MDA conference 2019 Healthy rivers healthy communities healthy - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder MDA conference 2019

Healthy rivers – healthy communities – healthy industries

The role of the CEWH

(3) The functions of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder are to be performed for the purpose of protecting or restoring the environmental assets of: (a) The Murray-Darling Basin; ….so as to give effect to relevant international agreements.

Broad priorities in sharing water

From the NSW Water Management Act Similar priorities in

• ther states

Priority Use 1 Critical human water needs 2 Basic needs of the environment – e.g. critical drought refuges / survival 3 Stock, high security licences 4 General security licences (irrigation, environment)

Water allocation priorities in the Basin

Water to run rivers this year Critical human water needs Water to run rivers in the future Water to accounts (irrigation, environment) During extended dry periods, States may take water out

• f accounts and

transfer it to drought reserves

Water allocations: South vs North

Holdings , wetter Wet and dry years Drought

Commonwealth Environmental Water 2019-20 (Regulated Systems)

Carryover of CEW into 2019-20 (GL) CEW Alloc in 2019-20 as at 30 Sep 19 (GL) Total CEW in 2019-20 as at 30 Sep 19 (GL) CEW Use in 2019-20 as at 30 Sep 19 (GL) Total CEW Remaining for use as at 30 Sep 19 (GL) Northern Basin 37.0 4.5 41.5 0.0 16.1 Lachlan 37.2 0.8 38.0 19.0 3.0 Wimmera- Mallee 1.6 0.0 1.6 0.0 1.6 Ovens 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 Southern Connected Basin 420.2 482.1 902.3 434.7 463.0 Total 496.0 487.6 983.5 453.7 483.8

Landscape-scale restoration

• Water holdings in multiple valleys
• Adequate volumes to deliver water

along the whole river

• Enables a large-scale ecosystem

focus:

• Yanga, Gayini-Nimmie Caira and

Lower Lachlan

• Toorale
• Gingham Watercourse
• Connecting northern rivers – Border

Rivers, Gwydir and Barwon-Darling

• The Living Murray work sites

Ginghet Creek on Macquarie River

Three year cycle. Last wet year: 2016

Year 1: 2016–17

Narran Lakes Toorale Gwydir Wetlands Macquarie Marshes

Year 2: 2017-18

Barwon-Darling – Northern Connectivity Event Macquarie Marshes Border Rivers Mallowa wetlands Gwydir Wetlands Before After

Year 3: 2018-19

Photo: NSW OEH

Toorale Macquarie Marshes Namoi Mallowa Wetlands Barwon – Northern Fish Flow Gwydir Wetlands

• 36 GL (half Commonwealth, half NSW), 1,500 km of river
• Excellent environmental and community benefits

Example of connectivity - Northern Fish Flow

• Connectivity provides the pulse for our rivers providing regeneration
• Basin-wide priorities include to increase connectivity
• Many aquatic species evolved to opportunistically move around
• It seems: downstream people want more connectivity, upstream

people want access to the river as it flows past them

• NSW and Queensland are committed to improve connectivity (IGA)
• Two significant examples: Northern Connectivity Event (2017-18) and

Northern Fish Flow (2018-19)

• We made a big effort to share these flow events with the community

On connectivity

Year 4: Dry conditions outlook in 2019-20

• Extreme dry conditions in north – 3 year

cycle is up

• Little water in accounts
• Much of water in accounts has been

transferred to drought reserves

• Limited capacity to address critical

events (i.e. fish deaths)

• Allocations could be very low next year
• Trade opportunities are unlikely

Use of Environmental Water in the Southern Basin 2018-2019

Goulburn River 216 GL of environmental delivery Lower Broken Creek 34 GL environmental delivery Campaspe River 23 GL environmental delivery Gunbower Forest/Creek 53 GL environmental delivery 27 GL return flow 264 GL return flow (inc. some from last year) 23 GL return flow 222 GL Hume Releases 134 GL environmental delivery 116 GL return flow 116 GL

Total = 604 GL

27 GL 9.3 GL return flow 42 GL use of return flows 19 GL return flows generated 19 GL

185 GL

Orders direct at SA border 23 GL Murrumbidgee River (end of system flow events) 27 GL environmental delivery 12 GL return flows Edward-Wakool 33 GL environmental delivery No return flows 185 GL 12 GL

Water used at multiple sites,

• r ordered directly to the SA

border, July 2018 to June 2019

Total environmental water to SA border 2018-19 604 GL 2017-18 976 GL 2016-17 800 GL 2015-16 797 GL

Multi-site Use – Connecting Rivers and Key Floodplain Assets

Working with local councils

• States provide water for human use and to account holders
• Local councils provide an important link to communities
• Advice from councils about water use reflects location in catchment: earlier

/ later; use more / use less; briefer / for longer. Ultimately the call is made

• n environmental grounds
• We are looking to engage more with local councils
• Develop more of a shared understanding of roles and activities – ahead of

any issues rather than reacting to any issues

• Co-benefits: healthy rivers → healthy communities → healthy industries
• Thank you for the opportunity to present today

Questions?