|
Murray-Darling Basin Commission
– January 2006, E-letter No 62
Welcome to the Murray-Darling Basin monthly e-letter with reports of happenings across the Basin. Contributions are welcome. Please send items (no more than 150 words) to the editor at sam.leone@mdbc.gov.au Online html versions are available at: mdbc.gov.au/communications/s-scribe/eletter_menu Please feel free to pass this e-letter along to anybody who might be interested. To subscribe online go to http://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 1150 subscribers. (See also The Living Murray
website at www.thelivingmurray.mdbc.gov.au)
Drought conditions throughout large areas of the Murray-Darling Basin are worsening with rainfall in some catchments over the nine months March to November the lowest on record. According to the latest Drought Update from River Murray Water (RMW) released in December, higher than average temperatures and exceptionally dry catchments have kept inflows to the Murray River system at record low levels. This is the fifth Drought Update paper released over the past three years and forms part of a comprehensive Murray-Darling Basin Commission communications effort to inform stakeholders within and beyond the Basin of the drought conditions. RMW is a division of the MDBC. (See also the latest RMW Weekly Report at www.mdbc.gov.au/rmw/river_information_centre) According to the latest Update, inflows for the season June to November have been only 610 GL which is 56% of the previous recorded minimum of 1090 GL observed in 1902 and only 7% of the long-term average of 8400 GL for the same period. Similar extreme conditions were seen across the Snowy Mountains and Snowy Hydro has advised that its system inflows have also been at record low levels (67% of the previous lowest on record to the end of October). Storage levels in the Snowy Scheme are now lower than ever observed since the completion of the scheme in 1973. Snowy Hydro advised that releases from the Scheme over the remainder of the season and in 2007/08 may be well below previous targets if dry conditions persist. The Bureau of Meteorology has advised that the El Niño continues to strengthen and responds to the question “What does this mean in Australia?” with “Generally speaking the main impact on rainfall is during winter and spring, with a switch towards wetter conditions having been common in January or February during previous El Niño events.” Such a switch to wetter conditions is not guaranteed, however, and this is reflected in the near-neutral rainfall outlook for the 3 months December to February 2006. In response to the worsening situation, the States of NSW and South Australia have had to significantly reduce allocations. Victoria, which has adopted a different strategy in water allocation, has not reduced allocations. Goulburn-Murray Water’s announced allocation for the Victorian Murray has remained at 95% Water Right and 0% Sales since 16 October. The NSW Government announced on 10 November it had “reduced both high security and carry over accounts by another 32%”. This was after an initial reduction of account volumes of 20% announced on 17 October. The South Australian Minister for the River Murray advised on 2 November that River Murray water allocations in that State “will be reduced from 70 per cent to 60 per cent as widespread drought continues in the Murray-Darling Basin”. This followed an earlier reduction in mid October from 80 to 70%. To help people understand the severity of the drought in the Basin, RMW has compiled a list of answers to the most frequently asked question (see below). To download a complete copy of the latest Drought Update go to http://www.mdbc.gov.au/rmw/drought_updates The Deepening
Drought 2 – Your questions answered
Why are we running the
river so high?
Will the Dams empty?
Will the Murray run dry?
Can existing allocations
be delivered?
Could allocations reduce
further?
Can we get more water
from the Snowy Scheme?
Is climate change to blame?
It should be noted, however, that inflows in the first half of the twentieth century were generally less than in the second half and average inflows to the Murray in the last decade have been similar to the Federation and 1940’s droughts. MDBC is collaborating with the Bureau and other agencies in a three year $7 million project looking at the potential impacts of climate change on the Murray-Darling Basin. Should the environment
still get water?
This water is earmarked to provide small but critical refuge areas for plants and animals to survive until drought conditions improve. It will prevent irreparable damage to River Red Gums in these refuge areas at Hattah Lakes and on the Chowilla floodplain and Lindsay-Walpolla Islands and will protect native fish species by enabling the operation of fishways at the Lower Lakes barrages. A further 110 GL of water in Murrumbidgee Environmental Water accounts has recently been reserved by the NSW Government to help support NSW Murray and Murrumbidgee water supplies. What about next season?
Under dry conditions next season the impacts on irrigators will vary from state to state and would also depend on the water entitlement held. Impacts could again possibly extend to high security water products. Under extreme dry conditions, for example a repeat of 2006/07 conditions, it is possible that sustaining flows for the full length of the River Murray could be a challenge. A repeat of 2006/07 next year is extremely unlikely in statistical terms looking at historical inflows. However the possibility of its occurrence is not being ignored and contingencies are being investigated. How might the river be
operated?
A range of operational measures is being considered including the temporary lowering of weirpools, reduction of minimum flow targets and temporary disconnection of Lake Victoria during months with high rates of evaporation. Could towns not even have
drinking water?
Whilst the chance of having extreme conditions two years in a row is extremely remote it is prudent that we take all practicable steps to safeguard against such a possibility. Who’s looking at the risks?
In addition, as a result of the Prime Minister's Water Summit a group of high-level officials drawn from the partner Governments and the office of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission are urgently developing contingency plans to secure urban and town supplies during 2007-08, if extreme drought conditions continue. How do I get more information?
For further information go to www.mdbc.gov.au or call (02) 6279 0100 For the current and all previous drought updates: go to www.mdbc.gov.au/rmw/drought_updates High flows
to continue along Mitta Mitta River
River Murray Water (RMW) General Manager, Mr David Dreverman, said on 20 December that unless there was significant rain, the current river levels at Colemans (2.87m gauge height) and Tallandoon 3.39m gauge height), would be maintained in order to meet downstream demands ”. “Dartmouth Reservoir is currently
at 1 320 GL (33% capacity). As storage levels in Dartmouth Reservoir
decline, the release capacity of the high-level outlet will reduce and
release via the low-level outlet will need to be gradually increased”,
he said.
“Depth samples and trial releases from the low level outlet have indicated that the water quality from the low-level outlet will be similar to that currently being released from the high-level outlet, however it may be marginally colder”, he said. “Also, as the storage level declines, fine sediment at the bottom of the reservoir will be exposed to wave action, which may increase the turbidity of water released from the low-level outlet. “Water quality will continue to be monitored closely, and notification will be made of any significant reductions in water quality arising from the release of water from the low-level outlet into the Mitta Mitta River.” “River users are reminded of the possibility of strong currents in the Mitta Mitta River over the coming months and are advised to take this information into account and make any necessary adjustments to their on-river activities,” he said. Drought
drives down agricultural & household water use
In 2004-05, water consumption in the Australian economy was 18,767 GL, with the agriculture industry consuming 65%, households 11%, water supply industry 11%, manufacturing 3%, mining 2% and electricity and gas 1%. Of the 12,191 GL of water consumed by agriculture in 2004-05, dairy farming accounted for 18%, pasture 16%, cotton 15% and sugar 10%. Consumption by agriculture in 2004-05 was down 23% from 2000-01 when it was 14,989 GL. Large falls in water consumption were in rice (from 2,223 GL to 631 GL) and cotton (from 2,896 GL to 1,822 GL), due mainly to smaller planted areas for these crops in 2004-05 compared to 2000-01. The gross value of irrigated agricultural production in Australia in 2004-05 was $9.1 billion, down 5% from 2000-01 when it was $9.6 billion. The gross value of irrigated agricultural production represented around a quarter (23%) of the gross value of agricultural commodities produced in 2004-05, on less than 1% of agricultural land. Australian household consumption of 2,108 GL was a decrease of 8% from 2000-01 when households consumed 2,278 GL. Household per capita water consumption was also down from 120 kL in 2000-01 to 103 kL in 2004-05. In 2004 around 16% of households reused or recycled water, an increase from 2001 when it was 11%. The amount of water consumed by the mining industry in 2004-05 was 29% more than in 2000-01 and this rise is associated with increased levels of mining activity, particularly in Western Australia. There was also a 7% increase from 2000-01 in the manufacturing industry, with the largest increase in metal product manufacturing. The Water Account was partly funded by the National Water Commission and forms parts of the Australian Water Resources 2005 project. For more information go to www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/4610.0?OpenDocument ABS figures project
fall in farm GDP
If this were to actually occur it would make a negative contribution of about 0.5% to GDP growth in 2006-07. These are the conclusions from an Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) recalculation of its projections of the impact of the drought on agricultural production in 2006-07. The recalculations used forecasts from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) Crop Report of 5 December 2006. ABS presents updated estimates of agricultural production in seasonally adjusted volume terms. The report shows output declining more than previously projected for the June quarter 2007 due to revised projections for rice and lupin production. Inputs were not significantly revised, except for the June 2007 quarter which was revised down due to lower projected marketing costs. For more information go to http://www.abs.gov.au and click on “Australian National Accounts: National Income, Expenditure and Product (Additional Material). New rural R&D
‘drought portal’ delivers online knowledge
The corporations invest in research and development projects that respond to the needs of their industry stakeholders. As a high priority, they have been producing knowledge that helps in coping with the effects of drought. The corporations are a partnership between the Australian Government and the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries. They focus on expanding Australia’s rural R&D effort, improving industry effectiveness and efficiency by investing in high priority areas, and encouraging uptake of research results to improve international competitiveness and sustainability. The new Drought Portal provides extensive information on a huge amount of research designed to help farmers, fishers, foresters and graziers better manage the effects of drought. The web pages were designed to give producers access to practical tools and research results from different industries which may aid them in dealing with the current drought. There are sections and links on climate change, water use efficiency, pasture management and feeding livestock. There are also links to individual R&D Corporations which have added new drought-related pages to their own websites. They are:
www.wool.com.au/Environment/Drought/page__2061.aspx www.mla.com.au/TopicHierarchy/InformationCentre/Droughtresources/default.htm www.australianpork.com.au/index.cfm?menuid=B296EBCD-B0D0-36D2-5CE475682763AAF3 www.dairyaustralia.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=326 To visit the drought portal, go to www.ruralrdc.com.au/Page/Drought+/Drought.aspx Lower Murray
Darling Catchment Authority offers helping hand
Chair Mark King says irrigators within the catchment are turning to alternative methods to finance their livelihoods and keep perennial plants alive during the Big Dry - often at tremendous expense to themselves and their families. “Good water management is becoming more crucial as each day of the drought lengthens and water becomes that little bit more precious,” he said. “Our irrigators are doing it tough, just like the rangelands in our catchment. The reduction of allocation means that they need to become more efficient with what little water they have. “By talking to the staff at the LMD CMA our irrigators can be pleasantly surprised at just how much financial assistance they can receive. This assistance could range from irrigation scheduling to updating to a more efficient watering system.” Mr King said that with the forecast of another dry summer without any prospect of rain for a while, irrigators are encouraged to contact the LMD CMA as soon as possible to find out what incentives could be applied to their individual situation. For more information contact Mrs Lesley Palmer, LMD CMA on (03) 5021 9460 How MDBC performed
in 2005-06
Writing in the MDBC’s latest Annual Report, she said the year had been another one of significant change for the organisation “We seem to be witnessing a new chapter in dealing with drought in the Murray-Darling Basin,” Dr Craik said. “For the first time, the Basin is subject to the full impact of both an extended period of drought and highly regulated and utilised river systems. “We have experienced these impacts separately in the past – in river regulation and increasing diversions since the 1970s and long drought periods in the 1890s and 1940s – but now they are occurring together.” During the period under review the MDBC completed the first major water delivery for the icon sites under The Living Murray. “We made better use of available river water and an additional 11 GL from the Snowy and 513 GL from New South Wales and Victoria for Barmah–Millewa, resulting in the watering of more than 36,000 ha at icon sites.” Dr Craik said low rainfall contributed to continuing lower salinity levels at Morgan and the MDBC’s first public private partnership in salt interception was commissioned at Pyramid Creek. “The South Eastern Australian Climate Initiative, involving $7 million over three years and six organisations, was launched and Ministerial Council released a CSIRO review on potential impacts on shared water resources of a range of risks. “Work continued on improving occupational health and safety and conditions of the Commission’s physical asset base – in particular at Yarrawonga, Dartmouth, Hume and a number of locks. The River Channel improvement program undertook work at three locations. Dredging the Murray Mouth achieved the desired channels for the first time,” Dr Craik said. The year also was notable for the completion of the MDBC’s five-year Strategic Plan and a revision of the Commission Committee structure. In another first, the President of the Commission, Rt Hon Ian Sinclair AC signed a memorandum of understanding with the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations. “The Commission has a challenging work program in place to address key water and natural resource management issues impacting on the basin. “With greater certainty of funding over the next five years, given the Australian Government’s $500 million in additional funding and jurisdictional funding commitments, the focus is now on delivery of approved programs and projects,” Dr Craik said. For a full online copy of the MDBC Annual Report for 2005-06 go to www.mdbc.gov.au/subs/annual_reports/AR_2005-06/index.htm Outlook 2007
to focus on water management
The commodity sector will be a key focus of the conference with sessions examining grains, beef and sheep meat, natural fibres (cotton and wool), sugar, dairy, horticulture and wine. The conference is organised by ABARE which provides medium term and regular quarterly forecasts for a wide range of export commodities. The Outlook conference is one of Australia’s leading economic forecasting events. In 2007 it will feature 16 sessions, with the major commodity sessions attracting substantial media interest and coverage. Organisers say Outlook 2007 will be a valuable forum for evaluating commodity forecasts and industry assessments, especially as drought and changing global markets continue to challenge the agriculture and natural resource sectors. The conference will opened by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry the Hon Peter McGauran MP and will feature leading Australian and overseas speakers. Organisers of the Outlook 2007 are offering “early bird” discounts to anyone registering by 19 January 2007. For more information and to view the full program, go to www.abareconomics.com/outlook or contact Erica Bruen on 02 6272 2303 or ebruen@abare.gov.au ‘Winning’
scientists to study climate change, soils & backyard water
The three winners, Drs Pauline Mele, Greg McKeon and Richard Stirzaker will receive up to $100,000 to allow them to take a year off from their 'normal' jobs to concentrate on a field of research. "So often our top scientists are caught up in the day-to-day management of staff, budgets and administration, and don't have the time to explore new topics, conduct an in-depth critique or develop a significant body of research," Land & Water Australia Chairman Mrs Bobbie Brazil said. "Land & Water Australia is acutely aware of the need to have skilled and experienced scientists if we want to continue to generate important research outcomes and deliver value for money from government and industry funded programs. "Our Senior Research Fellowships are an important contribution toward investing in new knowledge, and we also thank their employers for releasing some of their finest people." Dr Mele will look at how emerging technology is affecting our understanding of soil biology, and the changes that may be needed to help make better natural resource management (NRM) decisions. Dr McKeon aims to assess whether current NRM policies for grazing lands are flexible enough to deal with climate change and determine what changes may be needed. Dr Stirzaker plans to write the agricultural equivalent of CSIRO's Total Wellbeing Diet, using his extensive experience in irrigation efficiency, salinity and agroforestry to link the global debate on food security and NRM to the common backyard garden through not only facts and figures but practical advice. For more information contact Kaaren Latham on (02) 8204 3852, 0409 809 909, media@lwa.gov.au Things look
up for Basin’s native fish
MDBC Chief Executive Dr Wendy Craik says the visionary Strategy aims to unite community members, governments and experts to massively improve the habitats of the Basin’s native fish. “The ultimate goal is to return native fish populations to 60 percent of their estimated pre-European settlement levels within 50 years.” The report highlights achievements including;
The report was released symbolically at a meeting in Toowoomba of the grass roots Community Stakeholder Taskforce whose members represent recreational and commercial fishing, local government, indigenous, conservation, tourism and aquaculture. For a copy of the report go to www.mdbc.gov.au/NFS/nfs_publications Ends |
COMMUNICATIONS