ountry News Co
Water Talk Reaching Australia’s richest agricultural region
E 16-PAUG RE FEMAarTch 2014
Upgrade opens the way for expansion Tips for a successful project — page 3
Water prices fall — page 6 | Connections project speeds irrigation — page 4 Where has low-reliability water gone? — page 10
Have you explored all the options? Aluminium water pipe > gives the least wheel rutting in the business Up to 25Ml/per day laterals > the largest in the business Pivot corner systems > the largest in the business
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PAGE 2—‘Water Talk’, March, 2014
water talk
The Goulburn River at Nagambie.
Picture: Wally Cubbin
The Goulburn River at Molesworth.
Picture: Belinda Fisher
Last chance to have your say
now has until Thenextpublic Monday, March
10 to comment on the draft Goulburn Broken Regional Waterway Strategy 2013-2021. Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority’s Strategic River Health manager Wayne Tennant said the comment period had been extended to allow the community more time to read the draft strategy. ‘‘The strategy outlines how the Goulburn Broken CMA will continue to work with landholders, communities and other organisations to maintain and protect the region’s rivers and wetlands for the next eight years,’’ Mr Tennant said. ‘‘It builds on more than three decades of partnerships, involving activities to manage soil, salinity, habitat and pest plants and animals to
improve the quality of the region’s waterways. ‘‘We recognise the document contains a lot of detail and we are keen to give people the opportunity to review and absorb this information.’’ The draft Goulburn Broken Regional Waterway Strategy 2013-2021 has been compiled with input from the community via a reference group and partner agencies including local government, Department of Environment and Primary Industries and GoulburnMurray Water. The document also includes pictures (above, left and below) taken around the region by local people. The aims of the strategy are to: ➤ Identify priority waterways and wetlands based on their environmental, social and economic values, and set
objectives for their management; ➤ Develop a program of works to achieve these objectives, and targets against which to measure the progress in reaching these objectives; ➤ Provide a consistent, defensible process for identifying priorities for government investment in the health of rivers, estuaries and wetlands; and ➤ Engage key stakeholders and the community to ensure that the priority waterways chosen reflect areas of high community value. ➤ The draft Goulburn Broken Regional Waterway Strategy 2013-2021 is available on Goulburn Broken CMA’s website at www.gbcma.vic.gov.au Send your feedback to reception@gbcma.vic. gov.au or to Goulburn Broken CMA, PO Box 1752, Shepparton 3632.
ountry News Co
Water Talk Reaching Australia’s richest agricultural
The next edition of Water Talk, will be published in Country News week commencing April 7. For advertising inquires please contact your local paper carrying Country News or Country News direct on 5820 3153.
region
16-PAGE E FEATUR ry 2014 Februa
Gaining control over water delivery Jarrod Lukies at Katamatite — page 11 Heat speeds evaporation from storages
— page 4 | No environmental water for Lake Cooper — 14 and 15 Changes coming for state water laws — page 8
Have you explored all the options?
Aluminium water pipe > gives the least wheel rutting in the business Up to 25Ml/per day laterals > the largest in the business Pivot corner systems > the largest in the business GPS guided laterals and corner systems > no troublesome wires The all-new Reinke pivoting lateral > the latest in advancements
Center Irrigation Deniliquin Center Irrigation Ballarat
Ph: (03) 5881 2369 Ph: (03) 5343 4370
Mini pivots > for small-scale dairy use Wrap-around spans > for pivoting around field obstructions Three-wheel flexible towers > to enable to walk over rice banks for duel irrigation. Center Irrigation > Built on nearly 50 years of farming knowledge and 25 years of practical centre pivot experience. Don’t get caught with an under-designed system — we are here to help.
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February cover
ountry News Co Reaching Australia’s richest agricultural region
Sunday Creek at Mt Disappointment.
Picture: Krissi Flynn
‘Water Talk’, March, 2014—PAGE 3
water talk
Just get in and get the job done By Sophie Bruns
W
hile many people were sitting under airconditioners during the hot summer, dairy farmer Dehne Vinnicombe was busy laying out 100 ha of ground through round three funding of the On Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program. Mr Vinnicombe, his wife Sarah, and parents Ron and Maree milk 440 cows on 730 ha at Jarklin. The purchase of the farm across the road a couple of years ago and the consequent irrigation upgrade has brought an additional 100 ha into the milking operation and taken the farm to the next level. ‘‘To me it was a no brainer,’’ Mr Vinnicombe said. ‘‘Sell some water and get the works done. It was a golden opportunity to bring a large area into production that hadn’t been irrigated for 20 years, and at the same time do it properly.’’ Through the program Mr Vinnicombe lasered 100 ha, built an irrigation channel capable of delivering 30 Ml a day, installed 2.4 m bay outlets and built a 10 Ml re-use dam. The water is delivered via gravity so expensive pumping costs have been avoided. ‘‘Pipe and riser has certainly got its place but the soil out here is clay based and we don’t lose the water that people in other areas do. I thought why pay to pump water when you don’t need too.’’ Mr Vinnicombe plans to sow permanent pasture and lucerne down the track, but at the moment the milking herd is grazing 8 ha of sorghum on the new ground. The Vinnicombes are aiming for eventual self-sufficiency. Their previous feeding system, before they bought the farm across the road, was based on a cut-and-carry system, with a large amount of silage fed. However, Mr Vinnicombe believes there is no cheaper source of feed than straight from the paddock. ‘‘Our silage bills are just astronomical. It costs us about $100 a tonne; now the cows can graze right next to the dairy and you just can’t get a cheaper source of feed then that.’’ The works have allowed the family to expand the enterprise, employ two full-time staff and free-up more family time for Mr Vinnicombe who has four children — Holly, Teagan, Macey and Harry. ‘‘I feel like I can achieve a much better work-life balance now,’’ he said. The process for the Vinnicombes has been relatively stress free and was completed fairly quickly.
Above: The dairy and some of the newly laid-out ground which has been planted with a sorghum crop that is being grazed by the milking herd. Below: Some more of the newly laid-out land.
Ron Vinnicombe (back) with son Dehne, his wife Sarah and children Macey and Henry. Initially their application was knocked back but they were able to get on board with Waterfind and get the job done. ‘‘I was furious when we first got knocked back because I could really see the benefits the program could bring to our farm. ‘‘When I approached Waterfind I went on the waiting list but because we had everything ready to go and some other farmers didn’t, we were able to get in and get the job done. ‘‘It is important to remember that prices can change quickly, especially if you start the works months after you have received the quotes, so keep an eye on that. ‘‘Also make sure your farm plan is correct so you know exactly what needs to be done, or how much dirt needs to be moved.’’
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PAGE 4—‘Water Talk’, March, 2014
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The Goulburn-Murray Water channel linked to George Wells’ Strathmerton property by a pipeline. Get Up-to-date regional rural news and event updates from Country News
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new pipeline and farm A channel has given Strathmerton farmers George and Sophia Wells the volume to more than halve their irrigation time. The Wells run a dairy farm with about 240 cows on permanent pasture and with some summer crops. They purchased the farm in 2010 after deciding to move from running a motel back into dairying, where Mr Wells has his roots. ‘‘Sometimes cows can be
easier to handle than people,’’ he said. The Goulburn-Murray Water Connections program has replaced the former spur channel serving the property with a 1.1 km pipeline, lifting the supply capacity to a maximum of 24 Ml/day. As part of the Connections deal to remove one poorly performing wheel outlet at the rear of the property, the Wells were assisted to build a new channel, which has a 20 Ml/day
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capacity, running the length of the farm. ‘‘We could only get about 5 Ml out of the wheel at the back of the place,’’ Mr Wells said. ‘‘Now we can run a split operation to both parts of the farm with a much higher rate. ‘‘It used to take me 14 days to irrigate 270 acres (109 ha). Now I can do it in six days.’’ Due to the hot weather, he’s moving back to summer crops which thrive in the heat with a good water supply.
‘‘I’ll go back to sorghum and graze it off,’’ he said. The new pipeline has also allowed Mr Wells and his family more time to spend together. ‘‘ I get to go to Little Athletics with the girls every weekend now. I think I went once or twice last year so it’s made a difference,’’ he said. One difficulty in getting the delivery channel upgrade was the time it took to negotiate with VicRoads for the spur replacement pipeline.
‘Water Talk’, March, 2014—PAGE 5
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PAGE 6—‘Water Talk’, March, 2014
water talk
Iraq needs expertise ompanies involved in C water delivery in the Murray-Darling Basin could find work in assisting Iraq to rebuild its irrigation infrastructure, Victorian Water Minister Peter Walsh says. ‘‘Victoria can be a major supplier of food to Iraq as we seek to double agricultural production by 2030,’’ Mr Walsh said after leading a delegation of exporters to Iraq. ‘‘And given the expertise we have built up in water and salinity management over the past 30 years, there is a real opportunity for us to play a major role in rebuilding Iraq’s irrigated agricultural sector so that the country can regain some degree of selfsufficiency in food production. ‘‘Those companies involved in working through the significant salinity and water management issues of the Murray-Darling Basin are ideally placed to play a leading role in helping Iraq.’’ Mr Walsh travelled from Dubai to Baghdad last week with Bega Cheese executive chairman Barry Irvin and Cargill Australia
Victorian Water Minister Peter Walsh says there are water industry opportunities in Iraq. managing director Philippa Purser during the Victorian Government’s Super Trade Mission to the Middle East. He said notwithstanding ongoing security issues in Iraq, it held significant potential for Victorian exporters, and a number of other countries had already established themselves as suppliers of food and agronomic and water management expertise. ‘‘During our visit we met
with the Iraqi trade minister, the deputy ministers of agriculture, water and the environment, the chair of the National Investment Commission, business leaders and the Australian Ambassador to Iraq, Lyndall Sachs. ‘‘They were keen to impress upon us that Iraq is open for business and in need of large quantities of both food and expertise in irrigated agriculture from Australia and elsewhere.
It’s on again
‘‘Iraq remains in the early stages of rebuilding, and ongoing political unrest is hampering that progress. ‘‘Any exporters considering Iraq need to be acutely aware of its security issues, but they will also find their product and expertise highly sought after.’’ Mr Walsh said while Victorian exports to Iraq were relatively small compared to those shipped to some other countries, the value of food exported there in 2012-13 increased by more than 1000 per cent to $59 million. Key among these exports were grain, worth $53 million, and cheese, worth $4 million. Mr Walsh said Australian wheat exports to Iraq had grown from 9000 tonnes to 1.2 million tonnes in 2012-13 and that Iraqis favoured Australian white wheat due to its superior milling qualities for flat bread. He said on top of their enthusiasm for more Victorian food, Iraqi Government officials were also interested in the state’s grain bunkers and storage systems.
Water prices drop rapidly rices for water allocaP tions in the southern connected Murray-Darling
Basin have dropped 16 per cent since the start of February. The average price was around $90/Ml at the start of the month. Waterfind chief executive officer Tom Rooney said he expected prices to peak in late January, near the end of the highest irrigation period, but he was surprised by how quickly prices have dropped since then. The drop was caused by the listing of several large parcels of unused allocation water for sale by irrigators who had completed their major summer irrigation programs. ‘‘The drop has been caused entirely on the sellers’ side, there are still plenty of buyers in the market but a lot of irrigators have finished their major watering period and are now looking to clear excess water,’’ Mr Rooney said. The peak in temporary allocation water prices this season mirrored the trend in 2013 when allocation prices peaked in early February 2013 before dropping 17 per cent through the following two months.
‘‘What we saw at the same time during the 2013 season was that prices peaked in early February, dropped rapidly through the month and stayed low through to April,’’ Mr Rooney said. ‘‘In early May though irrigators entered the market in large numbers to secure carryover for the following season and the price jumped almost 15 per cent in the first week of May.’’ In February 2013, Menindee Lakes were holding more than 800 000 Ml which was used to secure allocation across the Murray River. The volume dropped in February below 480 000 Ml and is now in NSW control. This means unless there are strong inflows into Menindee Lakes in the next four months all allocations for next season for irrigators on the Murray will have to come from the Hume and Dartmouth dams. ‘‘Given the uncertainty around allocations we expect buyers to be taking advantage of these lower prices to secure water for 2014-15,’’ Mr Rooney said. ‘‘This will mean a busy market in the next few months with prices potentially moving back up above their current levels.’’
2OI4
Irrigation and Energy Expo showcasing industry innovation
ATTENTION EXHIBITORS
Shepparton Showgrounds – May 28 & 29, 2014
Showcase your business at the 2014 WTC Irrigation Expo With a hugely successful event in 2013, the 2014 expo promises to be even better. The expo provides the perfect opportunity to promote your products and services to thousands of people attending the event over two days. Many previous exhibitors have commented that ‘the right people’ attend and buy their products. To be held again at the Exhibition Shed at the Shepparton showgrounds, which is a purposebuilt undercover venue with extensive car parking. With competitive site fees and a guaranteed
audience, exhibitors will receive excellent value for money. If you’re participating in the On-farm Water Progams or Modernisation this Irrigation and Energy Efficiencty Expo is for you. To book your exhibition space please complete the prospectus documents available from our website, www.wtcexpo.com.au and email them to andrew.chittick@totaleden.com.au or mail to Andrew Chittick at Rob Rye Irrigation, 19 New Dookie Road, Shepparton, Victoria 3630. Book early to secure your site!
Sponsorship Opportunities – Align your business with this fantastic event. The expo has built strong attendance from a select audience specifically interested in purchasing irrigation technology, with over 2000 people attending the event in 2012 and 2013. The expo has also built strong support from the Commonwealth and Victorian governments, with
Contacts Sponsorship Wendy Buck Chair WTC Irrigation Expo wendy@wtcexpo.com.au
Exhibiting Andrew Chittick Expo Treasurer andrew.chittick@totaleden.com.au
Phone: 0438 052 630
Phone: 0400 671 172
Or visit our website www.wtcexpo.com.au.
MAJOR SPONSORS:
ountry News Co Reaching Australia’s richest agricultural region
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high-level public figures attending the expo. We offer a flexible sponsorship model and can tailor sponsorship opportunities to your specific needs. Please email wendy@wtcexpo.com.au to register your interest.
‘Water Talk’, March, 2014—PAGE 7
water talk
Keeping an eye on the weather By Laura Griffin
W
armer below-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean and westerly wind bursts across it near the equator mean an El Nin ˜ o could happen this year, DEPI seasonal variability agronomist Dale Grey said. But it is too early to predict whether it — and the corresponding increased chance of drier winter and spring conditions — will happen, he stressed. Despite farmers looking to the heavens and wanting to know the time and size of the autumn break to plan sowing, Mr Grey said it was impossible to forecast because there were no prevailing climatic systems that could determine above or below average rainfall or timing at this time of year. He said the Pacific Ocean was currently in an overall neutral state and the El Nin ˜o and La Nin ˜a events often did ‘‘not show their hands’’ until at least May. ‘‘Autumn is the time the ocean mulls over what it going to do for the coming winter spring period and has always been a poor time of reliability for predictions,’’ Mr Grey said. He said continued reversals of the normally easterly trade winds to westerly winds around Nauru in the next few months could be enough to set an El Nin ˜o off and establish a positive feedback loop. Historically the event is established in winter and
Farmers are waiting for the autumn break, but when that will come is impossible to forecast. Picture: Julie Mercer continues through to spring and early summer. ‘‘The unpredictable westerly wind bursts are not enough to ensure it will happen, but it will be more likely if we get a succession of them in the next two to three months,’’ Mr Grey said. He said El Nin ˜o almost doubled the possibilities of drier conditions in northern Victoria, which would compound the ‘‘spasmodic’’ rainfall experienced in the region since the beginning of the year. Farmers need to remain aware, but not alarmed at how the Pacific Ocean behaves in the next few months. ‘‘Rainfall levels for January and February have been low enough to be a nuisance by bringing up weeds,’’ Mr Grey said ‘‘There hasn’t been enough to get moisture into sub-soil which is
very dry.’’ The Bureau of Meteorology characterised Victoria’s January weather as hot and dry, with northern Victorian towns including Echuca, Kerang, Kyabram and Tatura getting less than a third of their average January rainfall. Shepparton received 64 per cent of its historical average rainfall in the month and Yarrawonga received 39.4 mm — 30 per cent more than its average. Mr Grey said with the sun still being strong across northern Victoria, much of this rainfall had evaporated. Farmers with access to irrigation water can create their own autumn break, and Mr Grey expected to see many of them starting to sow pasture in March and crops in April.
DEPI seasonal agronomist Dale Grey.
Picture: Laura Griffin
C onn e ction s Proje ct
'Dt ŝƐ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŽŶŶĞĐƟŽŶƐ WƌŽũĞĐƚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ŝƚƐ ^ƚƌĂƚĞŐŝĐ ŽŶŶĞĐƟŽŶƐ WƌŽũĞĐƚ ;^ WͿ ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐ͘ ůů ůĂŶĚŽǁŶĞƌƐ ĂƌĞ ĂůůŽĐĂƚĞĚ ĂŶ ^ W ŶƵŵďĞƌ ĂŶĚ ĂƌĞ ĂďůĞ ƚŽ ĐŚĞĐŬ ƚŚĞ ƐƚĂƚƵƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞŝƌ ^ W ǀŝĂ 'Dt͛Ɛ ŶĞǁ ŽŶŶĞĐƟŽŶƐ WƌŽũĞĐƚ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ͘
EĞǁ ŽŶŶĞĐƟŽŶƐ WƌŽũĞĐƚ ŚƩƉ͗ͬͬǁǁǁ͘ŐŵǁĐŽŶŶĞĐƟŽŶƐƉƌŽũĞĐƚ͘ĐŽŵ͘ĂƵ
ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ Ă ŽŶŶĞĐƟŽŶƐ ŐƌĞĞŵĞŶƚ
dŚĞ ŽŶŶĞĐƟŽŶƐ WƌŽũĞĐƚ ĐŚĂŶŐĞƐ ƉĞŽƉůĞ͛Ɛ ůŝǀĞƐ ĐĂŶ ĚŽ ŝƚ ŝŶ ϲ ĚĂLJƐ ;ĂŶĚͿ / ŐĞƚ ƚŽ ŐŽ ƚŽ ůŝƩůĞ ƚŚůĞƟĐƐ ǁŝƚŚ
&Žƌ ŝŶƐƚĂŶƚ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďŝŐŐĞƐƚ ŝƌƌŝŐĂƟŽŶ ƌĞŶĞǁĂů ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ dǁŝƩĞƌ
PAGE 8—‘Water Talk’, March, 2014
water talk
Aiming to improve river health survey next week to A check the Macquarie perch population in the
Yea River is part of the Hooray for the Yea project to improve river health and increase numbers of threatened native fish species. DEPI’s Arthur Rylah Institute researchers will do the survey between March 3 and 7 as part of the Victorian Governmentfunded project, which aims to improve the river’s health and fish populations, particularly of native threatened species, through on-ground works and continuing community involvement. Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority river health officer Sue Kosch said a survey conducted last year — the first done for many years — confirmed the presence of Macquarie perch in the Yea River with three fish collected between Glenburn to the confluence of the Goulburn River. ‘‘The fact that Macquarie perch were found was great news,’’ Ms Kosch said. This next survey will focus on a 10 km stretch of the Yea River between Devlins Bridge and Nashes Rd where adult Macquarie perch were collected in
A Macquarie perch. previous surveys, and conditions that favour the fish — such as deep pools and in-stream woody habitats — are present. ‘‘We’re pretty optimistic about the survey outcome
Picture supplied by DEPI’s Arthur Rylah Institute. because I recently heard a local angler had caught and released two Macquarie perch in this area.’’ Ms Kosch said the survey would provide more information on whether
Macquarie perch were breeding and establishing a population in the Yea River and, if so, the size of that population. All fish captured during the survey will be measured,
weighed and externally tagged (adult fish only) before being released. Anglers are reminded taking Macquarie perch from the Yea River is prohibited. ‘‘We would appreciate
➤ For more information about Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority programs visit www.gbcma.vic.gov.au
er al ng nd i a de ic ia rv SW tor ew e N w s n N Vic r no he rn ut the So or N
THE T-L DIFFERENCE
that if an angler catches a tagged fish, they record the number on the tag and let us know, before carefully releasing it,’’ Ms Kosch said. Research has also been done on Hughes Creek’s stream and bank conditions and their effects on Macquarie perch. Goulburn Broken CMA river health officer Christine Glassford said Macquarie perch were known to be in the creek but the authority wanted to know more about their location and habitat. Ms Glassford said this initial research would help determine priority actions for the second and third years of the project. Goulburn Broken CMA is also offering funding support to landholders for works on the Hughes Creek and major tributaries that could include control of stock access via construction of streamside fencing and installation of off-stream water points; revegetation and supplement planting; and placement of in-stream habitat and channel formation works.
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PAGE 10—‘Water Talk’, March, 2014
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was likely to start with water allocations, and most systems were expected to reach 100 per cent during the season, even if dry conditions persisted. The current seasonal determinations for the Murray, Goulburn and Loddon systems are unchanged at 100 per cent highreliability water. ‘‘All of the northern Victorian systems are expected to have seasonal determinations of 100 per cent HRWS by mid-December 2015 under average inflow conditions,’’ Dr Bailey said. ‘‘Reserves contributing to the water available in the 2014-15 season have been established this season in the Murray, Goulburn, Loddon and Campaspe systems. ‘‘The availability of these reserves is reflected in the outlooks for high-reliability water share seasonal determinations in these systems. ‘‘Victoria’s allocation policy has always been to secure next year’s allocation to high-reliability entitlements before allocations are made to low-reliability entitlements. ‘‘The current storage position trends means that it is unlikely that a low risk of spill will be declared in the Murray, Goulburn and Campaspe systems early in the 2014-15 season. Customers should factor this into their seasonal watering plans.’’ ➤ The next seasonal determination announcement will be on Monday, March 17.
5000 Shortfall to LRWS
4500
Remaining Commitments
~610 Gl
Commitments for 2014–15
81
4000
Gigalitres (Gl)
P
oor rain has resulted in the lack of low-reliability water for irrigators, according to northern region resource manager Mark Bailey. ‘‘Entitlement holders are asking why no seasonal determinations for low-reliability water shares have been announced for the Goulburn, Loddon and Murray systems,’’ Dr Bailey said. ‘‘The main reason is that spring and summer were very dry and inflows in both systems were very low. For example, in the Goulburn system this season inflows have been about 700 Gl below average. ‘‘The shortfall to making seasonal determinations for lowreliability water shares in the Goulburn and Loddon systems is about 170 Gl. The Murray system shortfall is about 610 Gl.’’ In the Goulburn system, about 446 Gl is set aside in storage for carryover, of which 298 Gl belongs to irrigators. The remainder is held for the environment and other water authorities. In the Murray system, irrigators are holding more than 600 Gl for carryover. Carryover will change for entitlement holders in the Murray system, as from the end of the 2013-14 season the limit on carryover will apply so that entitlement holders cannot carryover more than their full water share volume. Dr Bailey said the good news for irrigators was that next season
Breakdown of Water in Store and Commitments February 17, 2014
3500
1100
3000
248
Remaining Allocated Volume (incl carryover) Murray Early Reserve Policy
3093
Channel Distribution Losses to May 15, 2014 Environment Vic Share of SA Dilution Flow
2500
Vic Share of River Losses Upstream of SA
2000
Vic Share of Evaporation
1500
2777
811
1000
218 233
500 0
Available Resources
139 116 158 47 Remaining Commitments
Available Resources Vic Share of Water in Transit Vic Share of Forecast Inflow to Murray System Vic Share of Goulburn Valley Account Vic Share of Water in Storage
Goulburn System Breakdown of Water in Store and Commitments February 17, 2014 4000
Remaining Commitments
Shortfall to LRWS
~170 GI
38
Commitments for 2014–15
12
Remaining Allocated Volume (incl carryover)
514
3000
NRSWS Policy Reserve for 2014–15
1721
Channel Distribution Losses to May 15, 2014 Trade Commitments to Murray System
Gigalitres (Gl)
Low rainfall hurts water allocation
Murray System
Urban and Environment
2000
Storage and River Losses
626
2829 1000
0
75
275 133 347 172 215
Available Resources
Volume Below Minimum Operating Level
Available Resources Campaspe & Loddon Trade Commitment to Goulburn Campaspe & Loddon Supplements Forecast Inflows to Eildon and Goulburn Weir Water in Storage
Remaining Commitments
The Goulburn system: ➤ Water in storage: The volume of water held in Lake Eildon, Waranga Basin and Greens Lake. ➤ Forecast Inflows to Eildon and Goulburn Weir: The volume of forecast inflows for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons with a probability of exceeding this of 99 per cent. ➤ Campaspe and Loddon trade commitment to Goulburn: The volume held in the Campaspe and Loddon systems that needs to be delivered to the Goulburn system as a result of trade.
➤ Campaspe/Loddon supplement: The volume available from the Campaspe and Loddon systems to support the Goulburn seasonal determination. ➤ Volume below minimum operating level: The volume of water that cannot be released through existing infrastructure under gravity. ➤ Pumping of Waranga Basin will not be required to support allocations in the 2013-14 season. ➤ Storage and river losses: The volume of evaporation and other
water losses from the storages and from the natural rivers, lakes and waterways that are part of the irrigation network. Also called headworks losses. ➤ Urban and environment: entitlements held by urban water corporations including Melbourne, irrigators on the lower Broken Creek and the environment (including the water quality reserve). ➤ Trade commitments to Murray system: Total amount of Goulburn system water bought by Murray
system users that is yet to be delivered and the carried-over volume of Goulburn system water obtained from water savings projects that is to be delivered to the Murray instead of diverted from the Snowy hydro-electric scheme. ➤ Channel distribution losses to May 15, 2014: Estimate of the amount of water required to operate the G-MW channel and pipeline delivery systems to deliver allocation to customers and urban water corporations.
➤ NRSWS policy reserve for 2014-15: The volume set aside between 30 per cent and 50 per cent seasonal determinations as a reserve for system operations in the 2014-15 season, as required by the Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy (NRSWS). ➤ Remaining allocated volume (including carryover): The volume assigned to water share holders under a 100 per cent seasonal determination of high-reliability water shares (HRWS) plus the
carried-over resources that were allocated to water shareholders in previous seasons, that is yet to be delivered. ➤Commitments for 2014-15: The approximate volume required to provide operating requirements and determinations (up to 100 per cent HRWS) in the 2014-15 season. The ability to supply all high-reliability commitments in 2014-15 is required before seasonal determination of lowreliability water shares can be made in the current season.
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PAGE 12—‘Water Talk’, March, 2014
water talk
Getting the water budget just right By Sophie Bruns
W
hen Rob Schloss purchased a 153 ha dairy farm at Stanhope in 2012 he had a budget and a bunch of requirements. Top of the list was land size and soil type, followed by a good dairy. The budget didn’t stretch far enough for permanent water but Mr Schloss wasn’t too worried about that. ‘‘Farms with water were out of my league,” Mr Schloss said. ‘‘Milking 240 cows plus replacements meant I needed a substantial sized farm with a good dairy and this one seemed to tick all the boxes. ‘‘It had good soil types, good infrastructure, the dairy was ready to go, there were trees for shade and the layout was okay.’’ Lack of permanent water didn’t faze Mr Schloss. After all, he had farmed in many different arrangements, under many different scenarios — with water, without water, in drought conditions — and he was confident his years of experience would help him make the right decisions when the time came. ‘‘I had learned a lot about feeding cows from the drought and I knew what I could produce from a dry farm. ‘‘I wasn’t worried about farming without water because I know there are different options you can use to help you get through the season; it is just so important to get the water budget right in the
Rob Schloss realises the importance of keeping abreast of changes to the water policy. first place.’’ Mr Schloss budgets his temporary water at $100/Ml and if he happens to get it any cheaper then it’s a bonus. He keeps his fixed costs separate. For the 2013-14 irrigation season Mr Schloss chose to prepurchase some of his temporary water for a fixed price at the end of the 2012-13 season. He looked at other options
including purchasing additional low-reliability water shares but he worked out by the time he bought them, he wouldn’t be able to afford the temporary water to put in there. ‘‘I felt I was at the mercy of the sellers and some of them must think their water is laced with gold, but water is water and it’s what we do with it that realises the true value of it.
‘‘Pre-purchasing some of my temporary water for $75/Ml took a bit of the risk away. Moving forward I could budget. I knew what I was capable of growing and it turned a high-risk situation around. ‘‘This season there have been periods of time where there has been hardly any water on the exchange but with my deal I knew what I had coming, I just had to
pay for it and it went straight into my account.’’ Mr Schloss has 35 ha of permanent pasture in the ground and his priority is to carryover or pre-purchase enough water each season to irrigate this area. While he does have plans to plant more in the future, what he has now is enough to give the cows one green feed a day. ‘‘I am not into annuals. I prefer perennials or Italian rye-grasses because if we do happen to get some summer rains then there is the potential to get that bit extra out of them. ‘‘I am looking into lucerne but I have an area to develop up first, which has to go through the (Goulburn-Murray Water) Connections process.’’ Mr Schloss said while it was difficult, it was important that irrigators tried to keep up with the changes in water policy. ‘‘A lot of people are in the situation where they don’t know the rules. It is important to keep an eye on them and develop an understanding because water is such an essential part of our businesses. ‘‘The changing of the carryover rule so that you can only carryover against your entitlement has made me feel a bit more comfortable. ‘‘That was a big can of worms and there was no real way of controlling things if they didn’t make some sort of change.’’
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‘Water Talk’, March, 2014—PAGE 13
water talk
‘Use it or lose it’ applied vaporation is directly E responsible for about half of the water loss from NSW’s
giant Menindee Lakes. Now, their levels have fallen below the trigger level at which releases from them contribute to the downstream water needs of NSW, northern Victoria and South Australia, under the rules of the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement. Experts estimate that when full, the four lakes of the Menindee Lake system hold more than three times the volume of water of Sydney Harbour, but given hot and dry conditions in NSW, their combined volume fell below 480 Gl as of February 18. The latest level triggers a change of management from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to the NSW Office of Water. NSW water commissioner
‘
The lakes are a storage system for the basin states, so we were guided by the ‘use it or lose it’ principle in their management to avoid unnecessary losses through evaporation over summer
’
Murray-Darling Basin Authority head of river management David Dreverman David Harriss said the focus of Menindee operations was now to extend the supply for local towns, stock and domestic needs and regional irrigation. Last week he announced the closure of temporary trade into and out of the regulated lower Darling River. Murray-Darling Basin Authority head of river management David Dreverman said
evaporation was responsible for the loss of about half the water volume because of the lakes’ shallowness and vast surface area. ‘‘The lakes are a storage system for the basin states, so we were guided by the ‘use it or lose it’ principle in their management to avoid unnecessary losses through evaporation over summer,’’ Mr
Dreverman said. He said the authority released about 150 Gl to deliver water to South Australia, in accordance with the Murray–Darling Basin Agreement. ‘‘The releases we sent to South Australia over summer had the added benefit of giving the wetlands and flood plains of the Darling anabranch a drink on their way downstream. ‘‘If we hadn’t released the flows, much of the water would have been lost through evaporation.’’ The NSW Government also drew about 50 Gl from Menindee during summer. The NSW Office of Water will continue to monitor conditions and will provide community updates and advice and the Murray–Darling Basin Authority will resume access to water in the Menindee Lakes when the volume exceeds 640 Gl.
Demand for bores is growing elow average spring and B summer rainfall for many towns in northern Victoria has pushed an increasing number of farmers to ask an Echuca-based water drilling company about installing bores. Milne Water Drilling owner-
operator Paul Milne said levels in many property dams across the region were dropping and people wanted to use bore water to fill them up. He predicted the number of inquiries would increase in coming months if it stayed dry. ‘‘Some farmers are calling to
get their old bores resurrected to use them for irrigation, especially when temporary water is expensive,’’ Mr Milne said. ‘‘People are being smarter and trying to get a water driller before it gets too dry and can’t get a driller out.’’
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He said many farmers did not realise when they could access groundwater. ‘‘We have underground maps and access to a Victorian groundwater website that can bring up bores in adjacent areas including their depth, salinity and flow rates.’’
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PAGE 14—‘Water Talk’, March, 2014
water talk
Good conditions prompt trade here were 51 offers to T purchase environmental water when the Commonwealth
Environmental Water Holder held a brief tender for water in the Gwydir Valley in late January. The CEWH accepted 16 offers to buy a combined total of 10 Gl of Commonwealth environmental water for a return of $3.217 million for the MurrayDarling environment. The trade has been viewed by water industry pundits as a case in isolation rather than a litmus test for future trade, given it was a small amount of water in a small valley. But Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder David Papps said the first trade was great news for the environment with proceeds of the sale to be held in the Environmental Water Special Account, until a purchase of water for greater environmental benefit within the Murray-Darling Basin was identified. The CEWH has signed contracts with successful bidders, which, subject to State Water approval, will result in the 10 Gl of water being made available to Gwydir Valley irrigators. The open tender process was for three days, with the 16 chosen ‘‘considered best value for money for the Commonwealth’’. ‘‘The success of this first trade is testament to the careful analysis undertaken by my office of the favourable conditions in the
‘
I am yet to determine whether environmental conditions are right for trade of small proportions of water allocations in other catchments. David Papps
’
Gwydir, with strong demand and strong prices paid for temporary allocations,’’ Mr Papps said. ‘‘The 10 Gl of water allocation will support landholders in the Gwydir including producers of cotton, cattle, wheat and pulse crops.’’ Mr Papps said he had no immediate plans for future trades. ‘‘I am yet to determine whether environmental conditions are right for trade of small proportions of water allocations in other catchments at this stage,’’ Mr Papps said. ‘‘My first priority is to finalise the Gwydir Valley sale and review how our trade framework and operating rules held up. Only then will I be in a position to consider further trade.’’ Any future sale of allocations will require a thorough
investigation of whether the objectives of the environmental watering plan in each catchment have been met, and whether there are requirements in the foreseeable future that still need to be met using current allocations. ‘‘In the meantime, we’re continuing to work with stakeholders across the basin, in preparation for the likelihood of a dry phase,’’ Mr Papps said. This will mean that Commonwealth environmental water will be used to protect habitat such as permanent waterholes that support the survival of waterdependent populations of native plants and animal life. Consistent with the Commonwealth Environmental Water operating rules, full details of the Environmental Water Holder’s successful trade will be published following State Water approval of the last trade. ➤ The CEWH has legislated responsibility under the Water Act 2007 for decisions relating to Commonwealth environmental water, including the management of the portfolio so that it maximises environmental outcomes across the MurrayDarling Basin. It said the decision to enter the market corresponded with the introduction of robust governance including a trade framework, operating rules, procedures and protocols.
Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder David Papps says he has no immediate plans to trade environmental water again following the recent tender in the Gwydir Valley in NSW.
‘Water Talk’, March, 2014—PAGE 15
water talk
Funds for basin projects ‘‘historic’’ deal has been A signed between NSW and the Commonwealth,
securing $80 million for water infrastructure projects in the MurrayDarling Basin. Prime Minister Tony Abbott and NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell penned the agreement in Canberra last Thursday. The extra funds, which will be made available over the next eight years, will go towards water management projects and water resource plans. The NSW Government and previous federal Labor government were in negotiations over the future of the Murray-Darling Basin but were locked in an impasse over funding and water buybacks. The new agreement sets a cap on water purchases at 1500 Gl. Mr Abbott said the agreement with NSW brought all jurisdictions together to implement the ‘‘historic’’ Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Victoria, South Australia and the ACT had also reaffirmed their commitment to the plan, Mr Abbott said. ‘‘The fundamental priorities are to ensure the MurrayDarling’s food and fibre industries remain vibrant and sustainable, and that the river
Deal brings certainty he signing of the Murray-Darling T Basin agreement between the federal and NSW governments in Canberra was
A new deal between the NSW and federal governments will help protect the Murray River. system on which they rely is restored to good health for the long term,’’ he said. As part of the agreement, the states assured the Federal Government the money would not be ‘‘counteracted or undone,’’ Mr Abbott said. Deputy NSW Premier Andrew Stoner said the agreement was good news for farmers,
irrigators and the environment. ‘‘It’s important as we face drought conditions across many parts of the state,’’ Mr Stoner said. ‘‘One of the challenges I’m very keen to address, in addition to getting rural and regional communities through this drought, is to prepare them for the next one as well.’’
To help regional communities adjust to the changes brought about by the basin plan, the Federal Government will also give $32.5 million to NSW, $25 million to Victoria, $25 million to South Australia and $15 million to Queensland from the Regional Economic Diversification Program.
a step towards certainty, the NSW Farmers Association said. NSW Farmers water spokesperson Helen Dalton said although several issues needed work, the agreement did appear to contain a commitment to a sensible cap on water buybacks and important infrastructure commitments for NSW. ‘‘We will need to spend some time working through the details of the agreement as they come to hand, but overall, we are pleased with what we understand so far,’’ Ms Dalton said. ‘‘We have long stressed to the state government the importance of achieving balance between the environment and irrigation communities and we are pleased it stood its ground until a sensible limit on buybacks could be sought. ‘‘We’ve always made it clear that much of the water returned to the environment under the plan could be obtained from improved infrastructure in the system. ‘‘Infrastructure projects can supply further environmental water without adversely impacting regional communities. ‘‘So, commitments in relation to infrastructure spend under the agreement are also pleasing to see,’’ she said. ‘‘It has been a long road of reform and farmers are in it for the long haul. ‘‘There are still of lot of issues that need work and we will continue to work on those issues. ‘‘But at the end of the day, irrigators and water users need certainty and the signing of this agreement today will deliver some of that for them,’’ Ms Dalton said.
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