| Murray-Darling Basin Commission – September 2006, E-letter No 58
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 leone@netspeed.com.au Online html versions are available at: http://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 1090 subscribers. (See also The Living Murray website at http://www.thelivingmurray.mdbc.gov.au)
Participants in the workshop to be held in Canberra 18-20 September will also explore how well this understanding has been incorporated into current policy and program approaches and how well we are able to predict the outcome of current policies and approaches. Murray–Darling Basin Commission Chief Executive Dr Wendy Craik will give the opening address with keynote speakers including:
Topics to be covered at the workshop include:
Re-snagging project to benefit Murray native fish Launching the project in August at Corowa in NSW, Murray-Darling Basin Commission Chief Executive Dr Wendy Craik said the re-snagging project was the biggest of its kind ever undertaken in Australia. “Throughout the next three years trees will be placed in parts of the river to act as habitat for fish to spawn, feed and to avoid predators,” she said. “Woody habitat is vital for the survival and growth of many native fish species, such as Golden Perch, Murray Cod and Trout Cod – many of which are threatened species due to lack of habitat and shelter in this section of the River Murray. “Snags have traditionally been removed from rivers to make them navigable, or because it was believed that they caused additional flooding at times of peak flow. “However, snags are now viewed in a different light – research has shown that they are vital for healthy functioning rivers,” Dr Craik said. “They could also help reverse the decline in native fish numbers in this part of the River Murray, where they are dangerously low. “This resnagging project under The Living Murray and the Native Fish Strategy is another step towards improving the river environment for our native fish. “We will be resnagging three sections of the river – all up, a length of 35km. This will provide around 100 km of connected habitat for fish to swim and breed between Lake Mulwala and Howlong,” Dr Craik said. For more information go to www.mdbc.gov.au/news/media_releases MDBC audit reports lower Basin water use Households, farms, other economic enterprises and human activities used 7846 GL of surface water and 1490 GL groundwater. The report is an annual publication which provides a broad, comprehensive picture of Basin-wide water use, accuracy of water use figures, climatic overview for the water year, water availability through allocations, off-allocations and water trading, storages losses, and groundwater use. The lower water use rates were due to the implementation of water management policies which tightened availability in most valleys throughout the Basin. However, while water use was down, the amount used was 72 per cent of the water allocated (potentially available for use) - the fourth highest amount since 1997/98. The allocation of groundwater in the Basin was 2950 GL and usage was 1490 GL. The lower volumes of water used were not evenly distributed between the different areas of the Basin. Water use in New South Wales was the lowest on record, Victoria the fourth lowest, South Australia the eighth highest, Queensland the eighth highest, and diversions in the ACT were the sixth lowest on record. The data presented in the report was collected by State agencies and collated by the MDBC. The accuracy of diversion measurements remained static at about 7 per cent either way in the 2004/05 water year in comparison to previous years. The report shows that interstate water trading between New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia continued to develop in 2004/05. The total volume of water in major storages within the Basin in 2004/05 increased from 6720 GL to 7562 GL (30 per cent full). Water lost through evaporation in major storages totalled 549 GL, representing 2 per cent of total storage capacity and 7 per cent of total Basin diversion. For more information and to download a copy of the report go to www.mdbc.gov.au MDBC reports show progress in salinity management The Basin Salinity Management Strategy Annual Implementation Report and Report of the Independent Audit Group for Salinity 2004-05 are a significant milestone in the implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council’s Basin Salinity Management Strategy 2001-2015 (BSMS). The annual reporting process evaluates progress made towards implementation of the BSMS and contributes to future direction of the Strategy’s implementation. Key achievements in implementing the BSMS during 2004-05 included:
The potential risks to the BSMS implementation include the ability to manage high salinity following floods, monitoring systems at end-of-valley target sites, accounting for the salinity impacts of irrigation development and continuing to improve the Salinity Registers. Implementation of the BSMS incorporates annual reporting to the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council on progress towards meeting the Basin and end-of-valley targets and improving the Commission’s Salinity Registers. For more information contact Alison Reid, Salinity Project Officer, alison.reid@mdbc.gov.au For copies of the Basin Salinity Management Strategy 2004-05 Annual Implementation Report, Report of the Independent Audit Group for Salinity 2004-05 and Summary Brochure please contact MDBC Information Officer, phone (02) 6279 0434, email info@mdbc.gov.au or visit the MDBC website at: www.mdbc.gov.au. Basin drought refuses to break – River Murray Water update According to the latest Drought Update from River Murray Water (RMW), inflows to the River Murray system over the past five years have been the lowest on record. RMW is the unit of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) which shares the Murray’s waters between the States of NSW, Victoria and South Australia, and operates the River Murray System and its structures. The document reports the devastating effect the prolonged drought conditions have had on water availability, the environment and looks at prospects for the future. RMW reports that irrigation allocations have generally been below average over the past five years in NSW and Victoria. NSW allocations averaged about 55% compared with the long-term average of 85%. Victorian allocations averaged about 100% water right plus 35% sales compared with the long-term average of 100% water right plus 76% sales. While starting allocation levels in South Australia averaged 80% over the past five years, allocations have mostly climbed to high levels over the season. Total flows across the SA border have remained well below average. It has now been a decade since many floodplains and wetlands along the lower reaches of the Murray experienced a beneficial flood. January to July 2006 was an exceptionally dry period across the Murray-Darling Basin, with large areas experiencing record low rainfall. If dry conditions persist for the 2006-07 season, irrigation allocations will be low. In addition, end of season reserves for the whole Murray River system could be extremely low. Only sustained heavy rain over the coming months would alter this outcome. For the 2006-07 season it is likely that large volumes of water will need to be transferred from Dartmouth Reservoir to Hume Reservoir and from Hume Reservoir to Lake Victoria to meet consumptive requirements and to ensure that flow requirements as detailed in the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement are delivered. For more information and to download a copy of the complete update go to www.mdbc.gov.au New national climate change action plan helps agriculture The plan was developed with strong backing from the National Farmers Federation and has the agreement of all Australian, State and Territory Ministers for Agriculture. Co-chairmen of the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, Australian Government Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon Peter McGauran and the Environment and Heritage Senator Ian Campbell, released the Plan in August. Mr McGauran says it is essential that the farm sector remain sustainable, competitive and profitable. “This plan will tackle head-on issues such as availability of reliable and high quality water supplies. “It creates a new chance to collect and share knowledge and experience in developing practical answers to climate change issues. “The plan requires firm commitments to the task by governments and industry,” he says. Senator Campbell said climate change affected natural resources and was a serious longterm challenge to all sectors of the economy. “Climate change is adding a new layer of complexity to the wide range of issues already affecting the agricultural sector,” he said. “This action plan provides a framework for coordinated action, focusing on the key areas of adapting to climate change, further reducing greenhouse gas emissions, research and development, and awareness and communication.” For more information and copies of the National Agriculture and Climate Change Action Plan go to www.daff.gov.au/climatechangeactionplan 1956 South Australian floods commemorated Stories, photos and memorabilia from all over the Basin have been collected, some of which have been incorporated into a commemorative DVD sponsored by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission. The DVD was released for sale in August with proceeds to be donated to the Murray Darling Association Environmental Foundation. Its costs $20 and can be bought by phoning (08) 8226-4402. Other activities include a 1956 Flood 50th Anniversary Exhibition consisting of photographs, memorabilia and footage from the 1956 River Murray flood. The exhibition will be split between The Dart barge and a marquee or local building in each of the following locations: Renmark, Berri, Loxton, Kingston on Murray, Waikerie, Cadell, Morgan, Blanchetown, Swan Reach, Mannum, Murray Bridge, Milang and Goolwa. Each location will also hold commemorative activities and events. Organisers say the commemoration will arouse interest not just with River communities, but also among the many thousands of South Australians whose families were touched by the flood in various ways. Commemorative events will continue until November. To find out more about the exhibition and other 1956 flood events happening in your area, visit http://www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au/murray/56flood Stock and Waterways: A Manager's Guide Riparian land is land that is connected to a waterway, such as a river, creek, dam or lake. The new book, “Stock and Waterways: A Manager's Guide” offers practical advice on how to manage riparian land productively and sustainably. It includes a number of case studies from farmers throughout Australia who have seen the benefits of changing their management practices. The Guide also gives a summary of funding and resources available for improving riparian management. Full of suggestions, diagrams and case studies, the guide will interest landholders and anyone working with graziers. To order a copy phone 1800 776616 and quote product code PR061132 or go to www.lwa.gov.au/News/News_Stories/Stock_and_Waterways/indexdl_3437.aspx Fundamentals and frontiers of floodplain river research Professor James Thorp and Professor Klement Tockner have travelled to Australia as a part of Land & Water Australia's Travelling and Visiting Fellowships Programme. Professor James Thorp is a Senior Scientist with the Kansas Biological Survey and Professor with the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas. He is an internationally recognised scientist who specialises in floodplain river food webs. At last count he has over 75 published articles in journals, books and book chapters on the subject. Professor Klement Tockner is the Senior Researcher for the Floodplain Ecology and Biodiversity Group at the Department of Limnology, at the Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, EAWAG. A specialist in floodplain river ecology, he is the editor for several scientific journals and a member of numerous scientific committees. The aim of the workshop is to enhance our knowledge of the structure and functioning of floodplain river ecosystems that underpin their management and sustainable use. An interdisciplinary understanding of floodplain river ecosystems will be addressed at this workshop and will provide a synthesis of current knowledge of river floodplain ecosystems and identify the potential areas for research and development. For more information and to register for the workshop contact Alie Cowood at alie.cowood@canberra.edu.au Wanted - photos of people, puddles & paddocks You must be an Australian resident to enter and entries close on Friday, 27th October 2006. Winners will share in $15,000 in prizes in the following three categories:
Winning images could also be used by Land & Water Australia in national and international education and awareness activities to raise understanding of the importance water plays in our daily lives. For more information and to download an entry form go to: New toolkit helps assess reforestation effectiveness Launched recently in Melbourne by the Australian Forestry and Conservation Minister, Senator Eric Abetz, the toolkit was developed by Ensis - a collaboration between CSIRO in Australia and Scion in New Zealand. Senator Abetz said the Australian Government had contributed more than $3 million from the Natural Heritage Trust over the past three years to the project. Ensis matched the contribution in kind, designing the Geographic Information System based toolkit and undertaking the research behind the models used. The Victorian Department of Primary Industries had also contributed funds. Other supporting organisations included the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, the Goulburn Catchment Management Authority, Central Victorian Farm Plantations and a number of timber industry organisations. “The toolkit can be used by land owners and managers, including government organisations and Catchment Management Authorities to target spending on revegetation projects to maximise the environmental outcomes”, the Minister said. For more information contact Dr Philip Polglase, Ensis Forests and Environment on (02) 6281 8204 Online water survey for young farmers The National Council of Young Farmers was established by the Hon Peter McGauran, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to provide advice to the Australian Government on issues that affect young farmers, fishers and foresters. The Council has identified water policy and its future management as one of their key issues. This information gained from the survey will help the Council make recommendations to the Government about young people and water issues. The Council says the survey will take about 15 minutes to complete. For more information and to complete the survey go to: http://survey.hassall.com.au/bwSurvey/survey.asp?SurveyID=9 Want to make difference in stream management? The conference will focus on how research and practice has made a difference to river management and participants are encouraged to share their achievements, showcase new developments and reflect on lessons learned from their experience. Previous conferences have attracted a high level of interest from across Australia and this conference is expected to host 400 participants. The Conference organising committee is led by Professor Allan Curtis and Dr Robyn Watts from Charles Sturt University. The Conference theme is “Australian rivers: making a difference” and potential paper presenters are asked to address at least one of the following sub-themes:
For more information and to submit an abstract online go to http://www.csu.edu.au/research/ilws/news/conference.html or email jmeiklej@csu.edu.au National environmental framework links wine industry and NRM The process was guided by regional committees established across Australia with representatives from the wine industry and natural resource management. The National Indicator Questions were developed by reviewing NRM Board/Catchment Management Authorities plans to determine actions of relevance to the wine industry and assessing key export markets to identify their environmental assurance demands. The response from the broader wine industry has been very positive, with nearly 60% of the annual wine grape crush already signed up under the program. For more information on AWIS, contact Amy Russell on 8222 9255, email amy@wfa.org.au or see www.wfa.org.au/enviroprojects.htm ends |
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