Last week, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) announced plans to commence releases from Hume Dam, citing decline in irrigation demand and Hume Dam at a relatively high level, currently 89.9% of the 2,982,000 megalitre capacity.

What will become of these releases? The MDBA stated the water will be attributed to the shares of Victoria and NSW and the states will treat the water released in accordance with their allocation policies.

Will the water released to free up airspace become unregulated flows? Two questions spring to mind: what is the breakup of water sitting in the dam and why is unregulated flows, like many other parcels of water, not attributed any environmental benefit?

We currently find ourselves in a situation where strong forces conspire to rip more water off our productive wetlands to appease the insatiable demands of South Australia as they continue to ignore a 7.6km dammed estuary held as freshwater lake. I find it strange that huge volumes of unregulated flow, conveyance and productive water all seem to be ignored in the accounting of environmental benefits.

To demonstrate the magnitude of ignorance, look no further than the coffers of Australia’s largest irrigator, the taxpayer funded Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH). For the 2021-22 season, the CEWH has a total of 2,365,000 megalitres – 1,640,000 in new allocation and 725,000 in carryover from the year previous – 1,030,400 of that in the Murray system.

As of March 31, 2022, the CEWH had used 492,200 megalitres in the Murray system for the 2021-22 season.

Why is the CEWH continually carrying over huge volumes of water, at the same time as calls for more buybacks? Could other water be providing an environmental benefit as it flows down the very same rivers and creeks? What would be the true volumes of water that are providing environmental benefits?

The impacts will be felt once again by everyday Australians. Huge volumes of carryover that never spill, a short in the market and an undermining of allocation yield. The full impacts of these fundamental problems may be glossed over in a wet year, but they remain. A quick look at the election campaign shows that the only ones who even have a hint of motivation to address this continuing train wreck are some independents and minor parties.

If only you had a gravity fed, environmental and economically stimulating food producing powerhouse in a time of spiralling debt, carbon concerns, desertification and food security concerns!

One can always dream, I guess.

This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 19 May 2022.