below full supply level). By 6 August storage in Dartmouth Reservoir increased to about 740 GL (19% capacity). Hume storage increased by
35 GL to 680 GL (22.3% capacity), due largely to the rain
Release from Yarrawonga Weir was increased from 2 200 to 3 500 ML/day over the past week in order to maintain Lake Mulwala’s pool level at around 124.5 m AHD (0.4 m below full supply level). The increased flow downstream of Yarrawonga Weir has resulted in the flows at the Edward River and Gulpa Creek offtakes increasing to 190 and 90 ML/day respectively. For the latest river information go to www.mdbc.gov.au/rmw/river_information_centre Community
forums help develop Lower Lakes solutions
The first forum was held in Murray Bridge on 25 July and the second forum was held in Moama on 31 July. The forums were initiated at the request of the Ministerial Council at its meeting last May. They were facilitated by the Council’s Community Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC is a formally appointed group of 22 people with a wide range of expertise and networks throughout the Basin. Committee members are appointed for their skills in governance, natural resource planning and management, community engagement, business, scientific expertise, social and economic expertise, conflict resolution and leadership. Expert officers from the South Australian Government and the Murray-Darling Basin Commission gave 50 stakeholder participants at each forum briefings on water availability, the state of the Coorong and Lower Lakes and activities currently under way. CSIRO representatives spoke on the longer term climate outlook implications. CAC Chairman Lee O’Brien said the forums were valuable opportunities to hear a diverse range of community views on possible short and longer term management approaches and their expectations for future consultation. He said the community responses would be collated and presented to the Ministerial Council out-of-session and would help ministers consider options. For more information contact Lee O’Brien on 0409 777 723. Drinking
water still first priority in worsening basin drought
Inflows in June were 95 GL, lower than the previous record low of 106 GL June 2006. In June 2007 inflows were 220 GL. The long term average is 680 GL. Inflows during autumn this year were 200 GL, just above the lowest on record of 195 GL in autumn 2007. The long term average is 806 GL. MDBC chief executive Dr Wendy Craik AM said, “This is very disappointing and the likelihood of upper Murray inflows being above average for the remainder of winter and spring is very low. “And until there is significant rain and run-off, the prospects for irrigation and the environment in 2008-09 remain grim.” For more information go to www.environment.gov.au/minister/wong/2008/pubs/mr20080720.pdf For the latest MDBC Drought Update go to www.mdbc.gov.au/rmw/drought_updates Chief
executive appointed to new Murray-Darling Basin Authority
Robert Freeman, currently the chief executive of the South Australian Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation and deputy president of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, has been appointed to the role. “Following our historic agreement with the States, for the first time we have established an independent authority to set a sustainable cap on water use in the Murray-Darling Basin,” Senator Wong said. “Mr Freeman has exemplary skills in water resource management and public sector governance, and so is ideal for the role heading up the new Murray-Darling Basin Authority. “His experience will provide the strong leadership needed to establish the new Authority and to lead the development of a new Basin Plan, including a sustainable cap on surface and groundwater extractions in the Basin.” Mr Freeman will start in the new role on 8 September 2008. He will act as chief executive and chairman for three months, or until amendments to the Water Act come into effect that separate the roles of chairperson and chief executive, whichever comes first. “Once the amendments to the Water Act 2007 come into effect, I expect to be able to confirm Mr Freeman in the role of chief executive of the new authority on an ongoing basis,” Senator Wong said. The Basin Plan is a key part of our $12.9 billion Water for the Future plan that has four priorities: tackling climate change, securing our water supplies, supporting healthy rivers, and using water wisely. Mr Freeman has also been appointed as a member of the new Authority. Applications for the four other Authority members’ positions and for the ongoing chairperson role were advertised in July. New
website details water purchases
Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, said the new website contains information on purchases made as part of the Government’s $50 million water entitlement buy-back to help return Murray-Darling Basin rivers to health. “The website includes aggregated data about the purchases, including volumes, entitlement type, amount spent and water source,” Senator Wong said. “This data will be progressively refined and updated over time as more purchases are concluded. The confidentiality and privacy of sellers will be protected.” The Government’s initial $50 million buy-back has secured entitlements to 35 billion extra litres of water for Murray-Darling Basin rivers from willing sellers. This was the first ever direct purchase of water by the Federal Government for the Murray-Darling Basin. For more information go to www.environment.gov.au/minister/wong/2008/pubs/mr20080711.pdf Passionate
people wanted for Northern Inland Regional Leadership Course
Applications have opened for the 2008 Regional Leadership Course developed for the New England and North West by the Northern Inland Regional Development Board, Namoi Catchment Management Authority and the NSW Department of State and Regional Development. The course aims to provide regional community members, regional business owners and land managers with the necessary skills, confidence and knowledge to lead and guide their communities in the future. Organiser say the course will:
This course is fully funded for applicants, is managed by the Northern Inland Regional Development Board and is financially supported by the Namoi CMA and the NSW Department of State and Regional Development. For more information and an application form email admin@seftonpr.com.au or telephone Rebecca Ryan (02) 6742 0107 or visit www.nio.com.au or www.namoi.cma.nsw.gov.au International
Riversymposium to explore drought and flooding rains
The MDBC is a major sponsor of the event and chief executive Dr Wendy Craik will present a forum on the innovative and integrated response to multiple basin challenges now and in to the future. The International Riversymposium promotes the exchange of ideas, knowledge and technology between industry, the scientific community and environmental organisations regarding rivers and waterways. This year the event will focus on the theme “A Future of Extremes”. Organisers say the event will encompass the challenges and opportunities for rivers and waterways under the spectre of increased climate variability as this century unfolds. For example, during December, two thirds of Queensland was drought declared, yet two months later monsoonal rains flooded the state, causing widespread devastation. The International Riversymposium will seek answers to how we maintain adequate environmental flows, water supplies, food production, energy generation, population growth and industrial activities in both rural and urban settings. For more information go to www.riversymposium.com/ Applications
open for Rural Women’s Award
The award celebrates rural women and their contribution to primary industries. Organisers say it gives rural women the chance to discover their strengths and build a greater capacity to contribute to primary industries and rural Australia. Applicants will be interviewed and short-listed in each state and territory and winners will be announced at formal presentation events with dates to be confirmed. State and territory winners will be interviewed by a national selection panel for the title of Australian winner. State and territory winners and runners-up are expected to participate in a one-week residential Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Course (or an equivalent leadership course.) The Australian winner and runner-up will be announced at the Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2009 Reception in Canberra during the week of the AICD Course held in May 2009. Applications close 15 October 2008. For more information and an application form go to www.ruralwomensaward.gov.au/ ends
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