Water is recovered by the Australian Government through a combination of investments in water-saving infrastructure, water purchases and other water recovery programs. This water becomes part of the Commonwealth's environmental water holdings. For further information on the management of water holdings see:
For a detailed breakdown of the Commonwealth Environmental Water holdings since 2008-09 see:
Commonwealth Environmental water Holdings by Catchment and Year (PDF - 82.89 KB)
Commonwealth Environmental water Holdings by Catchment and Year (XLSX - 24.59 KB)
Overview
Commonwealth Environmental Water Holdings
The following table provides details of the Commonwealth environmental water holdings.
River System | Security | Registered entitlements 1,2,3,4(ML) |
Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML)5 |
---|---|---|---|
Queensland | |||
Border Rivers | High | - | - |
Medium | 15,540 | 5,241 | |
Unsupplemented | 19,986 | 8,094 | |
Condamine Balonne | Unsupplemented | 69,379 | 48,941 |
Overland Flow | 96,741 | 37,602 | |
Moonie | Unsupplemented | 5,671 | 2,523 |
Nebine | Unsupplemented | 5,920 | 3,842 |
St George | Medium | 45 | 43 |
Upper Condamine | Unsupplemented | 841 | 813 |
Groundwater | 40,224 | 35,208 | |
Warrego | Unsupplemented | 39,455 | 20,096 |
Total QLD | High | - | - |
Medium | 15,585 | 5,284 | |
Unsupplemented | 141,251 | 84,309 | |
Overland flow | 96,741 | 37,602 | |
Groundwater | 40,224 | 35,208 | |
New South Wales | |||
Barwon-Darling | Unregulated | 28,631 | 28,631 |
Border Rivers | High | - | - |
General | 2,806 | 946 | |
Supplementary | 1,437 | 1,002 | |
Gwydir | High | 4,508 | 3,994 |
General | 89,525 | 34,020 | |
Supplementary | 20,451 | 9,919 | |
Lachlan | High | 933 | 865 |
General | 86,923 | 34,422 | |
Lower Darling | High | 4,234 | 3,108 |
General | 21,564 | 20,076 | |
Macquarie/Cudgegong | High | - | - |
General | 126,224 | 65,132 | |
Supplementary | 8,292 | 4,876 | |
Murray | High | 17,858 | 15,590 |
General | 369,629 | 258,371 | |
Conveyance | 20,214 | 18,556 | |
Supplementary | 211 | 148 | |
Groundwater | 1,522 | 1,522 | |
Unregulated | 184 | 184 | |
Murrumbidgee | High | 14,180 | 13,854 |
General | 286,467 | 169,302 | |
Conveyance | 53,046 | 46,150 | |
Supplementary | 21,986 | 8,289 | |
Supplementary (Lowbidgee) | 406,623 | 180,885 | |
Groundwater | 5,077 | 5,077 | |
Unregulated | 164 | 164 | |
Namoi (upper) | High | - | - |
General | 105 | 79 | |
Namoi (lower) | High | - | - |
General | 13,548 | 10,202 | |
Peel | General | 1,257 | 263 |
Warrego | Unregulated | 17,826 | 13,773 |
Total NSW | High | 41,714 | 37,411 |
General | 998,048 | 592,810 | |
Conveyance | 73,260 | 64,706 | |
Supplementary | 459,000 | 205,118 | |
Unregulated | 46,805 | 42,752 | |
Groundwater | 6,599 | 6,599 | |
Victoria | |||
Broken | High | 534 | 304 |
Low | 4 | 0.3 | |
Campaspe | High | 6,624 | 6,289 |
Low | 395 | 226 | |
Goulburn | High | 320,725 | 310,141 |
Low | 43,180 | 25,174 | |
Loddon | High | 3,356 | 2,094 |
Low | 527 | 26 | |
Murray | High | 366,350 | 356,831 |
Low | 36,602 | 19,875 | |
Ovens | High | 123 | 55 |
Wimmera-Mallee | Bulk Entitlement | 28,000 | 23,184 |
Total Victoria | High | 697,718 | 675,714 |
Low | 80,709 | 45,301 | |
Bulk Entitlement | 28,000 | 23,184 | |
South Australia | |||
Murray | High | 163,042 | 144,663 |
Total SA | High | 163,042 | 144,663 |
Total Murray-Darling Basin | |||
High | 902,474 | 857,788 | |
General/Medium/Low | 1,094,341 | 643,395 | |
Conveyance | 73,260 | 64,706 | |
Bulk Entitlement | 28,000 | 23,184 | |
Supplementary | 459,000 | 205,118 | |
Unsupplemented/Unregulated4 | 188,056 | 127,061 | |
Overland Flow | 96,741 | 37,602 | |
Groundwater | 46,823 | 41,807 | |
GRAND TOTAL | 2,888,695 | 2,000,662 | |
Southern Connected Basin6 | |||
High | 896,880 | 852,850 | |
General/Low | 758,368 | 493,050 | |
Conveyance | 73,260 | 64,706 | |
Supplementary | 428,820 | 189,322 | |
TOTAL | 2,157,328 | 1,599,928 | |
Non-Southern Connected Basin | |||
High | 5,594 | 4,938 | |
General/Medium/Low | 335,973 | 150,346 | |
Bulk Entitlement | 28,000 | 23,184 | |
Supplementary | 30,180 | 15,796 | |
Unregulated/Unsupplemented4 | 188,056 | 127,061 | |
Overland Flow | 96,741 | 37,602 | |
Groundwater | 46,823 | 41,807 | |
TOTAL | 731,367 | 400,734 | |
*All figures are rounded to the nearest megalitre (ML) |
Notes:
- Formal transfer of ownership to the Commonwealth takes place on registration of the entitlement by the relevant State water authority. The entitlement becomes part of the Commonwealth environmental water holdings at that time.
- Registration can occur a number of months after the exchange of contract, so the amount in the holdings differs from the volume of entitlements secured under contract through the Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling Basin program and the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure program.
- Allocations of water against entitlements held in regulated systems are made periodically and will depend on factors including seasonal inflows and rules associated with water held in storages.
- Unsupplemented and unregulated entitlement figures represent the annual volumetric limit of water that may be available when licence conditions are met. Where the licence conditions specify the annual volumetric limit as a maximum volume of water that may be accessed in a multi-year period, the entitlement volume reported reflects the average annual volumetric limit available.
- All average annual yield figures in this table are calculated using the Department of the Environment estimates of the long term average annual yield for each entitlement. It was advised in the Murray-Darling Basin Ministers' Communiqué of 4 November 2011 that these would be used to determine how much of the 'gap' between the Baseline Diversion Limit (BDL) and the Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDL) has been 'bridged' through purchase and infrastructure projects.
- Southern Connected Basin entitlements include Murrumbidgee, Murray, Lower Darling, Goulburn-Broken, Campaspe (excluding Coliban) and Loddon titles.
Subject to water accounting adjustments. Slight discrepancies may exist due to rounding. Allocations of water against entitlements held in regulated systems are made periodically and will depend on factors including seasonal inflows and rules associated with water accounts.
Northern catchments
Barwon-Darling
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unregulated (A Class) | 73 | 73 | Not applicable | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not applicable |
Unregulated (B Class) | 16,060 | 16,060 | |||||
Unregulated (C Class) | 12,498 | 12,498 | |||||
Total | 28,631 | 28,631 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
For unsupplemented entitlements, no ‘carryover’ or ‘water account balance’ is reported. 'New allocations’ and ‘available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly’ are accounted at the time of take.
Border Rivers
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Nominal Volume (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML)1 | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Medium (Qld) | 15,540 | 15,540 | 5,241 | 13,406 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13,406 |
Unsupplemented (Qld) | 19,986 | 8,094 | 8,094 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Supplementary (NSW) | 1,437 | Not applicable | 1,002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
General (NSW) | 2,806 | Not applicable | 946 | 2,806 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,806 |
Total | 39,769 | 23,634 | 15,283 | 16,212 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16,212 |
For unsupplemented entitlements, no ‘carryover’ or ‘water account balance’ is reported. 'New allocations’ and ‘available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly’ are accounted at the time of take.
1. New allocations in the Border Rivers in continuous water accounting areas include inflows, evaporative loss and seepage from storage. This may be negative if losses are greater than inflows.
Condamine-Balonne
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Nominal Volume (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nebine Creek Unsupplemented | 5,920 | 1,000 | 3,842 | Not applicable | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not applicable |
Lower Balonne Unsupplemented | 68,317 | 48,114 | 48,114 | 0 | ||||
Condamine-Balonne Unsupplemented | 1,062 | 827 | 827 | 0 | ||||
Condamine-Balonne Overland Flow | 96,741 | 40,268 | 37,602 | 0 | ||||
Upper-Condamine Unsupplemented | 841 | 813 | 813 | Not applicable | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not applicable |
Upper-Condamine Groundwater1 | 40,224 | 40,224 | 35,208 | 0 | 40,224 | 0 | 0 | 40,224 |
St George - Medium | 45 | 45 | 43 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
Total | 213,149 | 131,291 | 126,448 | 40 | 40,224 | 0 | 0 | 40,264 |
For unsupplemented entitlements, no ‘carryover’ or ‘water account balance’ is reported. 'New allocations’ and ‘available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly’ are accounted at the time of take.
1. Long Term Average Annual Yield revised based on information provided by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
Gwydir
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High | 4,508 | 3,994 | 134,288 | 4,508 | 0 | 0 | 138,796 |
General | 89,525 | 34,020 | 0 | ||||
Supplementary | 20,451 | 9,919 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 114,484 | 47,932 | 134,288 | 4,508 | 0 | 0 | 138,796 |
For supplementary entitlements, no ‘carryover’ or ‘water account balance’ is reported. 'New allocations’ and ‘available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly’ are accounted at the time of take.
Lachlan
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2023-24 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High | 933 | 865 | 102,569 | 933 | 0 | 10,000 | 93,502 |
General | 86,923 | 34,422 | 0 | ||||
Total | 87,856 | 35,286 | 102,569 | 933 | 0 | 10,000 | 93,502 |
Macquarie
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General | 126,224 | 65,132 | 113,791 | 63,112 | 0 | 70,000 | 106,903 |
Supplementary2 | 8,292 | 4,876 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 134,516 | 70,008 | 113,791 | 63,112 | 0 | 70,000 | 106,903 |
1. Includes the Cudgegong regulated river system.
2. For supplementary entitlements, no ‘carryover’ or ‘water account balance’ is reported. 'New allocations’ and ‘available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly’ are accounted at the time of take.
Moonie
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Nominal Volume (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unsupplemented | 5,671 | 2,609 | 2,523 | Not applicable | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not applicable |
For unsupplemented entitlements, no ‘carryover’ or ‘water account balance’ is reported. 'New allocations’ and ‘available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly’ are accounted at the time of take.
Namoi
Location | Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Upper Namoi | General | 105 | 79 | 27,149 | 53 | 0 | 2,678 | 24,523 |
Lower Namoi | 13,548 | 10,202 | 0 | |||||
Peel | 1,257 | 263 | 0 | 1,257 | 0 | 0 | 1,257 | |
Total | 14,910 | 10,543 | 27,149 | 1,310 | 0 | 2,678 | 25,780 |
1 Includes the Peel, upper and lower Namoi catchments.
Warrego
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Nominal Volume (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unsupplemented (Qld) | 39,455 | 18,961 | 20,096 | Not applicable | - | 0 | - | Not applicable |
Unregulated (NSW) | 17,826 | Not applicable | 13,773 | 0 | ||||
Total | 57,281 | 18,961 | 33,869 | Not applicable | 0 | 0 | - | Not applicable |
For unregulated and unsupplemented entitlements, no ‘carryover’ or ‘water account balance’ is reported. 'New allocations’ and ‘available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly’ are accounted at the time of take.
Southern catchments
Southern-connected Basin
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net Portfolio Management Transfers (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High | 896,880 | 852,850 | 548,230 | 1,141,007 | 0 | 0 | 880,098 | 809,140 |
General/Low | 758,368 | 493,050 | ||||||
Conveyance | 73,260 | 64,706 | ||||||
Supplementary3 | 428,820 | 189,322 | 0 | 50,000 | 0 | 0 | 50,000 | 0 |
Total | 2,157,328 | 1,599,928 | 548,230 | 1,191,007 | 0 | 0 | 930,098 | 809,140 |
1. Water allocations in southern-connected Basin catchments can, with some restrictions, be traded to other catchments in the southern-connected Basin. This gives the Commonwealth the capacity to move water between catchments of the southern-connected Basin to get the best outcomes for the environment.
2. Southern connected basin includes the following hydrologically connected catchments: Goulburn, Campaspe, Loddon, Murray (SA, Victoria, and NSW), Lower Darling, and Murrumbidgee.
3. For supplementary entitlements, no ‘carryover’ or ‘water account balance’ is reported. 'New allocations’ and ‘available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly’ are accounted at the time of take.
Campaspe
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net Portfolio Management Transfers (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High1 | 6,624 | 6,289 | 5,622 | 1,368 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7,020 |
Low | 395 | 226 | ||||||
Total | 7,020 | 6,514 | 5,622 | 1,368 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7,020 |
1. Includes 30 ML of entitlement in the Coliban Water system. This entitlement was obtained as part of the Murray-Darling Basin Small Block Irrigators Exit Grant Package. It is not possible to trade this entitlement out of the Coliban system for use in the wider Campaspe system or for use in the connecting Murray River.
Goulburn-Broken
Location | Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net Portfolio Management Transfers (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vic | High (Goulburn) | 320,725 | 310,141 | 107,572 | 256,333 | 0 | 0 | 220,300 | 143,605 |
Low (Goulburn) | 43,180 | 25,174 | |||||||
High (Broken) | 534 | 304 | 153 | 382 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 535 | |
Low (Broken) | 4 | 0 | |||||||
Total | 364,443 | 335,619 | 107,725 | 256,715 | 0 | 0 | 220,300 | 144,140 |
Loddon
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net Portfolio Management Transfers (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High | 3,356 | 2,094 | 0 | 3,356 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,356 |
Low | 527 | 26 | ||||||
Total | 3,883 | 2,121 | 0 | 3,356 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,356 |
Murray
Location | Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net Portfolio Management Transfers (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NSW | High1 | 22,092 | 18,698 | 75,532 | 394,929 | 0 | 0 | 175,798 | 294,664 |
General2 | 391,193 | 278,447 | |||||||
Conveyance | 20,214 | 18,556 | |||||||
Unregulated | 184 | 184 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Supplementary3 | 211 | 148 | |||||||
Groundwater | 1,522 | 1,522 | 2,783 | 1,522 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4,305 | |
Vic | High | 366,356 | 356,831 | 258,335 | 144,623 | 0 | 0 | 154,000 | 248,958 |
Low | 36,602 | 19,875 | |||||||
SA | High | 163,042 | 144,663 | 0 | 163,042 | 0 | 0 | 150,000 | 13,042 |
Total | 1,001,415 | 838,924 | 336,650 | 704,116 | 0 | 0 | 479,798 | 560,969 |
1. Includes 4,234 ML of High security entitlement in the Lower Darling
2. Includes 21,564 ML of General security entitlement in the Lower Darling
3. For supplementary entitlements, no ‘carryover’ or ‘water account balance’ is reported. 'New allocations’ and ‘available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly’ are accounted at the time of take.
Murrumbidgee
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net Portfolio Management Transfers (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High | 14,180 | 13,854 | 101,017 | 176,974 | 0 | 0 | 180,000 | 97,991 |
General | 286,467 | 169,302 | ||||||
Conveyance | 53,046 | 46,150 | ||||||
Supplementary | 21,986 | 8,289 | 0 | 50,000 | 0 | 0 | 50,000 | 0 |
Supplementary (Lowbidgee) | 406,623 | 180,885 | ||||||
Unregulated | 164 | 164 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Groundwater | 5,077 | 5,077 | 10,154 | 5,077 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15,231 |
Total | 787,543 | 423,721 | 111,171 | 232,051 | 0 | 0 | 230,000 | 113,222 |
For supplementary entitlements, no ‘carryover’ or ‘water account balance’ is reported. 'New allocations’ and ‘available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly’ are accounted at the time of take.
Ovens
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High | 123 | 55 | 0 | 123 | 0 | 0 | 123 |
Wimmera-Avoca
Security | Registered entitlements (ML) | Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML) | Carryover from 2022-23 (ML) | New allocations in 2023-24 (ML) | Net trade (ML) | Available water transferred for delivery or delivered directly in 2023-24 (ML) | Estimated current Commonwealth water account balance (ML) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bulk Entitlement1 | 28,000 | 23,184 | 21,725 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21,725 |
1. This water is held through a Supply by Agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water Corporation.