Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

Outcome 6: COMMONWEALTH ENVIRONMENTAL WATER

Protection and restoration of environmental assets through the management and use of Commonwealth environmental water.

Contents

Summary

Progress against priorities for 2012–13

2012–13 Portfolio Budget Statement key performance indicators

Priorities for 2012–13

Management of Commonwealth environmental water in 2012–13

Commonwealth environmental water made available for use

Catchment summaries

Carryover of Commonwealth environmental water in 2012–13

Trade of Commonwealth environmental water

Administration of Commonwealth environmental water

Directions given to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder

Australian National Audit Office report

Management of the portfolio of Commonwealth environmental water

Risk management for Commonwealth environmental water

Environmental water shepherding

Providing information

Working with and obtaining advice from others

Business and information systems

Monitoring and evaluating the use of Commonwealth environmental water

Environmental water holdings special account 2012–13

Appendix A—Commonwealth Environmental Water Office holdings in the Murray–Darling Basin

Appendix B—Commonwealth environmental water delivered in the Murray–Darling Basin in 2012–13

Appendix C—Basin catchment summaries of Commonwealth environmental water use in 2012–13

Appendix D—Commonwealth environmental water carryover into 2013–14

Summary

The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) is a statutory position established by the Water Act 2007 to manage the Commonwealth environmental water holdings. Commonwealth environmental water is made available to protect and restore rivers, wetlands and other environmental assets in the Murray–Darling Basin (the Basin). The CEWH leads and is supported by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office (the office). Mr David Parker, Deputy Secretary, held the position of CEWH from May 2012 until I started in the role in December 2012.

On 22 November 2012 the Murray–Darling Basin Plan (the Basin Plan) was signed into law. The CEWH must perform its functions and exercise its powers consistent with and in a manner that gives effect to the Basin Plan, and must manage the water holdings in accordance with the Basin Plan’s environmental watering plan. The office successfully commenced the transition to meet the requirements of the Basin Plan during 2012–13.

The 2012–13 year saw a return to drier conditions across most of the Basin¹. Commonwealth environmental watering in 2012–13 continued to build on the ecological recovery of riverine and wetland communities following the wetter conditions experienced in Basin catchments from 2010 to early 2012.

Since 2009, 2505 gigalitres of Commonwealth environmental water has been delivered for the environment across the Basin. During 2012–13:

• 
  the total volume of Commonwealth environmental water in Commonwealth accounts was 1676 gigalitres
  
• 
  a total of 1272 gigalitres was delivered
  
• 
  after evaporative deductions, a total of 393 gigalitres of water (23 per cent of the total volume available in Commonwealth accounts) was carried over into 2013–14
  
• 
  Commonwealth environmental water contributed to 34 actions across a total of 15 catchments in the Basin
  
• 
  240 gigalitres of return flows from catchments of the Southern Connected Basin were used to achieve multi-site environmental outcomes
  
• 
  watering contributed to achieving significant environmental outcomes in the Basin, including:
  
  • 
    provided river flows that supported good water quality for the environment and water users
    
  • 
    connected rivers to floodplains, which helped maintain food chains and supported fish movement
    
  • 
    filled wetlands that supported native fish, birds and other native animals
    
  • 
    supported the recovery of the environment following the drought, as well as helped build resilience in preparation for the next drought.
    

In 2012–13 a number of activities important to the successful implementation of Commonwealth environmental watering were completed or progressed:

• 
  the first partnership agreement for the use of Commonwealth environmental water by a non-government organisation (Nature Foundation South Australia) was entered into, and watering was undertaken
  
• 
  the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) assessed the effectiveness of the office’s administration of environmental water holdings and found the office’s strategies for managing environmental water are generally sound
  
• 
  water use planning documents for the ten regions of the Basin for both the 2012–13 and 2013–14 water years were developed in collaboration with the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), state agencies and local communities and were publically released
  
• 
  the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office 2011–12 outcomes report was released
  
• 
  the office continued to actively participate in state and local environmental water planning and management committees across the Basin
  
• 
  the framework for determining Commonwealth environmental water use was updated to align with the Basin Plan
  
• 
  hosting arrangements for placing six Commonwealth environmental water local engagement officers were determined, with recruitment expected to occur in 2013–14
  
• 
  the office engaged with the National Native Title Council to support the National Cultural Flows Research Project, which will inform the office as to how environmental water could be applied in partnership with Indigenous communities to help contribute to achieving mutual environmental and cultural outcomes.
  

The office continues to progress the Commonwealth environmental water monitoring, evaluation, reporting and improvement framework, which will allow the outcomes of environmental water use to be assessed in the short, medium and long term. This work is critical to adaptive management and to ensuring that the best environmental outcomes are being achieved through the efficient and effective use of Commonwealth environmental water. The integration of the Environmental Water Management System and the Environmental Assets Database into the daily operations of the office is also expected to improve the efficiency of many of its business activities, including Basin Plan reporting requirements.

David Papps

Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder

July 2013