Water

Water allocation prices in the southern Murray–Darling Basin are likely to remain low for a fourth consecutive year, according to the latest ABARES Water Market Outlook ... ABARES considers the average scenario to be the most likely, with prices expected to increase to $80 per ML across the southern basin in 2023–24, up from $29 per ML in 2022 23.

Narrandera Shire Council General Manager George Cowan assured residents of the town that water quality is the Council’s number one priority, but relief is estimated to be three years away. Claims have been made that many residents are living off bottled water because the town supply is leaving them with irritated bowels and skin rashes.

An Australian-first program designed to restore critical environmental water flows to the Murray-Darling Basin, while meeting the ongoing needs of local irrigators and growers, has been proposed as an “immediate, affordable and genuine” solution to the nation’s Basin Plan – avoiding the need for short-term, unpopular water buybacks as announced by the Federal Government.

Murray River campers and river users looking forward to spending time on the Murray downstream of Hume Dam this Easter are reminded to be aware of potentially changed river conditions as a result of the recent floods. MDBA Executive Director of River Management, Andrew Reynolds said depending on which part of the river you visit, riverbanks may have changed and hidden snags and other debris may be more prevalent.

The Authority discussed the ongoing consequences of recent floods through the Basin, in particular the tragic fish deaths this month in the Barka-Darling River at Menindee. They expressed their deep concern about the impact on local communities and the river environment and commended the coordinated efforts of water management agencies and the NSW Police to address community concerns, to ensure potable water supply and to effectively remove a great many dead fish from the river.  

A recent report on the Water Supply and Demand in the Southern Murray-Darling Basin released by the Victorian Government conveys the catastrophic convergence of events that are unfolding under a plan to “restore the balance” and “save the Murray.” The report brings into focus the extent to which water scarcity will increase in the future as existing and new permanent horticulture plantings explode below the natural constraints of the river system and fight for dam storage.

The sound of the musical eastern banjo frog ringing out across the Pike floodplain is among the incredible sights and sounds ecologists are observing as floodwaters recede throughout the Murraylands, Riverland and Lower Lakes ... "We will eventually go back into a drier period and that is when the 450 gigalitres promised SA under the Murray Darling Basin Plan but not delivered will be of the utmost importance to maintaining the health of the river system": Susan Close.

The annual Sustainable Seafood Awards held by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council in partnership with the Marine Stewardship Council were held ... at Melbourne Zoo, showcasing the Aussie heroes of responsible seafood farming and sustainable fishing practices in Australia ... The winners were a fantastic mix of organisations and individuals who have made significant contributions to responsible aquaculture, from retailers to producers and even an inspiring young person in the industry.

Five candidates for the seat of Clarence in the March 25 state election have signed a pledge launched by the Clarence Catchment Alliance to oppose and ban mineral mining developments in the Clarence catchment ... The pledge, Ms Fleming said came about after the CCA attended a meet the candidates’ night in Grafton and every one of the local candidates said they were anti mining in the Clarence catchment.

The Murray–Darling Basin Authority is moving ahead with detailed design work on a suite of options to improve the movement of water through the Barmah–Millewa Reach of the Murray River. Basin governments in February noted the results of the  Barmah–Millewa Feasibility Study  and committed $2.35 million to the next stage of investigation in what will be known as the Barmah–Millewa Program.

Community members and representatives have been left aghast at the latest actions by a federal agency as they seek to drain more water from the southern connected region ... “I don’t think they could have structured it much better to make sure that they had people stay away from the meeting,” said local farmer and Wakool River Association Chair John Lolicato ... “I don’t think they care. I think they think we’re dispensable.”

"Farmers and landholders are keen to regenerate millions of kilometres of eroded and degraded watercourses throughout this country, but environmental and planning regulations are preventing many of them from undertaking this valuable work, due to the time and cost of submitting multiple applications, special reports and detailed designs to multiple government authorities for permission to undertake on-ground works," says Mulloon Institute Chairman Gary Nairn A.O.

Geoscience Australia Geophysical Survey Using magneto telluric (MT) technology ... the program is about contributing to a sustainable, long-term future for Australia through an improved understanding of the nation’s groundwater, mineral and energy resource potential.

Scientists have launched a series of research projects to determine how River Murray environments are responding to the once-in-a-generation flood. The Department for Environment and Water is working with the Goyder Institute for Water Research and its partners to fill knowledge gaps to inform the future management of riverine, floodplain and wetland habitats.