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All Current and Past Media Releases
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Media Release - Department of Water and Energy Date: 1 July 2009 COMMENCING ALLOCATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR NSW MURRAY VALLEY AND LOWER DARLING WATER USERS The NSW Department of Water and Energy, today announced commencing allocations for NSW water users in the Murray and Lower Darling valleys, for the new 2009-2010 water year commencing on 1 July 2009. With little inflow to water storages in the valleys during the past months, water availability remains critically low. Despite some good rainfall in early June, dry conditions prevail across the Southern Basin catchments. In the Murray Valley there is enough water to provide for all critical human needs in each State and all the conveyance water required to run the river, provided private carry-over is restricted. Arrangements have been agreed between the States and Commonwealth that until there is sufficient water to deliver all carry-over in the valleys; each State will announce the same proportion of carry-over is available for use. As has occurred in the previous two years the normal sharing rules of the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement have been amended to provide equity of supply to the communities in each State. All licence holders have immediate access to 80 per cent of water carried over in 2008-2009. This is the same access to carry-over in both Victoria and South Australia. All water available for use in accounts is tradable under the same rules used in the 2008-2009 water year. Conditions in the Murray Valley remain very much below average with the drought continuing to damage both the farming community and the environment. Many creek systems and wetlands have become disconnected from the Murray River and the lowering of specific weir pools has allowed for reduced evaporation and will provide mid-system storage should the drought break. Stock and domestic licence holders will commence on 50 per cent of entitlement. There is only a minimum amount of conveyance water available and only users on the Murray and Edward Rivers are expected to have continuous uninterrupted supply for the season. Local Water Utilities will commence on 50 per cent of licensed entitlement and are advised to introduce Level 4 water restrictions, i.e. equivalent to no outside water use for July and August. Local water utilities are reminded that supply is being underwritten by carry-over and consideration may be given to easing restrictions when full carry-over is available to licensed users in the Murray Valley. Local water utilities and Councils are advised that they may purchase water to ease the water restrictions in line with the Murray Valley water restrictions policy. In the Lower Darling, there is sufficient water to secure Broken Hill’s town water supply for at least 21 months. However, there is insufficient water to make an allocation for general security users at this stage. The initial allocation for high security licence holders in the Lower Darling is 1 megalitre per share unit and all licence holders have immediate access to carry-over from 2008-2009. The initial allocation for supplementary licence holders is 1 megalitre per share unit. Licence holders are reminded that they are only permitted to take supplementary water from this water source when the Minister announces that supplementary water is available, at such a rate as the Minister announces and subject to the conditions of their supplementary water access licence. The Minister has not currently announced that supplementary water is available. All water in accounts is tradeable. The Menindee Lakes will be managed to ensure that evaporation is kept to a minimum and continuity of supply can be maintained to Broken Hill. The next announcement relating to the Murray and Lower Darling Regulated Water Source will be made on 15 August and then on the 15th of each month via the Critical Water Communiqués. These are available from the Department’s website at www.dwe.nsw.gov.au via the ‘What’s New’ tab on the homepage. Additional information is also available on the Department’s website. Alternatively; licence holders can phone their local DWE office for more information.
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