Morning light at Yarradda Lagoon March 2020. Photo: Gaye Bourke, Charles Sturt University
Planning for 2022-23
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office is now planning over multi-year time scales, to allow us to better integrate the planning of water delivery, trade and carryover. The Commonwealth Environmental Water Management Plan for 2022-23 is one document comprising:
- An introductory chapter on how we plan and make decisions to use water for the environment.
- A chapter on managing our water holdings in the Murray-Darling Basin in 2022-23. This chapter discusses projected environmental demands, water availability and delivery, as well as plans for carryover, transfers, and trade.
- 14 chapters - Scope, for each river valley in the Basin, environmental objectives, recent conditions, supply, demand, priorities and monitoring outcomes/lessons learned.
As in previous years, this document will inform decisions made by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder on how to best use the available water to benefit the environment of the Murray–Darling Basin.
The Water Management Plan is complemented by two brochures for the northern and southern Murray-Darling Basin.
Consultation on the 2022-23 plan has occurred with state government delivery partners, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, scientists engaged in monitoring the outcomes of Commonwealth environmental water use and stakeholder advisory groups such as the Murrumbidgee Environmental Water Reference Advisory Group.
Decisions on using Commonwealth environmental water will be made throughout the year based on seasonal, operational and management considerations. If you wish to provide suggestions for Commonwealth environmental water use please contact us at ewater@environment.gov.au or send us your suggestion by visiting: Your suggestions for potential water use options.
Water holdings
Baby Macquarie River turtle (Emydura macquarii). Photo: Damian Michael, Charles Sturt University
The Commonwealth holds the following entitlement types in the Murrumbidgee region:
- Murrumbidgee high security
- Murrumbidgee general security
- Murrumbidgee conveyance
- Murrumbidgee supplementary
- Murrumbidgee supplementary - Lowbidgee
- Murrumbidgee unregulated
- Murrumbidgee groundwater
For more information about current Commonwealth environmental water holdings in the Murrumbidgee Region, including please refer to Environmental water holdings.
Information regarding the characteristics of entitlements and the water resource plan held in the Murrumbidgee catchment please refer to New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment - Water.