It will start the new season on August 15 with 100 per cent of high-reliability water shares.
Northern Victoria resource manager Andrew Shields said the reserves established last season had enabled the Goulburn system to start with its highest opening allocation since the late 1990s.
The Loddon, Campaspe and Bullarook systems will also kick off the season with 100 per cent HRWS, with Campaspe at 46 per cent of low-reliability water shares and Bullarook at 100 per cent LRWS.
“The opening seasonal determination in the Campaspe system is the highest since 2011-12,” Mr Shields said on July 3.
The Murray system will start with 80 per cent HRWS and the Broken system opens with 49 per cent HRWS.
Mr Shields urged Murray and Goulburn system customers to monitor the effect of continued releases from Lake Hume and Lake Eildon for airspace management.
“The Murray-Darling Basin Authority is managing the rate of filling at Lake Hume and Goulburn-Murray Water is doing the same at Lake Eildon," he said.
"Entitlements holders in the Murray and Goulburn systems should note that deductions from spillable water accounts will occur when the volumes released are confirmed.
“The situation at Lake Hume and Lake Eildon means the risk of spill in the Murray and Goulburn systems is 100 per cent. The risk of spill from Lake Eppalock in the Campaspe system is also approaching 100 per cent.”
Mr Shields said the risk of spill assessment did not describe the chances of flooding this season.
“The risk of spill is a water accounting assessment. It does not refer to flood risks downstream of the storages.”
Outlook for the 2023-24 season
Tables that summarise the estimated HRWS seasonal determinations through the season for each scenario in the Murray, Goulburn, Loddon, Campaspe, Broken and Bullarook systems are available at: https://nvrm.net.au/outlooks/current-outlook
Seasonal determinations under additional scenarios for each system are available at: https://nvrm.net.au/outlooks/outlook-comparison
Trading opportunities
The Barmah Choke trade opportunity was released on Saturday, July 1. Announcements on other inter-valley trade opportunities are scheduled for Tuesday, July 4.
More information about trade opening times and trade limits is available at the Victorian Water Register website.
Allocation trade from NSW to Victoria is limited to the lesser of a net annual volume of 200 Gl or a volume that keeps the risk of spill in the Victoria’s share of the both Hume and Dartmouth reservoirs below 50 per cent.
As Victoria’s share of Hume and Dartmouth is close to full, trade from NSW to Victoria is not possible. The volume available for trade is updated with each risk of spill announcement.
The risk of spill in the Murray, Goulburn and Campaspe systems will be updated on Monday, July 10.
The next 2023-24 seasonal determination announcement will be released on Monday, July 17 and will include an updated outlook.
17°C