Water recovery measures

Eighteen water recovery measures for The Living Murray program are currently either being implemented or have been completed. Brief summaries of each measure are given below, including:

• the current status of the measure
• the estimated volume of water to be recovered, both as a long-term Cap equivalent (LTCE) volume, and the volume and type of entitlement being recovered
• the date the measure is expected to be listed, or has been listed, on the Environmental Water Register as a final listing.

For more information on this process, see Frequently asked questions.

On 4 November 2011, 479.97 GL LTCE of water recovery measures were listed on the Environmental Water Register, with an estimated 7.1 GL LTCE to be recovered by remaining measures on the Eligible Measures Register. For a short summary of progress towards the Living Murray water recovery targets, see the current

Water recovery progress report November 2011

Click on the links below for information about the water recovery measures:

New South Wales

NSW Water Recovery Package B

NSW Wetland Water Recovery — Stage 1

NSW Market Purchase Measure

Pipe It

Murray Irrigation Limited Supplementary Water Access Licence

Tandou Supplementary Water Access Licence

Victoria

Goulburn Murray Water Recovery Package

Lake Mokoan Water Recovery Package

Shepparton Irrigation Area Modernisation Project

South Australia

Securing Government-held Water for Environmental Use

Purchase from Willing Sellers — Stage 1

Securing Government-held Water and Purchase from Willing Sellers

Australian Government

Australian Government Water through Efficiency Tender

Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Pilot Environmental Water Purchase

Ricegrowers' Association — On-farm Water Efficiency

Ricegrowers' Association — On-farm Water Efficiency: Round 2

Sustainable Soils and Farms On-farm Reconfiguration Demonstration

The Living Murray Water Purchase

How is water recovery measured? (What is a ‘long-term Cap equivalent' volume?)

The volume of water that will be recovered by a water recovery measure is calculated as a ‘long-term Cap equivalent' volume. The long-term Cap equivalent is a type of average. It takes into account the different characteristics of water entitlements in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, and their reliability. For instance, to recover a long-term Cap equivalent volume of 1,000 ML in the NSW Murray region, you could purchase either a 1,053 ML High Security Water Access Licence or a 1,237 ML General Security Water Access Licence. This measure of water recovery creates a common unit of measure, thus allowing equitable comparison of a broad range of water recovery measures.

The long-term Cap equivalent volume equates approximately to the theoretical long-term average increase in the flows in the Murray River resulting from the implementation of the water recovery measure. For more information, see ‘Frequently asked questions'.

Why don't the numbers seem to add up?

When considering the water recovery information for the first time, it might seem that the numbers don't add up. There are several explanations for this.

The LTCE or long-term Cap equivalent number does not equal the sum of any entitlements recovered under the measures. This is because the entitlements gained are all converted to LTCE for accounting under The Living Murray as this figure takes account of the long-term reliability of allocation under different entitlements and therefore produces a common unit of measure. To illustrate the difference, the 479.97 GL LTCE of water on the Environmental Water Register is currently made up of approximately 986.78 GL of entitlements, but some of those entitlements are low reliability and would be available only under average/wet conditions. They are thus ‘worth' comparatively much less as an LTCE volume.

The information in the Water recovery progress report November 2011 seems to differ from previous announcements by some states who have reported they have met their targets. This is because they would have met all major milestones for their projects and can satisfactorily say that the water is secured. After a project is complete, investors must all sign a completion notice, the project is independently reviewed, and the Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council has to approve it. Until this is done, the Environmental Water Register will not reflect the recovered water as entitlements available for use.

New South Wales

NSW Water Recovery Package B

This water recovery measure consists of three separate components:

• Great Darling Anabranch stock and domestic pipeline
• Poon Boon Lakes entitlement recovery
• Edward River Adaptive Environmental Water.

Each component involves the recovery of water through introducing new or changed infrastructure.

NSW Wetland Water Recovery — Stage 1

This measure aims to recover water by reducing evaporation from five wetlands that are unseasonally inundated by regulated flows. The measure will involve the placement of regulators at the entrance of the wetlands to prevent entry of regulated flows during summer. The wetlands can then be returned to more natural wetting and drying cycles through active management using the regulators.

NSW Market Purchase Measure

Through this measure the Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW aims to purchase up to 125 GL of high and medium reliability entitlements within the NSW Murray, Lower Darling and Murrumbidgee Valleys. Purchases will be in accordance with current market regulations.

Pipe It

This is an infrastructure measure that will recover water by replacing open channels with pipelines, resulting in conveyance water savings. The measure is based on recovering Stock Access Licence entitlements. This measure applies to the regulated Murrumbidgee, NSW Murray and Lower Darling Water Sources.

Murray Irrigation Limited Supplementary Water Access Licence

This is a market-based water recovery measure that involved the purchase of supplementary water access licence shares from Murray Irrigation Limited (MIL). The measure has recovered 17.8 GL LTCE for The Living Murray program, from the purchase of a 100 GL Supplementary Water Access Licence.

Tandou Supplementary Water Access Licence

This is a market-based water recovery measure that involved the purchase of supplementary water access licence shares from Tandou Limited. The measure has recovered 9.3 GL LTCE for The Living Murray program, from the purchase of a 100 GL Supplementary Water Access Licence.

Victoria

Goulburn Murray Water Recovery Package

The Goulburn-Murray Water Recovery Package has recovered 144.9 GL of long-term cap equivalent water savings through a package of measures that include: regulatory reform to create a new low-reliability entitlement; the transfer of 20% of this new entitlement to the environment; and targeted infrastructure measures including reconfiguration of irrigation distribution systems to provide a more sustainable and efficient irrigation supply.

Lake Mokoan Water Recovery Package

The Lake Mokoan Water Recovery Package involves the decommissioning of the Lake Mokoan water storage and returning it to a natural wetland. This package will provide increased unregulated flows to the River Murray in winter and spring, and a small reduction to summer and autumn flows. The package will also produce local environmental benefits, including rehabilitation and revegetation of the Winton Swamp wetland area. In addition, the package involves the provision of an alternative water supply for some affected users and pipelining of some small domestic and stock irrigation districts.

Shepparton Irrigation Area Modernisation Project

This infrastructure measure will modernise irrigation distribution systems in the Shepparton area to provide an efficient and responsive water supply system. This will generate water savings for environmental flows and improve service levels to irrigators in the Shepparton irrigation area. The project includes the installation of channel automation, installation of pipelines and channel rationalisation. The project will reduce losses from the Shepparton irrigation area, providing 29.3 GL of savings to The Living Murray initiative.

South Australia

Securing Government-held Water for Environmental Use

This measure is a component of the South Australian Water Recovery Package. The SA Minister for the River Murray has secured 13 GL of water, previously held on various government water licences, for The Living Murray.

Purchase from Willing Sellers — Stage 1

This measure is a market-based measure that involves the purchase of sufficient water to recover 5 GL LTCE from willing sellers in South Australia.

Securing Government-held Water and Purchases from Willing Sellers

This water recovery measure involves both the transfer of some government-held water to the Living Murray, along with the purchase of water entitlements from willing sellers within South Australia.

In addition to the above measures, South Australia contributed an additional 0.999 GL LTCE (1.11 GL SA High Security Water Licence) to The Living Murray, which was listed on the Environmental Water Register on 4 November 2011.

Australian Government

Australian Government Water through Efficiency Tender

This measure involved a competitive tender process where people were invited to lodge tenders to transfer permanent water entitlements to the Australian Government to benefit the Living Murray icon sites. Entitlements transferred through this tender process must have been off-set by an efficiency measure, therefore maintaining productive capacity.

Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Pilot Environmental Water Purchase

This measure involved the purchase of high and medium reliability entitlements within the southern connected part of the Basin with a target of 20 GL. All purchases were made in accordance with current market regulations. Purchases were made on a weekly basis, with the pilot period planned to run from 16 July 2007 until 28 September 2007. However following a significant response, the pilot period closed on the 13 August 2007.

Ricegrowers' Association — On Farm Water Efficiency

This measure involves the upgrade of farm irrigation systems to improve water use efficiency in the NSW Murray and Murrumbidgee regions. Four types of upgrades were specifically suggested by irrigators and form the basis of this project:

•  land-forming (redevelopment of existing natural contour irrigation layouts using laser level technology)

•  construction of farm drainage, storage, and associated re-use facilities

•  installation of overhead irrigation

•  installation of pipe and trough networks for providing stock water supplies, replacing channels and earthen dams.

Ricegrowers' Association — On-farm Water Efficiency: Round 2

This project involves implementing a second round of the on-farm water efficiency project. Based on the interest received during the first water efficiency project, Round 2 seeks to recover up to 10 GL of water for The Living Murray.

Sustainable Soils & Farms On-farm Reconfiguration Demonstration

Sustainable Soils & Farms Pty Ltd (SSF) has proposed a water recovery measure aiming to recover 3.026 GL LTCE of water for The Living Murray initiative.

SSF proposes to reconfigure dairy farms to remove the reliance on high volumes of flood irrigation water currently used for pasture. SSF has proposed to sell the excess water, no longer required by the farms, to TLM at market price.

The Living Murray Water Purchase

This water recovery measure is a market-based measure very similar to the Pilot Market Purchase Measure (which provided a proof of concept). This project aims to purchase high and medium reliability water entitlements from the southern connected Murray–Darling Basin. Purchases will be in accordance with current market regulations.