Secure rights to water

Regulation requiring registration of D&S dams in rural residential areas was introduced in March 2011. The regulation, Policies for Registering Private Dams in Rural Residential Areas 2010), was sighted with information on GMW, Melbourne Water and SRW websites.

Mechanism to track domestic and stock use has been established with requirement to register D&S dams in rural residential areas and requirement for a works licence when constructing D&S bores. In addition there have been a number of studies into D&S dam numbers and volume in Victoria.

Water Bill 2014 sought to pass required legislation, but the Bill was not pursued by the Government (see section on aesthetic dams)

Action 8.4 in Water for Victoria (WfV) commits to investigating the introduction of a reasonable use limit for domestic and stock use.

Action status: Complete

Guidelines for calculating reasonable domestic and stock use were prepared but not approved by the previous Minister for Water.

Action 8.4 in WfV commits to investigating the introduction of a reasonable use limit for domestic and stock use. Further reporting should be conducted through WfV.

Action status: Water for Victoria

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has included all domestic and stock use as part of the Basin Plan SDL. Details about how to account for use will be finalised as part of the development of Water Resource Plans. This will include consultation with a range of water users. This action is now being considered as part of Basin Plan implementation.

Readers should refer to Water Resource Plans for further information.

Action status: Basin Plan

This action is complete. Refer to the Policies for Managing Take and Use licences 2014.

Action status: Complete

Standard conditions are contained in the Policies for Managing Take and Use Licences 2014 and works licences.

Action status: Complete

Local Management Rules for most surface water and groundwater systems have been completed

Groundwater

• A review of the Katunga Groundwater Management Plan has commenced. It is scheduled to be complete by July 2017.
• Upper Goulburn GMA and LMP - complete.
• Lower Ovens GMA LMP - complete.
• Central Victorian Mineral Springs GMA and LMP - complete.
• Mid Goulburn GMA and LMP - complete.
• Kiewa GMA and LMP - complete (includes Mullindolingong GMA).
• Upper Goulburn GMA and LMP - complete (includes Alexandra GMA).
• Eildon GMA and LMP - ongoing.
• Strathbogie GMA and LMP - complete.
• Shepparton Irrigation Region (SIR) WSPA abolished. Shepparton GMA and LMP - complete.
• Loddon Valley unincorporated area (UnA) - when the mid-Loddon LMP is reviewed consideration will be given to making the Loddon Valley Unincorporated Area another zone. Therefore when the mid-Loddon LMP is reviewed (2016?) the new plan will extend to groundwater in the currently UnA.
• Campaspe West unincorporated area - This is a low priority area because of the low quality of the groundwater in the area. The LMP is not completed.
• Upper Murray GMA and LMP - complete.
• Broken Valley unincorporated area - now referred to as the Broken GMA. The LMP is not complete.

Surface water

• Local Management Rules have been prepared for most systems where they are required.

Action status: Ongoing

See Action 4.8

Katunga WSPA and Groundwater Management Plan remains in place. It is currently under review.

Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA Groundwater Management Plan remains in place.

The Shepparton Irrigation Region WSPA was abolished in 2013-14 and replaced with the Shepparton Irrigation Region Groundwater Management Area Local Management Plan. The LMP was approved on 3 June 2015.

Spring Hill and Upper Loddon WSPAs merged to form the Loddon Highlands WSPA. The Groundwater Management Plan is complete

Upper Ovens River WSPA Water Management Plan complete.

Local Management Rules have been in place for the Mid-Loddon GMA since 2009

King Parrot Creek WSPA - undeclared August 2010. Local Management Rules are complete (see)

Yea River WSPA - undeclared August 2010. Local Management Rules are complete

Sevens Creek Local Management Rules are complete

Kiewa River Local Management Rules are complete

Action status: Complete

Upper Ovens Water Supply Protection Area management plan was approved by the Minister in January 2012.

The Upper Ovens was seen as the priority area where an integrated management plan was required.

Action status: Complete

Correspondence with the MDBA confirmed that Victoria's cap will be automatically adjusted upwards to account for water issued under Dairy Shed transition program and stock watering associated with fencing of riparian frontages.

Action status: Complete

New groundwater catchments are now in place and PCVs set. Dates of changes to areas are as per dates on management plans.

Action status: Complete

Restriction policies for unregulated river systems are contained in local management rules.

Restriction policies for groundwater are contained in local management plans or statutory groundwater management plans.

Required statutory changes to allow for water allocations in groundwater systems have not been pursued. However, water corporations adopt a quasi-allocation type approach using restriction powers in appropriate systems e.g. Mid Loddon GMA, Loddon Highlands WSPA.

Action status: Complete

A number of studies into unbundling of surface and groundwater have been conducted but not pursued. These meet the requirements of the action. Studies include:

• URS (2012) Shepparton Irrigation Region (SIR) - Developing a new groundwater management framework.
• A number of background papers for the Water Law Review.
• NWC (2011) A framework for managing and developing groundwater.
• NWC (2011) Strengthening Australia's water markets.
• Western Region SWS - refer action 3.1.

Action status: Complete

The Dairy Shed Water Licence Transition Program is complete.

Revised PCVs were Gazetted on 14th July 2011.

Action status: Complete

A review of Bulk Entitlements was completed in January 2016 (report sighted).

The Bulk Entitlement (Campaspe System - Goulburn Murray Water) Conversion Order 2000 was amended in 2012 and 2013 to improve flexibility in delivery of passing flows, define the volume of dead storage and spill rules in Eppalock and reflect the decommissioning of the Campaspe Irrigation District and granting of a new Campaspe River Environmental Entitlement.

Bulk Entitlement (Eildon-Goulburn Weir) Conversion Order 1995 was amended on 22 March 2012 to address Action 4.15.

Bulk Entitlement (Loddon System - Goulburn-Murray Water) Conversion Order 2005 was amended on 10 April 2014 to: i) specify dead storage volumes for Tullaroop, Cairn Curran and Laanecoorie Reservoirs, ii) specify how seasonal determinations are made and iii) clarify spill rules.

Bulk Entitlement (River Murray - Goulburn-Murray Water) Conversion Order 1999 has been amended to address this action, e.g. inclusion of system operating water, reserve and carryover.

Bulk Entitlement (Ovens System - Goulburn-Murray Water) Conversion Order 2004- not amended after SWS, but amendments in 2009 and operating arrangements agreed between GMW and North East Water in 2008 adequately manage risks/issues associated with extreme drought.

Bulk Entitlement (Bullarook System - Goulburn-Murray Water) Conversion Order 2009- includes arrangements that manage risks/issues identified through the SWS.

Distribution system operating water is now quantified and separated in GMW's Goulburn and Murray Bulk Entitlements.

Distribution system operating water is being allocated through Bulk Entitlements as it becomes available (refer Bulk Entitlements).

Bulk Entitlements can be viewed at the Victorian Water Register website.

Action status: Complete

Coliban Water amalgamated BE: see Bulk Entitlement (Goulburn Channel System Coliban Water) Order 2012.

Goulburn Valley Water's amalgamated BE: see Bulk Entitlement (Goulburn Channel System - Goulburn Valley Water) Order 2012.

Carryover is now available to Bulk and Environmental Entitlements: see Carryover for Bulk and Environmental Entitlements in the Murray, Goulburn and Campaspe Water Systems (Declaration and Determination) 2010.

Bulk and Environmental Entitlements can be viewed at the Victorian Water Register website.

Action status: Complete

Bulk entitlements have been amended as required. For example, see the Bulk Entitlement (Bright) Conversion Order 2000.

Bulk and Environmental Entitlements are available from the Victorian Water Register.

Action status: Complete

The unregulated flow is recognised in Bulk Entitlement (River Murray - Flora and Fauna) Conversion Order 1999, as amended at 5 June 2014. See Table 1 in Schedule 5).

Bulk and Environmental Entitlements can be viewed at the Victorian Water Register.

Action status: Complete

Greater flexibility in the delivery of passing flows has been provided in the Campaspe and Loddon systems. Campaspe - see Bulk Entitlement (Campaspe System - Goulburn-Murray Water) Conversion Order 2000, as amended to 1 July 2013.

Loddon - see Bulk Entitlement (Loddon River - Environmental Reserve) Order 2005, as amended to 10 April 2014.

Action status: Complete

The Barmah-Millewa Forest Environmental Water Allocation was pursued through the Independent Review of the Efficiency of River Murray Operations but wasn't resolved.

The Barmah-Millewa Forest Environmental Water Allocation is being considered as a supply measure in the Basin Plan's SDL Adjustment Mechanism. Reporting should be updated when further progress is made.

Action status: Ongoing

A revised FLOWs study has been completed for the Mid-Goulburn. This provides a strong scientific basis for the development of watering plans.

The Goulburn Broken CMA prepared an annual watering proposal which considered the availability of the flood release (called an 'additional passing flow below Eildon Pondage Weir'). The proposal considers a range of risks associated with environmental watering, including flooding private property (for example see the 2013-14 proposal.) The VEWH use the proposal as the basis for preparing their Seasonal Watering Plan.

Action status: Complete

CMAs engage with rural water corporations about the deliverability of seasonal watering proposals. For example, see sections 6 and 9 of the Goulburn Broken Catchment Wetlands Seasonal Watering Proposal 2013-14. This meets the requirements of the action. More specific arrangements are provided in Environmental Water Delivery Plans.

The VEWH is also working with CMAs and water corporations to improve these arrangements through the development of formal operating arrangements (required by bulk and environmental entitlements) with rural water corporations (see Output 2.6 on page 16 of VEWH Corporate Plan 2015-16 to 2018-19. Copies are available by contacting the VEWH Office).

Action status: Complete

Extraction shares are a share of the total amount of water that can be drawn from regulated rivers at a certain point over a given period. Extraction shares are used to restrict water extraction in times of high demand. The extraction share is expressed on a works licence.

Reporting against this priority output indicates that the VEWH has not completed all formal operating arrangement documents between storage managers, waterway managers and land managers (where applicable). This is a clear, easily interpreted and measurable output.

Operating arrangements, including those related to channel capacity, are a requirement in bulk and environmental entitlements (for example see Bulk Entitlement (River Murray - Flora and Fauna) Conversion Order 1999 as at 5 June 2014, that can be viewed at the Victorian Water Register). Volume 2 of the Strategic Review of the VEWH Organisational Performance page 20 notes that the operating arrangements for delivery of environmental water are being completed by the VEWH.

The lack of formal documentation of current operating arrangements was discussed in an interview with a storage manager. The storage manager recognised the value of the arrangements. However, they believed that the excellent communication and coordination role played by the VEWH meant that effective water management was being achieved even though not all arrangements were in place. Informal arrangements are in place and well understood.

To date the lack of formal documentation has not had significant consequences. Existing processes appear to be meeting the requirements of the action. However, the VEWH should endeavour to complete formal operating arrangements required by bulk and environmental entitlements.

Action status: Complete

The return flows policy has been implemented through bulk and environmental entitlements and other accounting processes. For example, see the Bulk Entitlement (River Murray - Flora and Fauna) Conversion Order 1999 as at 5 June 2014, can be viewed at the Water Register.

Also, see page 10 of the VEWH Seasonal Watering Plan 2015-16.

Action status: Complete