Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

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

Table A1: Commonwealth Environmental Water Office holdings in the Murray–Darling Basin (at 30 June 2013) (continued)
River system	Security/reliability	Registered entitlements (ML^1)	Long-term average annual yield (ML)
Queensland
Border Rivers	Medium	11 684	3969
	Unsupplemented	4286	1814
Condamine Balonne	Unsupplemented	46 950	32 437
Moonie	Unsupplemented	1415	1100
Nebine	Unsupplemented	5920	1000
Warrego	Unsupplemented	16 050	8000
Total Queensland	Medium	11 684	3969
	Unsupplemented	74 621	44 351
New South Wales
Barwon–Darling	Unregulated	22 275	22 275
Border Rivers	General	298	119
Gwydir	High	375	375
	General	89 525	32 229
	Supplementary	19 100	3629
Lachlan	High	933	933
	General	86 923	36 508
Lower Darling	General	492	399
Macquarie/Cudgegong	General	116 110	48 766
	Supplementary	1888	397
Murray	High	8553	8125
	General	318 186	257 731
	Supplementary	56	41
	Groundwater	1141	1141
	Conveyance	1230	964
	Unregulated	30	24
Murrumbidgee	High	4246	4034
	General	200 145	128 093
	Conveyance	8856	8413
	Supplementary	20 820	2915
Namoi (upper)	General	105	81
Namoi (lower)	General	6218	4788
Warrego	Unregulated	17 826	17 826
Total New South Wales	High	14 107	13 467
	General	818 002	508 713
	Conveyance	10 086	9378
	Supplementary	41 864	6981
	Unregulated	40 131	40 125
	Groundwater	1141	1141
Victoria
Broken	High	117	111
	Low	4	3
Campaspe	High	6547	6219
	Low	395	194
Goulburn	High	205 090	194 792
	Low	11 389	4102
Loddon	High	2775	2636
	Low	527	142
Murray	High	243 534	231 393
	Low	11 765	3002
Ovens	High	70	67
Wimmera–Mallee	High	28 000	22 568
Total Victoria	High	486 133	457 785
	Low	24 081	7444
South Australia
Murray	High	107 266	96 504
Total South Australia	High	107 266	96 504
Total Murray–Darling Basin
	High	607 467	567 756
	General/Medium/Low	853 767	520 125
	Conveyance	10 086	9378
	Supplementary	41 864	6981
	Unsupplemented/Unregulated	114 752	84 476
	Groundwater	1141	1141
GRAND TOTAL^2		1 629 077	1 189 857

Notes:

1. One gigalitre equals 1000 megalitres. Some volumes may differ marginally from 30 June 2013 figures posted on the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office website due to accounting adjustments made after 30 June 2013.

2. The volume of water currently in the holdings is less than the volume secured under Water for the Future, which includes water entitlements secured under contract but not yet formally transferred to the Commonwealth.

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

Table A2: Summary of the volume of Commonwealth environmental water delivered in the Murray–Darling Basin in 2012–13

Catchment	Water delivered (GL)	Actions
Murray	548.9	Lower Murray
Edward–Wakool	33.9	In-stream flows and Colligen, Yallakool, Jimaringle, Cockran, Gwynnes and Tuppal Creeks
Murray (Groundwater)^1	0.1	Lower Murray Groundwater
Macquarie	100.0	Macquarie Marshes
Murrumbidgee	156.0	Mid Murrumbidgee River flows and lower Murrumbidgee floodplain
Loddon	2.7	Instream flows
Campaspe	6.8	Instream flows
Goulburn	201.1	Instream flows
Lower Broken Creek	41.2	Instream flows
Upper Broken Creek	0.05	Instream flows
Ovens River	0.02	Ovens River flows
Lachlan	51.1	Booligal wetlands and Lachlan Swamps
Namoi	7.7	Instream flows
Border Rivers	0.9	Instream flows
Gwydir	27.7	Mallowa wetlands and Gwydir wetlands
Border Rivers (Severn)	1.0	Instream flows
Border Rivers (Macintyre)	0.7	Instream flows
Moonie	1.4	Instream flows
Condamine-Balonne (Lower Balonne)	64.9	Instream flows
Barwon–Darling (Toorale)	25.6	Instream flows
Total^2	1272.00

Notes:

1. In groundwater systems, the Commonwealth may ‘take’ water against its water entitlements by leaving the water in the ground (not extracting it).

2. In addition return flows totalling 240 gigalitres from catchments of the Southern Connected Basin were used to achieve multi-site environmental outcomes.

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

Table A3: Commonwealth environmental watering actions for the Barwon–Darling catchment in 2012–13

Location of watering action		Type of action			Expected environmental outcome(s) of watering action	Environmental watering plan objective(s)	Timing	Total Commonwealth environmental water delivered (ML)
Complex	Site	River flows	Inundation
			Wetland	Floodplain
Barwon–Darling Rivers	Barwon–Darling Rivers unregulated	yes	n/a	n/a	In-stream use in the Barwon–Darling to contribute to a more naturally variable flow regime that supports key ecosystem functions.	8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a) and (b)	November 2012–March 2013	25 616

Table A4: Commonwealth environmental watering actions for the Border Rivers catchment in 2012–13

Location of watering action		Type of action			Expected environmental outcome(s) of watering action	Environmental watering plan objective(s)	Timing	Total Commonwealth environmental water delivered (ML)
Complex	Site	River flows	Inundation
			Wetland	Floodplain
Border Rivers	Border Rivers	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: stimulating production through all levels of the aquatic food chain providing migration and dispersal cues to native fish wetting and interconnecting riparian areas.	8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a) and (b)	December 2012	895
Border Rivers	Severn River unregulated	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: providing a more naturally variable flow regime in the Severn River within Sundown National Park filling and reconnecting refugial waterholes providing migration and spawning cues for large bodied native fish, encouraging the germination and maintenance of riverbank vegetation.	8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a) and (b)	January 2013–February– 2013	976
Border Rivers	Lower Macintyre unregulated	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: supporting a more naturally variable flow regime in these systems improving fish habitat, through both recruitment and movement carbon and nutrient cycling through the end of system.	8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a) and (b) 8.06(7)	January 2013-–ongoing at 30 June 2013	687

Table A5: Commonwealth environmental watering actions for the Condamine–Balonne catchment in 2012–13

Location of watering action		Type of action			Expected environmental outcome(s) of watering action	Environmental watering plan objective(s)	Timing	Total Commonwealth environmental water delivered (ML)
Complex	Site	River flows	Inundation
			Wetland	Floodplain
Balonne	Lower Balonne unregulated	yes	n/a	n/a	In-stream use in the Lower Balonne to contribute to a more naturally variable flow regime that supports key ecosystem functions.	8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a) and (b)	February 2013–ongoing at 30 June 2013	64 946

Table A6: Commonwealth environmental watering actions for the Gwydir catchment in 2012–13

Location of watering action		Type of action			Expected environmental outcome(s) of watering action	Environmental watering plan objective(s)	Timing	Total Commonwealth environmental water delivered (ML)
Complex	Site	River flows	Inundation
			Wetland	Floodplain
Gwydir	Mallowa Wetlands	yes	yes	yes	To contribute to: supporting and building upon the extensive ecological responses in 2010–12 enabling growth, breeding and small-scale recruitment for a diverse range of native plants and animals promoting low-lying floodplain-river connectivity.	8.05(2)(b) 8.05(3)(a) and (b) 8.06(3)(b)(ii) 8.06(5) 8.07(4)	December 2012–March 2013	5000
Gwydir	Gwydir Wetlands	yes	yes	yes	To contribute to: supporting and building upon the extensive ecological responses and ensure survival of native plants and animals that recruited in 2010–12; enabling growth, breeding and small-scale recruitment for a diverse range of native plants and animals promoting low-lying floodplain-river connectivity supporting medium–flow river and floodplain functional processes helping suppress the growth of lippia (Phyla canescens) which is an introduced weed.	8.05(2)(a) and (b) 8.05(3)(a) and (b) 8.06(3)(b)(ii) 8.06(5) 8.07(4)	December 2012–March 2013	22 709

Table A7: Commonwealth environmental watering actions for the Lachlan catchment in 2012–13

Location of watering action		Type of action			Expected environmental outcome(s) of watering action	Environmental watering plan objective(s)	Timing	Total Commonwealth environmental water delivered (ML)
Complex	Site	River flows	Inundation
			Wetland	Floodplain
Lachlan	Lower Lachlan	yes	yes	n/a	To contribute to supporting: successful breeding of colonial nesting waterbird species the habitat requirements of waterbirds.	8.05(2)(b) 8.05(3)(a) and (b) 8.06(3)(b)(ii) 8.06(5) 8.07(4)	October 2012–November 2012	222
Lachlan	Lower Lachlan	yes	yes	yes	To contribute to: improving the condition of native plant communities, particularly river red gum communities, lignum stands and reed bed areas, and their ability to undertake many of their natural processes, such as flowering, seeding and germination building resilience in the Lower Lachlan system so that the environment can survive through dry periods and the impacts of drought providing in-stream benefits in the Lachlan River channel and fringing river areas as well as connecting the river to its lakes, creeks and wetlands which provides the opportunity for plants, animals and nutrients to move to new areas.	8.05(2)(a), (b) and (c) 8.05(3)(a) and (b) 8.06(2) 8.06(3)(a), (b)(i) and (f) 8.06(6)(b) 8.07(2) and (3)	June 2013–ongoing at 30 June 2013	50 837

Table A8: Commonwealth environmental watering actions for the Macquarie–Castlereagh catchment in 2012–13

Location of watering action		Type of action			Expected environmental outcome(s) of watering action	Environmental watering plan objective(s)	Timing	Total Commonwealth environmental water delivered (ML)
Complex	Site	River flows	Inundation
			Wetland	Floodplain
Macquarie	Macquarie River and Marshes	n/a	yes	n/a	To contribute to: maintaining adequate water levels across approximately 50 000 hectares of native wetland plant communities, including river red gums, to contribute to the ongoing regeneration of these communities that, in turn, provide habitat for many native animals restoring the marshes, which are recognised as a wetland of international importance maintaining the connection of low-lying water courses on the floodplain to improve water quality and allow native plants and animals to move between different areas providing the type of flow required to support the habitat needs and breeding sites of migratory shorebirds and waterbirds such as glossy ibis, Australian white ibis, straw-necked ibis, intermediate egrets and rufus night herons.	8.05(2)(a) and (b) 8.06(3)(b)(i) and (ii) 8.06(6)(b)	November 2012–January 2013	100 000

Table A9: Commonwealth environmental watering actions for the Moonie catchment in 2012–13

Location of watering action		Type of action			Expected environmental outcome(s) of watering action	Environmental watering plan objective(s)	Timing	Total Commonwealth environmental water delivered (ML)
Complex	Site	River flows	Inundation
			Wetland	Floodplain
Moonie River	Moonie River unregulated	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to a more naturally variable flow regime that supports key ecosystem functions.	8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a) and (b)	January 2013–February 2013	1415

Table A10: Commonwealth environmental watering actions for the Namoi catchment in 2012–13

Location of watering action		Type of action			Expected environmental outcome(s) of watering action	Environmental watering plan objective(s)	Timing	Total Commonwealth environmental water delivered (ML)
Complex	Site	River flows	Inundation
			Wetland	Floodplain
Namoi River	Lower Namoi River	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: inundating in-channel habitat associated with riffles, pools and bars maintaining water quality and carbon/nutrient cycling processes supporting the abundance and diversity of native plants and animals (including fish, turtles and invertebrates) by providing them with opportunities to access a range of habitats for sheltering, migration, feeding and breeding.	8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a) and (b) 8.06(7)	November 2012–February 2013	7727

Table A11: Commonwealth environmental watering actions for the Broken, Campaspe, Goulburn, Loddon, and Ovens catchments in 2012–13

Location of watering action		Type of action			Expected environmental outcome(s) of watering action	Environmental watering plan objective(s)	Timing	Total Commonwealth environmental water delivered (ML)
Complex	Site	River flows	Inundation
			Wetland	Floodplain
Goulburn–Broken	Lower Broken Creek	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: facilitating fish movement through the fishway at Rices Weir maintaining native fish habitat, particularly during fish migration and breeding seasons (by maintaining optimal levels of dissolved oxygen and restricting excessive aquatic plant growth) contributing to increased flows to the lower Murray River channel, Lower Lakes and Coorong for the purpose of maintaining aquatic habitat and supporting targeted lake levels, barrage releases and flows through the barrage fishways.	8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a) 8.06(7)	September 2012–May 2013	41 230
Goulburn–Broken	Upper Broken Creek	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: providing for more natural flow variability providing a wet/dry zone at the channel edge maintaining aquatic habitats during periods of cease to flow consistent with patterns from storms promoting successional change in community composition through disturbance and habitat diversity.	8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a) 8.07(4)	February 2013– March 2013	51
Campaspe	Campaspe River	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: maintaining the health and existing extent of river native plant communities, and provide reproduction and recruitment opportunities providing habitat, breeding and recruitment opportunities for native fish and invertebrates supporting ecosystem functions that relate to the mobilisation, transport and dispersal of sediment, nutrients and organic matter supporting lateral and longitudinal connectivity to maintain native plant and animal communities creating and maintaining river bed and bank habitat.	8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a) and (b) 8.06(7)	August 2012– May 2013	6820
Goulburn–Broken	Goulburn River	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: complementing natural flows and supporting the on-going recovery of river-dependent native animals and plants achieving multiple environmental benefits in the Murray River channel, Lower Lakes and Coorong.	8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(7)	July 2012–January 2013	69 383
Goulburn–Broken	Goulburn River	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to supporting: breeding and recruitment of native plant and animal communities ecosystem functions that relate to mobilisation, transport and dispersal sediment, nutrients and organic matter ecosystem functions that relate to connectivity along the river to maintain reproduction and recruitment opportunities for native plant and animal communities.	8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(7)	January 2013– June 2013	131 714
Loddon	Loddon River	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: supporting a range of native plants and animals, particularly through enabling native fish movement and improvements to macroinvertebrate habitat maintaining native plant communities along the river in a healthy, dynamic and resilient condition supporting key ecosystem functions, particularly those related to connectivity along the river.	8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a) 8.07(3)	November 2012	2745
Ovens	Ovens River	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: maintaining the health of native plant communities in riverbank areas, such as river red gums supporting and connecting the habitat of native animal communities in the river, including fish, frogs, turtles and insects.	8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a)	April 2013–June 2013	20

Table A12: Commonwealth environmental watering actions for the Murray catchment in 2012–13

Location of watering action		Type of action			Expected environmental outcome(s) of watering action	Environmental watering plan objective(s)	Timing	Total Commonwealth environmental water delivered (ML)
Complex	Site	River flows	Inundation
			Wetland	Floodplain
Edward–Wakool	Jimaringle, Cockran and Gwynnes creeks	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: providing flows to maintain and improve water quality within the creeks, particularly salinity maintaining and improving the health of native plant communities in the creeks including river red gum, black box and lignum providing good-quality habitats in which native animal communities, such as the pobblebonk frog, Peron’s tree frog and wrinkled toadlet, can successfully breed and grow.	8.06(3)(a) 8.06(6)(a) 8.06(7)	August 2012–November 2012	3000
Edward–Wakool	Tuppal Creek	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: providing flows through the system to maintain and improve water quality within the creek, particularly salinity maintaining and improving the health of native plant communities in the creek including river red gum, black box and lignum contributing to providing good-quality habitat that supports the breeding and recruitment of native animals, particularly frogs.	8.06(3)(a) 8.06(6)(a) 8.06(7)	October 2012–December 2012	2000
Edward–Wakool	Edward River, Wakool River, Colligen and Yallakool creeks	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to supporting: the movement, breeding and recruitment of native fish (such as Murray cod, and golden and silver perch) the habitat requirements of native fish and other native animals including frogs, turtles and invertebrates ecosystem functions that relate to the connectivity of habitats along the watercourse.	8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(7)	October 2012–April 2013	28 943
Murray	Gunbower Creek	yes	n/a	n/a	Use of return flows to contribute to providing good-quality habitats in which native fish communities, including golden perch and silver perch, Murray cod, trout cod and the crimson spotted rainbowfish, can successfully migrate, breed and grow.	8.05(3)(a)	August 2012–ongoing at 30 June 2013	2158
Murray	Disher Creek	yes	yes	n/a	Use of return flows to contribute to: maintaining water quality at levels suitable for providing habitat for Murray hardyhead (a native fish).	8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) and (ii) 8.06(6)(a)	December 2012–June 2013	250
Murray	Murray River	yes	yes	n/a	To contribute to: maintaining and improving the health of riparian and wetland native plants encouraging breeding and supporting the survival of native fish such as Murray cod, silver perch, golden perch and freshwater catfish connecting habitats along the river and between the river channel and fringing wetlands transporting and dispersing materials such as sediment, nutrients and organic matter providing additional inflows to the Lower Lakes to improve water quality, enable barrage releases to the Coorong, help manage salinity and seasonal water levels for native water plants such as Ruppia tuberosa.	8.05(2)(b) and (c) 8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) and (ii) 8.06(6)(a) and (b) 8.07(3)	November 2012–January 2013	300 000
Murray	Berri Basin	yes	yes	n/a	Use of return flows to contribute to: maintaining water quality at levels suitable for providing habitat for Murray hardyhead providing freshwater inflows to cue Murray hardyhead spawning.	8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) and (ii) 8.06(6)(a)	December 2012–June 2013	543
Murray	Clarks Floodplain	yes	yes	n/a	Use of return flows to contribute to: providing breeding and recruitment opportunities for native river bank plants including river red gums and black box maintaining the health of existing native plant communities by freshening the floodplain soil and reducing the impact of salinity improving native plant diversity by promoting the establishment of an understorey cover of salt-tolerant plants.	8.06(3)(b)(i) and (ii) 8.06(6)(a)	February 2013–June 2013	60
Murray	Whirlpool Corner	yes	yes	n/a	Use of return flows to contribute to: providing suitable conditions to support the recruitment of river red gum seedlings freshening the groundwater lens around the wetland to support the health of fringing vegetation supporting habitat for threatened waterbirds and frogs.	8.05(2)(a) 8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) and (ii) 8.06(6)(a)	December 2012–June 2013	91
Murray	Ramco Lagoon	yes	yes	n/a	Use of return flows to contribute to supporting the recruitment of black box seedlings within the wetland that naturally regenerated after the 2010–11 floods.	8.05(2)(c)	March 2013–May 2013	1
Murray	Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth	yes	yes	n/a	To contribute to: achieving water level and salinity targets in Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert, supporting the establishment of wetland native plants, the recruitment of native fish and frogs, and the availability of waterbird habitat achieving salinity and seasonal water level targets in the Coorong that provides suitable conditions for the recruitment of Ruppia tuberosa and Murray hardyhead populations, and the availability of waterbird habitat in the South Lagoon increasing the transport of salt and nutrients from the Murray River channel and through the Murray Mouth.	8.05(2)(a) and (b) 8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) and (ii) 8.06(3)(c) 8.06(6)(a) and (b) 8.06(7)	December 2012–April 2013	98 853
Murray	Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth	yes	yes	n/a	To contribute to: maintaining hydrological connectivity between the Murray River, Lake Alexandrina, Coorong and Murray Mouth that will support fish movement and increase export of salt and nutrients improve habitat conditions in the Coorong (North and South Lagoon) to support native fish, waterbird and plant condition supporting increased ecosystem resilience in the Coorong and Lower Lakes that will continue the recovery of native plant and animal communities and increase resilience in the occurrence of dry inflow scenarios in 2013–14 and 2014–15.	8.05(2)(a), (b) and (c) 8.05(3)(a) and (b) 8.06(2) 8.06(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(3)(f) 8.06(6)(b) 8.07(2) 8.07(3)	March 2013– June 2013	150 000
Murray	Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth	yes	yes	n/a	Use of return flows from environmental watering actions in the Victorian tributaries to contribute to expected environmental outcomes from actions in the Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth.	As per actions in the Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth detailed above	July 2012–June 2013	237 118

Table A13: Commonwealth environmental watering actions for the Murrumbidgee catchment in 2012–13

Location of watering action		Type of action			Expected environmental outcome(s) of watering action	Environmental watering plan objective(s)	Timing	Total Commonwealth environmental water delivered (ML)
Complex	Site	River flows	Inundation
			Wetland	Floodplain
Mid Murrumbidgee	Murrumbidgee River channel	yes	n/a	n/a	To contribute to: maintaining inundation of native fish breeding habitat long enough to ensure breeding success increasing flows to help native fish disperse throughout the river at the end of the breeding season providing a gradual decrease in flows to limit the risk of stranding native fish that may have continued to occupy breeding habitat.	8.05(3)(a and b) 8.06(3)(b)(i) 8.06(6)(a and b)	October 2012–December 2012	150 000
Lower Murrumbidgee	Western floodplain lakes and wetlands	yes	yes	yes	To contribute to: maintaining the health and regeneration of native plant communities in Cherax Swamp, Yarrawol Creek and Narwie West, reed bed and black box wetlands establishing and growing native plant communities in Hobblers Lake and Penarie Creek which have been isolated from the floodplain and have not received environmental water before providing good-quality habitat for native animals including waterbirds, fish and frogs.	8.05(3)(a) 8.06(3)(b)(ii) 8.06(6)(a and b)	September 2012–December 2012	6000

Appendix D—Commonwealth environmental water carryover into 2013–14

Table A14: Summary of Commonwealth environmental water carryover in the Murray–Darling Basin into 2013–14

Part of Basin	Water source	Carryover (GL)
Southern Connected Basin	Victorian Murray	87.6
	Goulburn	15.3
	New South Wales Murray	20.1
	Murrumbidgee	45.5
Northern Basin	Lachlan	65.6
	Macquarie and Cudgegong	23.1
	Gwydir	121.6
	Namoi	5.5
	Border Rivers	8.7
	Total	393