Murray River water: Irrigator allocations have stalled at 56 per cent
Low inflows mean Victorian Murray irrigators’ allocations will stay the same, while those on the Goulburn creep up.
IRRIGATORS’ water allocations remain unchanged at 56 per cent on the Victorian Murray, as drought continues and storage inflows slow to a trickle.
However Northern Victoria’s Resource Manager Mark Bailey was able to lift Goulburn allocations today from 66 per cent to 68 per cent, saying the small increase was due to slightly better than expected conditions across the region.
Overall Dr Bailey said: “Hot and dry conditions have continued since the previous update of seasonal determinations”.
Campaspe system allocations crept up from 65 per cent to 66 per cent, while the Broken remained on zero.
“The small increases announced for the Goulburn, Loddon and Campaspe systems came from slightly better than expected performance.
“Similar benefits were not available in the Murray or Broken systems.”
The shortfall in the Broken system reduced marginally over the past fortnight, but there remains about 1,700 megalitres to gain before a positive seasonal determination can be made.
“The Minister for Water (Lisa Neville) qualified rights in the Broken system from 1 January 2020,” said Dr Bailey.
“The qualification allows customers access to water for critical domestic and stock use while the seasonal determination remains below 50 per cent high reliability water shares.”
Dr Bailey noted the latest Bureau of Meteorology seasonal outlooks for January to March do not favour wetter or drier conditions.
ALLOCATIONS AT A GLANCE
MURRAY 56 per cent
GOULBURN from 68 per cent
CAMPASPE 66 per cent
LODDON 66 per cent
BULLAROOK 100 per cent
BROKEN zero
Dr Bailey also released the latest seasonal outlook, with flows on the Goulburn system tracking slightly better that the dry outlook of 69 per cent by February 17.
On the Murray he said conditions are slightly lower than the dry outlook of 60 per cent by February 17.
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