Chinese delegation cewh

Commonwealth environmental water management Ben Docker, Director, Environmental Water Policy

www.environment.gov.au

Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder

Established by the Water Act 2007 to manage the Commonwealth holdings:

  With independence to ensure that the holdings are managed for the best possible environmental outcomes from the available water

  To perform its functions for the purpose of protecting or restoring environmental assets (including rivers, streams and wetlands)

 so as to give effect to relevant international agreements   taking a Basin-wide approach

  To act in accordance with the MDBA environmental watering plan when in place. A guide to the proposed Basin Plan was released last October

  276 gigalitres of water has already been made available for environmental use


Water for the Future A 10-year plan to secure the long-term water supply of all Australians,

consisting of:

  Policy and administrative reforms with four high level objectives:

 Climate adaptation

 Using water wisely   Including sustainable rural water use and infrastructure program

 Securing water supplies

 Healthy rivers and waterways   Including restoring the balance in the Murray-Darling Basin; and   Managing water entitlements to protect and restore environmental assets


Acquiring water entitlements

 Restoring the Balance in the Basin ($3.1 billion)  Water purchased through tenders with entitlements to be managed by the CEWH  Aims to restore the balance between consumptive use and the environment  Assists transition to a new cap

 Sustainable Rural Water and Infrastructure ($5.8 billion)  Infrastructure investments assisting the rural sector to adapt to an environment of

less water, via improving the efficiency and productivity of water use  Where water is saved a share of the water will be acquired by the Commonwealth

and managed by the CEWH


Commonwealth environmental water holdings   As at 31 January 2011, the total amount of entitlements registered in the

holdings was 861 GL


Context of environmental water use

  Holding tradeable water entitlements rather than a manager of an environmental reserve or of operating rules (i.e. as a market participant)

  Different situations across the Basin require different solutions   Including water shepherding arrangements within and through unregulated

parts of the Basin

  Decisions about priorities need to be made against a clearly articulated and transparent framework

  Use of water is not just about specific “sites” but the connectivity between sites and use of the water for improving river health

  Monitoring of outcomes needs to be focussed and clearly demonstrate achievements


Active Management - Efficiency

Active management provides opportunities for efficiency:   Using infrastructure (e.g. regulators) and pumps to direct water to

particular sites   Calling water at a time that achieves the highest outcome:

  supplementing planned environmental water and other flows;   achieving more natural seasonal flows (e.g. winter rather than summer

flows);   carrying over water to subsequent years to prepare for drier periods.

  Transferring between catchments of the southern connected system (depending on conditions)

  In the future, trading allocations / entitlements with purchase of other allocations / entitlements (either later or in another catchment)


1. Barmah Millewa Forest

2. Edward-Wakool and Werai Forest

3. Murray River Channel

4. Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth

•  Improves water use efficiency (separate site watering would require more water).

•  Accounting issues to be resolved. Requires significant coordination across catchments.

Multi-Site Use Efficiency


Commonwealth environmental water holdings

  In the past the planned environmental water was amongst the least secure water in times of drought

  Held environmental water (like Commonwealth Environmental Water) is treated the same as equivalent water entitlements:

 the same allocations / carry over rules etc. (i.e. equal security as equivalent entitlements)

 pays the same fees and charges, and  is being actively managed to achieve the maximum possible outcome


Commonwealth environmental water holdings

  Most previous watering done by allocated reserves with specific environmental characteristics

  As a market participant, there is increased flexibility to respond to changing circumstances

 Active management of water that will complement a flow rules approach  Enabling targeted watering of key assets  Acquiring water where it is needed, disposing where/when not needed

  But poses numerous challenges:  E-water shepherding and flows in unregulated catchments  Navigating different jurisdictional rules and entitlement characteristics  Restrictions on location of use


Decisions on environmental water use

  Objectives based on water resource availability

  We consider the volume of water available in the year, input provided from state government agencies, independent experts and others such as local site managers and Catchment Management Authorities

  Advice is received from our Environmental Water Scientific Advisory Committee

  An assessment of watering options is made against five criteria


Management scenarios

Watering objectives

Management actions

Avoid damage to key assets

Water refugia & provide emergency water at key sites

Ensure capacity for recovery

Water refugia & provide low flows; limited recruitment

Maintain health & resilience

Prolong flooding events; provide

in-channel flows & limited connectivity

Improve & extend ecosystems

Increase flood duration & extent;

high flows & connectivity

Extreme Dry Dry Median Wet


Assessment criteria

1.  The ecological significance of the asset

2.  The expected ecological outcomes from the proposed action

3.  The potential risks of the proposed watering action at the site and at connected locations

4.  The long-term sustainability of the asset including appropriate management arrangements

5.  The cost effectiveness and operational feasibility of undertaking the watering action


Local – Basin - Local

  Local priorities  determined by CMAs, Environmental Water Advisory Groups, Landholders,

Community Groups, Local Trusts through established processes

  Basin-wide prioritisation  CEWH with advice from department and EWSAC and consultation with

MDBA

  Local delivery, monitoring and reporting back  CMAs, research institutions, parks authorities, community groups


Use of Commonwealth environmental water

  Since the commencement of ‘Water for the Future’ 297 gigalitres of environmental water has been made available to rivers, wetlands and floodplains of the Murray-Darling Basin

  2009-10: 154 gigalitres returned to the environment

  So far in 2010-11: 119 gigalitres has been committed

  First water use - March 2009   Paiwalla Wetland - 475 ML   Chowilla Floodplain - 286 ML   Katarapko Floodplain - 200 ML   Rocky Gully - 80 ML

  Largest water use - May 2010   Lowbidgee Floodplain - 40 GL

  Supplementary water use   Macquarie Marshes – 845.6 ML   Lowbidgee Floodplain – 1600 ML


Monitoring the outcomes of environmental water use

  Currently working through states, CMAs and other local groups

  Developing a longer-term framework in line with the monitoring and evaluation program for the Basin Plan

  Monitoring has already detected encouraging changes such as improvement in the condition of trees, decreasing salinity and benefits to rare and endangered species

  A complete picture of the effects of returning water to the environment will take time


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