Commonwealth Environmental Water John Foster Director, Environmental Water Planning Commonwealth Environmental Water Office
Commonwealth environmental water • CEWH comments on environmental outcomes having priority over social and economic. • CEWH plans/options documents. • Yarrawonga flows/MSWT (15,000ML/day) • Localism – discuss CEWO views • Monitoring and Evaluation • .... and anything else the committee would like to discuss
Commonwealth environmental water Water Act – establishes Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder to make decisions on using Commonwealth environmental water holdings to protect or restore environmental assets in the Basin . Management of the Commonwealth water holdings: • Must be in accordance with statutory requirements ( Water Act and the Basin Plan) - water is used to meet environmental demands • The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder can consider the ancillary social, cultural and economic benefits. • However, there must be a clear, demonstrable environmental benefit that outweighs the other potential environmental outcomes that could be achieved from the use of that water. • Where there are opportunities, we seek to achieve multiple outcomes
Water use options 2014-15 water use options documents • Released 24 July 2014 • Developed in consultation with Environmental Water Advisory Groups • Options are subject to CEWH decision • Environmental needs are also identified through a combination of stakeholder consultation, monitoring and rigorous contemporary science. • Input can be provided at any time, not just through annual planning Future planning • Continue to expand consultation and local involvement • Local knowledge is key to helping identify ways in which environmental water can be used to its best effect. • Long-term approach • Focus remains on supplying water to meet demands – supply plans
CEWO decision-making process for watering actions Planning – Options to Decision • Real time conditions • Collaboration • Local advice – CMA/LLS; EWAG; other • Delivery partners
Summary of 2014-15 water use options for the Mid-Murray Region Applicable level(s) of Low Moderate High Very High resource availability Support management of water quality issues within in – stream Option 1 – Edward – Support increased variability of river flows by contributing towards baseflows and freshes to environments to protect Wakool system maintain and improve ecosystem diversity and native fish populations. ecosystems and their functions. Option 2 – Support the condition and reproduction of native vegetation, fish and other vertebrates, Options unlikely to be pursued Ephemeral water hydrological connectivity and end of system flows, and maintenance of refuges and water quality under this resource courses (in particular dissolved oxygen, salinity and pH). availability. Option 3 – Mid- Murray region water Support management of water quality issues within in – stream environments to protect ecosystems and their functions. quality and habitat Support increased variability Support variability of river flows by contributing towards in – channel river flow by increased baseflows, and augmenting natural flow events for in – Support management of water contributing towards increased channel freshes, bankfull and overbank flows to maintain and quality issues within in – stream Option 4 – Mid- baseflows and augmenting improve the diversity and condition of native species and Murray River environments to protect other flow events to protect support the recovery of floodplain ecosystems. Channel ecosystems and their and maintain the diversity and functions. Contribute to returning a more natural pattern of flow to condition of native species and elements of the hydrograph affected by regulation communities. Contribute to overbank flows (infrastructure assisted) within Werai Forest, to increase ecosystem diversity and to support the Options unlikely to be pursued Option 5 – Mid- Options unlikely to be pursued condition and reproduction of wetland and floodplain under this resource Murray Forest under this resource availability vegetation, native fish, waterbirds and other vertebrates, and availability. processes such as primary production, as well as contribute to decomposition and nutrient and carbon cycling. Option 6 – Fringing To provide hydrological connectivity to refill low – lying wetlands to support wetland vegetation Options unlikely to be pursued and isolated wetland communities; provide habitat to maintain condition of waterbirds, fish, other aquatic vertebrates under this resource sites and complexes (turtles, frogs) and macroinvertebrates; and allow for movement and dispersal of aquatic animals. availability.
Summary of 2014-15 water use options for the Lower Murray-Darling Region Applicable level(s) of resource availability Low Moderate High (see Section 4) Support increased variability of river Support increased variability of river flows by contributing towards Support increased variability in-channel flows by contributing towards increased increased baseflows, and augmenting Options 1 (low), 2 (mod) and 3 river flow by contributing towards baseflows, and augmenting natural flow natural flow events for in-channel (mod - high) – River Murray increased baseflows and augmenting events for in-channel freshes and freshes, bankfull and overbank flows from Euston to Lower Lakes and natural flow events to protect and bankfull flows to maintain ecosystem to improve the diversity and Coorong maintain the diversity and condition of diversity and improve condition of condition of native species and native species and communities. support the recovery of floodplain native species. ecosystems. Support increased variability of river flows by contributing towards baseflows Option 4 – Lower Darling River Options unlikely to be pursued under this and freshes to maintain and improve ecosystem diversity and native fish resource availability. populations. Support in-channel flows by contributing towards baseflows, freshes and Option 5 – Great Darling Options unlikely to be pursued under this wetland inundation to maintain and improve ecosystem diversity and native Anabranch resource availability. fish populations. Provide environmental water to wetlands and Option 6 – Nature Foundation floodplains in the lower River Murray to maintain Options unlikely to be pursued under this resource availability. South Australia ecosystem diversity and improve condition of native species. Provide environmental water to wetlands and floodplains in the lower River Murray Mallee region to rehabilitate Option 7 – Mallee Catchment targeted wetlands and floodplains, increase the abundance and distribution of Murray hardyhead, and improve the Management Authority diversity and condition of native species
Multi-site Watering Trial and Environmental Flows d/s of Yarrawonga Multi-site Watering Trial • Agreement from Basin Officials Committee (BOC) to deviate from past river operation practice. Includes: • Revised accounting to minimise impacts to state shares • Agreed loss rates for environmental water releases from Hume • Allows water to be called from specific storages • Flow rates for environmental water releases • Under the trial, regulated releases of environmental water d/s of Yarrawonga are limited to 15,000ML/day CEWH involvement • Not involved in BOC decisions • CEWH decides if Commonwealth environmental water will be used in any trial • In 2014-15, only contributing to flows below 10,600ML/day d/s Yarrawonga • CEWH has only participated in the MSWT once (2013-14)
Localism • The Basin Plan requires greater consultation • Localism means different things to everyone • CEWH has a Basin-wide focus • Localism for the CEWH is about meaningful local engagement in decision making • Local engagement Officers will play an important role • Decisions on the use of Commonwealth environmental water are made by the CEWH • Decisions can be delegated to another SES officer in the CEWO/ Dept of the Environment
Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring v. Research • CEWO Long-term Intervention Monitoring (LTIM) is focused on statutory requirements • CEWO LTIM will result in the monitoring of catchments where around 90 per cent of Commonwealth environmental water is held. • CEWO does not generally fund research Coordination • MDBA role to coordinate monitoring and evaluation across the Basin • CEWO LTIM is overseen by a steering committee involving the MDBA • CEWO coordinating its efforts with those also undertaking monitoring Community involvement • Edward-Wakool Selected Area Working Group includes agency, research and community representation
Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring v. Research • CEWO Long-term Intervention Monitoring (LTIM) is focused on statutory requirements • CEWO LTIM will result in the monitoring of catchments where around 90 per cent of Commonwealth environmental water is held. • CEWO does not generally fund research Coordination • MDBA role to coordinate monitoring and evaluation across the Basin • CEWO LTIM is overseen by a steering committee involving the MDBA • CEWO coordinating its efforts with those also undertaking monitoring Community involvement • Edward-Wakool Selected Area Working Group includes agency, research and community representation
Feedback We welcome suggestions Contact: John Foster John.Foster@environment.gov.au or www.environment.gov.au/ewater
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