general purpose water accounting report 2012 2013...general purpose water accounting report 2012...

General Purpose Water Accounting Report 2012–2013

Macquarie catchment

General Purpose Water Accounting Report 2012-2013 – Macquarie catchment

ii | NSW Office of Water, January 2014

Publisher: NSW Department of Primary Industries, Office of Water

Level 18, 227 Elizabeth Street GPO Box 3889 Sydney NSW 2001

[email protected]

General Purpose Water Accounting Report 2012 -2013 – Macquarie Catchment

First published: January 2014

ISBN: 978 1 74256 582 8

More information

This report may be cited as:

Burrell M., Moss P., Petrovic J., Ali A., (2014) General Purpose Water Accounting Report 2012-

2013:Macquarie Catchment, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Sydney

www.water.nsw.gov.au

Cover image: Burrendong Dam spilling at 60,000 megalitres per day looking downstream of spillway, courtesy

of NSW Office of Water Hydrometric Gauging Team

Jobtrack 12549

© State of New South Wales through the Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services 2014. You may copy,

distribute and otherwise freely deal with this publication for any purpose, provided that you attribute the NSW Department of Primary Industries as

the owner.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing (January 2014). However, because of advances in knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that information upon which they rely is up to date and to check currency.


iii | NSW Office of Water, January 2014

Table of Contents

Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1

Contextual Statement .............................................................................................................................. 2

Accounting extent ................................................................................................................................ 2

Climate ................................................................................................................................................. 5

Dam inflows and volume ..................................................................................................................... 7

Major high flow events ......................................................................................................................... 9

Surface water resources and management ........................................................................................ 9

Water Accounting Statements ............................................................................................................... 15

Significant water accounting policies ................................................................................................. 16

Quantification of data ......................................................................................................................... 16

Data accuracy ................................................................................................................................ 16

2012-13 Macquarie Physical Flows Mass Balance Diagram ............................................................ 17

Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities .............................................................................. 18

Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities ................................................................................ 19

Note Disclosures ................................................................................................................................... 22

Reconciliation and future prospect descriptions ................................................................................ 23

Note 1 – Allocation accounts ............................................................................................................. 25

Note 2 – Available water determination (AWD) (allocation announcement) ..................................... 28

Note 3 – Allocation account usage .................................................................................................... 32

Note 4 – Internal trading (allocation assignments) ............................................................................ 34

Note 5 – Storage spill account reset ................................................................................................. 35

Note 6 – Held environmental water ................................................................................................... 37

Note 7 – Environmental provisions .................................................................................................... 40

Note 8 – Surface water storage ......................................................................................................... 42

Note 9 – River channel storage ......................................................................................................... 43

Note 10 – Storage inflow ................................................................................................................... 45

Note 11 – Storage evaporation and storage rainfall .......................................................................... 46

Note 12 – River evaporation and river rainfall ................................................................................... 47

Note 13 – Gauged tributary inflow ..................................................................................................... 48

Note 14 – Ungauged runoff estimate ................................................................................................ 49

Note 15 – Dam releases, river inflow from dam releases ................................................................. 50

Note 16 – End of system/Regulated Effluents................................................................................... 52

Note 17 – Flow to Macquarie Marshes .............................................................................................. 54

Note 18 – Extractions from river ........................................................................................................ 56

Note 19 – Basic rights extractions ..................................................................................................... 57

Note 20 – Supplementary extractions ............................................................................................... 58

Note 21 – River and groundwater interaction .................................................................................... 61

Note 22 – Unaccounted difference .................................................................................................... 62

Note 23 – Adjusting entry .................................................................................................................. 63

Appendix 1 - Groundwater..................................................................................................................... 64

References ............................................................................................................................................ 76


iv | NSW Office of Water, January 2014

Tables

Table 1: 2012-13 monthly rainfall and historic monthly rainfall statistics at Bathurst and Warren 5

Table 2: Water account data accuracy estimates key 16

Table 3: Explanatory information for allocation account summary 26

Table 4: Allocation account balance summary for the Cudgegong regulated river 2012-13 27

Table 5: Allocation account balance summary for the Macquarie regulated river 2012-13 27

Table 6: Priority of access licence categories 28

Table 7: Allocation summary report notes 29

Table 8: Allocation announcements for the Cudgegong regulated river water source 2012-13 30

Table 9: Allocation announcements for the Macquarie regulated river water source 2012-13 31

Table 10: Licence category metered usage apportionment table 33

Table 11: Account usage summary 2012-13 33

Table 12: 2012-13 Macquarie catchment allocation assignments summary 34

Table 13: Storage Spill forfeitures and resets 36

Table 14: Explanatory information for Environmental Account Summary 38

Table 15: Cudgegong regulated water source environmental account balance summary 2012-13 39

Table 16: Cudgegong regulated water source environmental holding summary 2012-13 39

Table 17: Macquarie regulated water source environmental account balance summary 2012-13 39

Table 18: Macquarie regulated water source environmental holding summary 2012-13 39

Table 19: Summary balance of environmental water allowance 41

Table 20: Storage summary table 42

Table 21: Summary of river channel storage calculation components 43

Table 22: Summary of River Volume Calculation 2012-13 44

Table 23: Components for backcalculation of inflow 45

Table 24: Summary of gauged tributary inflow 2012-13 48

Table 25: Summary of 2012-13 ungauged Inflow Estimate 49

Table 26: End of System Flows 52

Table 27: Breakdown of flow to Macquarie Marshes 55

Table 28: Reconciliation of physical extraction to account usage (ML) 56

Table 29: Macquarie supplementary events summary 2012-13 59

Table 30: Macquarie groundwater water sharing plan summary 65

Table 31: Macquarie surface water catchment groundwater sources summary table (1 of 2) 68

Table 32: Macquarie surface water catchment groundwater sources summary table (2 of 2) 69

Table 33: Explanatory information for allocation account summary 71

Table 34: Lower Macquarie Groundwater Source 2012-13 account summary 72


v | NSW Office of Water, January 2014

Figures

Figure 1: Surface water geographical extent of the accounts 4

Figure 2: Monthly Rainfall Data and historical median deviations at Bathurst and Warren 5

Figure 3: Macquarie annual rainfall for 2012-13 6

Figure 4: Average annual rainfall in the Macquarie catchment (1961-1990) 6

Figure 5: Long-term inflows to Burrendong Dam against mean and reporting year inflow 7

Figure 6: Long-term inflows to Windamere Dam against mean and reporting year inflow 7

Figure 7: Daily inflows and rainfall at Burrendong 2012-13 8

Figure 8: Daily inflows and rainfall at Windamere Dam 2012-13 8

Figure 9: Burrendong Dam 2012-13 behaviour (volume and percentage) 8

Figure 10: Windamere Dam 2012-13 behaviour (volume and percentage) 9

Figure 11: Cudgegong Account Water Availability (Carryover + Available Water Determinations) 10

Figure 12: Macquarie Account Water Availability (Carryover + Available Water Determinations) 10

Figure 13: Macquarie supplementary licence usage since commencement of water sharing plan 11

Figure 14: Cudgegong total share component and usage since the introduction of the water sharing plan (excludes supplementary licences) 12

Figure 15: Macquarie total share component and usage since the introduction of the water sharing plan (excludes supplementary licences) 12

Figure 16: LTAEL vs Annual Average Extraction (LTAEL Auditable) 13

Figure 17: Environmental water allowance summary since commencement of plan 14

Figure 18: Held environmental water share component in the Macquarie catchment 14

Figure 19: Cudgegong River at Rocky Water Hole planned environmental flows 2012-13 41

Figure 20: Burrendong Dam releases 2012-13 50

Figure 21: Windamere Dam releases 2012-13 51

Figure 22: Macquarie end of system flow 2012-13 53

Figure 23: Macquarie regulated effluents 2012-13 53

Figure 24: Macquarie supplementary usage by river section 59

Figure 25: Total daily supplementary usage in the Macquarie 2012-13 60

Figure 26: Macquarie surface water catchment – groundwater water sharing plans 66

Figure 27: Lower Macquarie groundwater sources water availability summary since the introduction of the water sharing plan 70

Figure 28: Share component and account usage in the lower Macquarie groundwater source since the introduction of the water sharing plan. 70

Figure 29: Allocation assignments within Aquifer licences in the Lower Macquarie Groundwater Management Area 71

Figure 30: Lower Macquarie groundwater combined sources physical flow budget 2012-13 73

Figure 31: Lower Macquarie Groundwater Management Area, change in groundwater levels 2012-13 (based on monitoring bore data) 74

Figure 32: Potential recharge deviation non-modelled areas 2012-13 74

Figure 33: Macquarie catchment, non-modelled areas annual potential recharge (1971-72 to 2012-13) 75


vi | NSW Office of Water, January 2014

Abbreviations

Acronym Description

ARCGIS Mapping and spatial analysis platform for designing and managing solutions through the application of geographic knowledge

AWAS Australian Water Accounting Standard

AWAS 1 Australian Water Accounting Standards

AWD Available Water Determination

CAIRO Computer Aided Improvements to River Operations

Ck Creek

DECCW NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water

D/S Downstream

EWA Environmental Water Allowance

GIS Geographic Information System

GL Gigalitres (1,000,000,000 litres)

GMA Groundwater Management Area

GPWAR General Purpose Water Accounting Report

IQQM Integrated Quantity and Quality Model

LAS Licencing Administration System

MDBA Murray-Darling Basin Authority

ML Megalitres (1,000,000 litres)

MODFLOW Modular Three Dimensional Finite-Difference Groundwater Flow Model

NSW New South Wales

SILO Climatic data provision system run by Queensland government for the provision of both measured and modeled data.

U/S Upstream

WASB Water Accounting Standards Board


vii | NSW Office of Water, January 2014

Glossary

Term Definition

Allocation The specific volume of water allocated to water allocation accounts in a given season, defined according to rules established in the relevant water plan.

Allocation assignments The transfer of water between licence holder allocation accounts as a result of a trade agreement. The assignment becomes part of the receiver’s current year allocation account water.

Allocation Account Water account attached to an access licence used to track the balance of account water.

Aquifer Soil or rock below the land surface that is saturated with water. A confined aquifer has layers of impermeable material above and below it and is under pressure. When the aquifer is penetrated by a well, the water rises above the top of the aquifer. In an unconfined aquifer, the upper water surface (water table) is at atmospheric pressure and thus is able to rise and fall.

Available Water Determination (AWD)

The process by which water is made available for use and shared amongst water users who hold a water access licence. It determines the volume of water that is to be added to an individuals licence allocation account.

Australian Water Accounting Standard (AWAS)

A national standard that prescribes the basis for preparing and presenting a General Purpose Water Accounting Report (GPWAR). It sets out requirements for the recognition, quantification, presentation and disclosure of items in a GPWAR.

Back-calculation A calculation approach using a mass balance to determine an unknown variable (used to calculate storage inflows based on balancing the change in storage volume where inflow is the only unknown).

Basic rights The non-licensed right to extract water to meet basic requirements for household purposes (non-commercial uses in and around the house and garden) and for watering of stock. It is available for anyone who has access to river frontage on their property.

Computer Aided Improvements to River Operations (CAIRO)

A spreadsheet-based water balance model used for optimising river operations (orders and releases)

Carryover The volume or share component that may be reserved by a licence holder for use in the proceeding year.

Catchment The areas of land which collect rainfall and contribute to surface water (streams, rivers, wetlands) or to ground-water. A catchment is a natural drainage area, bounded by sloping ground, hills or mountains, from which water flows to a low point.

Conveyance licence Defined licence category that provides an allowance for losses in the delivery of water.

Dead storage The volume in storage that is generally considered unavailable for use (e.g water level below release valves) due to access and often poor water quality.

Dealings A water dealing refers to a change that can be made to a licence, in particular, those arising from trading including the sale of all or part of an access licence or account water. May also include a change in location, licence category or consolidation/subdivision of licences.

Double entry accounting Double-entry accounting is a method of record-keeping that records both where money (or in this case water) comes from and where it goes. Using double-entry means that water is never gained or lost - it is always transferred from somewhere (a source account) to somewhere else (a destination account).

Effective storage The total volume of storage minus the dead storage component – the volume generally considered as useable.

Effluent Flow leaving a place or process. Sewage effluent refers to the flow leaving a sewage treatment plant. An effluent stream is one which leaves the main river and does not return.

Entity A defined geographical area or zone within the accounting region. Transactions and reports are produced for each entity.

End of system The last defined point in a catchment where water information can be measured and/or reported.


viii | NSW Office of Water, January 2014

Environmental water Water allocated to support environmental outcomes and other public benefits. Environmental water provisions recognise the environmental water requirements and are based on environmental, social and economic considerations, including existing user rights.

Equity Total assets minus total liabilities

Evaporation The process by which water or another liquid becomes a gas. Water from land areas, bodies of water, and all other moist surfaces is absorbed into the atmosphere as a vapour.

Evapotranspiration The process by which water is transmitted as a vapour to the atmosphere as the result of evaporation from any surface and transpiration from plants.

Extraction The pumping or diverting of water from a river or aquifer by licensed users for a specific purpose (irrigation, stock, domestic, towns, etc). The volume is measured at the point of extraction or diversion (river pump, diversion works etc).

General Purpose Water Accounting Report (GPWAR)

A report prepared according to the Australian Water Accounting Standard. It is comprised of a number of components including a contextual statement, a Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities, a Statement of Change in Water Assets and Water Liabilities, a Statement of Physical Water Flows, Notes and Disclosures, and an assurance and accountability statement

General security licence A category of water access licence implemented under the Water Management Act 2000. Forms the bulk of the water access licence entitlement volume in NSW and is a low priority entitlement i.e. only receives water once essential and high security entitlements are met in the available water determination process.

Groundwater Water location beneath the ground in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations.

High security licence A category of licence water access licence implemented under the Water Management Act 2000. Receives a higher priority than general security licences but less priority than essential requirements in the available water determination process.

HYDSTRA database A database used by NSW Office of Water to store continuous time series data such as river flow, river height, and water quality.

Inflows Surface water runoff and deep drainage to groundwater (groundwater recharge) and transfers into the water system (both surface and groundwater) for a defined area.

Inter-valley trade Trade of licence holder allocation account water, via allocation assignment, from one catchment to another catchment (or state).

Intra-valley trade Trade of licence holder allocation account water, via allocation assignment, within the same catchment.

Licence Administration System (LAS)

The system used by NSW Office of Water to manage water access licence information and transaction.

Liability A legally binding obligation to settle a debt.

Median The middle point of a distribution, separating the highest half of a sample from the lowest half.

Non-physical transaction An accounting transaction representing a process that is not a component of the water cycle (e.g. an available water determination).

Physical transaction An accounting transaction representing a process of the water cycle (e.g. an extraction)

Recharge Groundwater recharge is a hydrologic process where water drains downward from surface water to groundwater. Groundwater is recharged naturally by rain, floods and snow melt and to a smaller extent by drainage directly from surface water (such as rivers and lakes).

Regulated river A river system where flow is controlled via one or more major man-made structures e.g. dams and weirs. For the purposes of the Water Management Act 2000 a regulated river is one that is declared by the Minister to be a regulated river. Within a regulated river system licence holders can order water against a held entitlement.

Replenishment flows Flows provided along effluent systems downstream of a water source to supply water for household, town use and stock.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_water

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow


ix | NSW Office of Water, January 2014

Return inflows Water that has been diverted from a river by a water user and is then returned to the river after use (e.g. can include non-consumptive uses, such as hydropower, cooling water for industry or water for aquaculture). This water is included as an inflow to the basin because the water is available to be diverted downstream or will pass the basin outlet.

Share component An entitlement to water specified on the access licence, expressed as a unit share or in the case of specific purpose licences (eg. local water utility, major water utility and domestic and stock) a volume in megalitres. The amount of water a licence holder is allocated as a result of an available water determination and the amount they can take in any year is based on their share component.

Snowpack Volume of water stored in packed snow that upon melting will result in a system inflow.

Steady State A condition in a physical groundwater system where the volume does not change over time, or in which any one change in volume is continually balanced by another.

Storage A state-owned dam, weir or other structure which is used to regulate and manage river flows in the catchment and the water bodies impounded by these structures.

Storage discharge The volume of water released from storage in a specified time frame.

Storage reserve Proportion of water in a storage reserved in the resource assessment process for future essential or high security requirements (e.g. town water).

Storage volume The total volume of water held in storage at a specified time.

Sub account This is the separation of account water into specific categories to allow different accounting rules to apply to each.

Supplementary water Unregulated river flow available for extraction under a supplementary licence.

Surface water All water that occurs naturally above ground including rivers, lakes, reservoirs, creeks, wetlands and estuaries.

Translucent flow The release of an agreed percentage of an incoming flow event from a dam for environmental purposes immediately downstream of the dam.

Transparent flow The release of all or part of an incoming flow event from a dam for environmental purposes at one or more sites downstream of the dam.

Tributary A smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river or stream. Usually a number of smaller tributaries merge to form a river.

Uncontrolled flow Water permitted to be extracted without debt under a general security access licence during a supplementary flow event. The extracted water may be progressively debited to the general security account if water availability exceeds predefined levels.

Ungauged catchment A catchment without a flow gauge to accurately record stream flows. Modelled estimates must be used to approximate the contribution of ungauged catchments to the main river.

Water accounting The systematic process of identifying, recognising, quantifying, reporting, assuring and publishing information about water, the rights or other claims to that water, and the obligations against that water

Water assets The physical water held in storage, as well as any claims to water that are expected to increase the future water resource (e.g. external water entering the system through intervalley trading).

Water liabilities Claims on the water assets of the water report entity including water that has been allocated to licence holder accounts or environmental accounts but yet to be taken at the end of the reporting period.

Water sharing plan A water management plan that defines the rules for sharing of water within a region under the Water Management Act 2000.


1 | NSW Office of Water, January 2014

Introduction

This document is a General Purpose Water Accounting Report (GPWAR) for the regulated,

component of the Macquarie and Cudgegong River systems, prepared by the New South

Wales Office of Water under the Australian Water Accounting Standard 1 framework (WASB,

2012).

The GPWAR has been prepared for the reporting period of 1 July to 2012 to 30 June 2013

and aims to provide a consolidated and informative annual summary of the available water

resources and the water resource management that occurred during this period.

While groundwater has not been specifically included in the GPWAR (aside from physical

flow interactions with the regulated rivers), annual summary information pertaining to

physical groundwater flows, and the management of groundwater resources in the

Macquarie catchment is presented in Appendix 1 of this report.

As Deputy Commissioner of the New South Wales Office of Water I hereby declare:

The information presented in these accounts as a faithful representation of the

management and operation of the Macquarie and Cudgegong regulated water sources in

2012-2013

All data presented in this report is based on the best available information at the time of

publication.

The NSW Office of Water has to the best of its ability prepared this GPWAR for

Macquarie and Cudgegong River regulated water source for the 2012-13 water year in

accordance with the Australian Water Accounting Standard 1.

Bruce Cooper

Deputy Commissioner, Water Resource Assessment and Management

NSW Office of Water



Contextual Statement

The Macquarie catchment covers an area of 74,800 square kilometres within the Murray-

Darling Basin. The headwaters of the Macquarie River originate in the Great Dividing Range

south of Bathurst, and the river flows in a north-westerly direction for 960 kilometres until it

joins the Barwon River near Brewarrina. The major tributaries of the upper Macquarie

catchment are the Cudgegong, Talbragar and Little Rivers.

Flows from the lower reaches of the Macquarie River cross into the adjacent Bogan River

through a series of regulated effluent creeks that leave the Macquarie River near the town of

Warren. The Bogan River rises in the Harvey Ranges near Peak Hill and flows roughly

parallel to the Macquarie across the north-western plains before joining the Barwon River

downstream of Brewarrina.

Elevations across the catchment range from 1,300 metres in the mountains south of Bathurst

to less than 100 metres near Brewarrina in the far north of the catchment. Below Dubbo the

valley is predominantly flat alluvial plains where elevations are less than 300 metres.

The Macquarie catchment is regulated by two major storages. Burrendong Dam supplies

water for irrigation as well as town water and stock and domestic requirements along the

Macquarie River and the lower Bogan River. It also stores water for environmental

requirements in the lower valley including the Ramsar-listed wetlands in the Macquarie

Marshes. Windamere Dam, on the Cudgegong River upstream of Burrendong Dam, provides

water for the towns of Mudgee and Gulgong and is operated in conjunction with Burrendong

to supply water requirements along the Cudgegong River and the lower Macquarie valley.

The Macquarie catchment formed part of the lands originally occupied by the Wiradjuri,

Wailwan and Wongaibon Aboriginal nations. Today the catchment supports around 180,000

people with over half of this population living within the regional cities of Dubbo, Orange and

Bathurst (all approximately 30,000 people). Regional towns include Mudgee, Wellington,

Narromine, Nyngan and Warren.

The largest agricultural use of water in the valley is for cotton production downstream of

Dubbo. Other significant irrigated crops include lucerne, cereals, oilseed, wheat and

vegetables. Most of the major cities and towns rely on the rivers in the catchment for their

water supply including Bathurst, Orange, and Oberon upstream of Burrendong Dam, and

Dubbo, Wellington, and Nyngan on the Macquarie River below Burrendong Dam. Lithgow

also receives transfers of water for town water supply from the Fish River Scheme.

More detailed information on the catchment is available in the report ‘Water resources and

management overview – Macquarie-Bogan catchment’ published in 2011 (available on the

NSW Office of Water website).

Accounting extent

The accounted river extent is illustrated in Figure 1. It includes the Cudgegong River from

Windamere Dam to Burrendong Dam, the Macquarie River from downstream Burrendong

Dam to the Macquarie River at Oxley Station, Crooked Creek, Duck Creek, Marra Creek and

Gunningbar Creek. Water received by the Macquarie Marshes has been accounted as an

effluent/outflow from the main river. All water licences managed by the Water Sharing Plan

for the Macquarie and Cudgegong Regulated Rivers Water Source are considered.

The water accounting statements represent the regulated components of the system only.

The Bogan catchment has therefore been excluded from detailed accounting in this GPWAR

aside from any water that can be identified as leaving the regulated Macquarie River for

replenishment and town water purposes in the Bogan.

http://www.water.nsw.gov.au/



While physical groundwater volumes that interact with the regulated river are included in

GPWAR statements wherever the volume can be estimated (and any interactions not directly

estimated form part of the unaccounted difference) all other groundwater aquifer flows and

groundwater management are excluded from the GPWAR. Alternatively, supporting

information for groundwater in the Macquarie catchment for 2012-13 is provided in Appendix

1 of this document.



Figure 1: Surface water geographical extent of the accounts



Climate

The Macquarie catchment experienced a drier than average year in 2012-13 following on

from the previous 2 years of wetter than average conditions. Annual rainfall totals were

consistently 100 mm to 200 mm lower than the average across the entire catchment (Figure

3 and Figure 4).

Using Bathurst (upper catchment) and Warren (lower catchment) as reference points, while

Bathurst figures indicate close to historic median conditions with higher rainfalls in

December, January, March and June, Warren in the lower catchment indicated conditions

significantly drier than the historic median with only June rainfall being higher (Figure 2 and

Table 1).

Figure 2: Monthly Rainfall Data and historical median deviations at Bathurst and Warren

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Table 1: 2012-13 monthly rainfall and historic monthly rainfall statistics at Bathurst and Warren1

Bathurst Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Annual

2012-13 55.4 30.6 39.2 7.9 22.2 74.6 96.0 38.3 116.8 15.6 27.2 91.0 614.8

Historic statistics

Mean 49.0 49.5 47.0 60.3 61.4 66.7 68.6 58.9 51.9 41.3 41.8 44.0 639.0

Median 41.3 46.9 43.6 54.6 56.0 59.8 57.9 47.2 40.4 36.5 34.8 36.8 629.6

Lowest 3.7 1.4 3.8 2.3 0.8 0.0 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.5 1.0 0.8 375.3

Highest 154.7 163.2 130.1 215.8 195.7 218.5 223.7 235.5 205.3 166 115 193.1 1100

Highest year 1922 1986 1943 1999 1961 2010 1978 1971 1926 1990 1995 1916 1949-1950

Warren Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Annual

2012-13 37.2 2.0 19.8 7.0 32.0 9.2 1.5 9.6 15.1 0.0 21.6 116.2 271.2

Historic statistics

Mean 33.8 34.7 30.1 40.0 39.3 43.1 58.6 51.0 43.2 38.1 38.2 37.7 490.1

Median 26.3 26.6 24.1 27.7 30.2 31.1 43.2 33.3 28.1 21.4 32.3 29.7 478.6

Lowest 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 182.9

Highest 130.8 144.5 104 173.8 205.1 237 241.9 363 223.2 302.5 174 174.3 1028.4

Highest year 1897 1998 2011 1950 1950 2010 1995 1955 1956 1905 1983 1925 1955-1956

1 Long term statistics are from the Bureau of Meteorology – climate data online, using the climatic stations ‘63005 – Bathurst

Agricultural Station’ and ‘51054 – Warren (Frawley Street) ’. Historic record statistics are 1908 to 2013 for Bathurst and 1884 to

2013 for Warren.



Figure 3: Macquarie annual rainfall for 2012-13

Figure 4: Average annual rainfall in the Macquarie catchment (1961-1990)



Dam inflows and volume

Annual inflow during 2012-13 for both Burrendong (Figure 5) and Windamere (Figure 6)

storages was well below average. The majority of inflows arrived within the first month

meaning that inflows were extremely low for the following 11 months (Figure 7 and Figure 8).

The inflow from the July event provided the only significant inflows into the storages with total

daily inflow peak volumes of approximately 36,000 megalitres at Burrendong and 1,800

megalitres at Windamere.

With Burrendong Dam, starting the year at 102 per cent, the inflow from the June event was

stored in the flood mitigation storage zone until it could be released downstream at a steady

rate. By the end of June 2013, following a dry year and high demand, the storage finished

the year at 45 per cent, with 531,915 megalitres in storage (Figure 9). Windamere began the

2012-13 year at 59 per cent of capacity and finished the year at 56 per cent, with 215,343

megalitres in storage (Figure 10).

Figure 5: Long-term inflows to Burrendong Dam against mean and reporting year inflow

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Figure 6: Long-term inflows to Windamere Dam against mean and reporting year inflow

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-76

19

80

-81

19

85

-86

19

90

-91

19

95

-96

20

00

-01

20

05

-06

20

10

-11

Infl

ow

(M

L x

10

00

)

Windamere long term inflow 2012-13 inflow Average inflow



Figure 7: Daily inflows and rainfall at Burrendong 2012-13

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

1-J

ul-

12

1-A

ug-

12

1-S

ep-1

2

1-O

ct-1

2

1-N

ov-

12

1-D

ec-1

2

1-J

an-1

3

1-F

eb-1

3

1-M

ar-1

3

1-A

pr-

13

1-M

ay-1

3

1-J

un

-13

1-J

ul-

13

Infl

ow

(M

L/d

)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Rai

nfa

ll (m

m)

Rainfall Burrendong Inflow

Figure 8: Daily inflows and rainfall at Windamere Dam 2012-13

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

1-J

ul-

12

1-A

ug-

12

1-S

ep-1

2

1-O

ct-1

2

1-N

ov-

12

1-D

ec-1

2

1-J

an-1

3

1-F

eb-1

3

1-M

ar-1

3

1-A

pr-

13

1-M

ay-1

3

1-J

un

-13

1-J

ul-

13

Infl

ow

(M

L/d

)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Rai

nfa

ll (m

m)

Rainfall Windamere Inflow

Figure 9: Burrendong Dam 2012-13 behaviour (volume and percentage)

40%

60%

80%

100%

450,000

650,000

850,000

1,050,000

1,250,000

1-J

ul-

12

1-A

ug-

12

1-S

ep-1

2

1-O

ct-1

2

1-N

ov-

12

1-D

ec-1

2

1-J

an-1

3

1-F

eb-1

3

1-M

ar-1

3

1-A

pr-

13

1-M

ay-1

3

1-J

un

-13

1-J

ul-

13

Sto

rage

Vo

lum

e (

ML)

Sto

rage

pe

rce

nta

ge

1,215,157 (102%)

531,915 (45%)



Figure 10: Windamere Dam 2012-13 behaviour (volume and percentage)

50%

55%

60%

65%

180,000

200,000

220,000

240,000

1-J

ul-

12

1-A

ug-

12

1-S

ep-1

2

1-O

ct-1

2

1-N

ov-

12

1-D

ec-1

2

1-J

an-1

3

1-F

eb-1

3

1-M

ar-1

3

1-A

pr-

13

1-M

ay-1

3

1-J

un

-13

1-J

ul-

13

Vo

lum

e (

ML)

Sto

rage

pe

rce

nta

ge

206,887 (59%)215,343 (56%)

Major high flow events

There were no major high flow (flood) events in 2012-13 in the Macquarie or Cudgegong Rivers.

Surface water resources and management

At the commencement of 2012-13, there was a storage of approximately 207,000 megalitres

held in Windamere Dam (59 per cent capacity) and approximately 1,215,000 megalitres in

Burrendong Dam (102 per cent capacity).

The carryover volume (including the balance of the environmental water allowance (EWA))

into the year amounted to 814,502 megalitres with the opening allocations on 1 July 2012

being 100 per cent of entitlement for domestic and stock, high security, local water utility and

supplementary licence holders. The opening announcement for general security was 0.28

megalitres per share. A number of follow up announcements occurred particularly throughout

the summer. By mid April 64 per cent of the valley entitlement had been announced.

Under the rules set out in the water sharing plan for general and high security licence

accounts, an accounting process is implemented, triggered by the storages spilling (or in the

case of Burrendong Dam entering the flood mitigation zone) whereby the water held in the

carryover sub accounts are progressively withdrawn, Cudgegong accounts when both

Burrendong and Windamere Dams spill while Macquarie accounts when only Burrendong

Dam effectively spills. In 2012-13 water year 214,639 megalitres of Macquarie licenced

carryover sub account water spilled however, as Windamere Dam did not spill, no

Cudgegong carryover sub account water was spilled. Details of the account reset process

are available in Note 5 of this GPWAR. In addition 57,071 megalitres of EWA carryover water

was spilled.



Water availability2 for general security in the Macquarie in 2012-13 was the second highest

since the system began management under the Water Management Act 2000, with carryover

plus available water determinations being 128 per cent of the total licenced entitlement

(Figure 12) while the Cudgegong was the highest at 306 per cent of the total licenced

entitlement (Figure 11).

Figure 11: Cudgegong Account Water Availability (Carryover + Available Water Determinations)[3][4][5][6]

Water Availability

0.0

50.0

100.0

150.0

200.0

250.0

300.0

350.0

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Wat

er A

vaila

bili

ty (

% o

f En

titl

emen

t)

Domestic and Stock Local Water Utility High Security General Security

Figure 12: Macquarie Account Water Availability (Carryover + Available Water Determinations)[3][4][5][6]

Water Availability

0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

120.0

140.0

160.0

2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-13

Wat

er A

vaila

bili

ty (

% o

f En

titl

emen

t)


2 Water availability refers to the sum of water that was made available in accounts and does not take into account annual use

limits. 3 Supplementary licences have been excluded. Each year of the plan this licence category has been granted an available water

determination of 100%, however access to this water is contingent on high flow events available. Actual usage information

against this category of licence is available in note 20 of this GPWAR. 4 Includes all access licences issues under the water sharing plan and therefore held environmental water

5 Includes credits and debit resulting from account spill reset’s in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 (see note 5 for details of this

process) 6 At the commencement of the water sharing plan (2004-05) water held in general security accounts was allowed to be brought

forward as an opening balance.



Account usage (total for all licence categories) in 2012-13 was 4,493 megalitres in the Cudgegong system and 554,363 megalitres in the Macquarie. In the Macquarie 552,070 megalitres was used against categories not including supplementary for which 2,293 megalitres of usage was accounted (Figure 13). In the Cudgegong no supplementary event announcements have occurred since the commencement of the water sharing plan.

Figure 13: Macquarie supplementary licence usage since commencement of water sharing plan

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Sup

ple

me

nta

ry U

sage

(M

L)

For the Cudgegong despite very high levels of water availability usage was below the average usage since the commencement of the water sharing plan (Figure 14). In the Macquarie 2012-13 was easily the highest usage demand since the plan commenced (Figure 15). This resulted from a combination of drier than average water year with a high level of resource availability guaranteed which triggering higher demand for water.

It should be noted that the variation in the share components from year to year (Figure 14 and Figure 15) is a result of share trade between Macquarie and Cudgegong catchments.



Figure 14: Cudgegong total share component and usage since the introduction of the water sharing plan (excludes supplementary licences)

27,000

28,000

29,000

30,000

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-12

Shar

e C

om

po

nen

t

0

5,000

10,000

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Usa

ge (

ML)


Figure 15: Macquarie total share component and usage since the introduction of the water sharing plan (excludes supplementary licences)

640,000642,000

644,000646,000

648,000650,000

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Shar

e C

om

po

nen

t

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Usa

ge (

ML)




The high levels of water availability and the climate condition that prevailed in 2012-13 corresponded to an increase in demand across the catchment with account usage significantly higher (approximately 558,856 megalitres) than previous years under the water sharing plan. While this amount is higher than the long term average extraction limit established in the water sharing plan of 391,900 megalitres the average annual accountable take since the plan commenced is only 187,507 megalitres which is well below this limit (Figure 16).

Figure 16: LTAEL vs Annual Average Extraction (LTAEL Auditable)7

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Acc

ou

nt

usa

ge (

ML)

Annual Extractions (LTAEL Auditable)Long Term Average Extraction LimitAnnual Average Extraction (LTAEL Auditable)

The environmental water allowance (EWA) availability is directly linked to general security

availability, and as a result received significant top-ups throughout the season. The total

water available to the EWA during 2012-13 was 205,329 megalitres (including 160,000

megalitres carried forward from 2011-12) and of this 128,119 megalitres was used for

environmental outcomes in the Macquarie Marshes (Figure 17).

Total held environmental water in the Macquarie catchment continued to increase during

2012-13. General security share component grew from 145,522 megalitres to 163,628

megalitres while supplementary, high security and domestic and stock share component

remained constant at 3,340 megalitres, 0 megalitres and 40 megalitres respectively (Figure

18). A detailed account balance for held environmental water is available in Note 6 of this

GPWAR.

All minimum flow requirements outlined in the water sharing plan were considered to be met

during 2012-13.

7 Annual Extraction (LTAEL Auditable) refers to the Extractions defined in the plan that the LTAEL is audited against. In the case

of the Lachlan these are water extractions by holders of all categories of access licences, domestic and stock rights and native

title rights extractions, volumes of water delivered as adaptive environmental water, floodplain harvesting extractions (no

estimate currently available), and net allocation assignments out (zero for this water source).



Figure 17: Environmental water allowance summary since commencement of plan

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Vo

lum

e (M

L)

EWA made available EWA used

Figure 18: Held environmental water share component in the Macquarie catchment8

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Wat

er S

har

e C

om

po

nen

t (M

L)

General Security High Security Domestic and Stock Supplementary water

8 A high security licence of zero share component has been held since 2006-07



Water Accounting Statements



Significant water accounting policies

The water accounting statements in this GPWAR have been prepared using an accrual basis

of accounting. All figures are in megalitres (ML).

The ‘Statement of Physical Flows’ has been excluded for this GPWAR as all transactions

have been presented in the statements ‘Water Assets and Liabilities’ and ‘Changes in Water

Assets and Water Liabilities’. A ‘Physical Flow Diagram’ that represents the physical

movements of water has been included in order to provide a clearer depict those accounting

processes associated with physical flow movement.

For a general information on how to interpret the NOW water accounting statements refer to

the Guide to General Purpose Water Accounting Reports available for download from the

NSW Office of Water website.

Quantification of data

Data accuracy

It is important to recognise that the data used to account for water movement and

management in the reporting entity has been obtained from a variety of sources and

systems. The data ranges from observed values where a high accuracy would be anticipated

through to modelled results and estimates where accuracy can be highly variable depending

on a range of factors. To address the inconsistencies in accuracy and prevent misuse of the

data in the accounts, all figures in the water accounting statements will be accompanied by

an assessment of accuracy (Table 2).

Table 2: Water account data accuracy estimates key

Accuracy Description

A1

+/- 0% Data is determined rather than estimated or measured. Therefore the number contains no inaccuracies.

A +/- 10%

B +/- 25%

C +/- 50%

D +/- 100%




2012-13 Macquarie Physical Flows Mass Balance Diagram

All figures in megalitres

Major Storage

Outflow

Inflow

Macquarie Marsh

Macquarie

River01/07/12: 36,362

30/06/13: 2,785 Change: (33,577)

Flow to

Macquarie Marshes

655,744

End of System at

Carinda

120,908

River Inflows

Rainfall: 9,167

Gauged Inflow: 82,745

Ungauged Inflow: 363,976

Inflow from Aquifer: 4,690

River Outflow to Aquifer: 10,459

Evaporation: 43,135

Extraction: 555,336

Effluent Outflow: 0

River Outflows

Evaporation

19,440

23,670

Release Inflow

25,504

Rainfall

9,160

Cudgegong River01/07/12: 322

30/06/13: 127

Change: (195)

River Outflows

Evaporation: 2,024

Extraction: 4,720

River Inflows

Rainfall: 1,072

Ungauged Inflow: 43,326Unaccounted difference

76,836

1,052,258

Release

24,784

Rainfall

Macquarie Inflow

376,030

Inflow

51,158

84,348

01/07/12: 1,216,809

30/06/13: 532,175

Change: (684,634)

Burrendong Dam

Volume

Unaccounted difference

01/07/12: 215,370

30/06/13: 206,924

Change: (8,446)

Windamere Dam

Volume

Evaporation

123 Denotes negative



Macquarie catchment

Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities

As at 30 June 2013

( ) denotes negative

1. Surface Water Storage Accuracy Notes 30 June 2013 30 June 2012

Burrendong Dam A 8 532,175 1,216,809

Windamere Dam A 8 206,924 215,370

River (Cudgegong) B 9 127 322

River (Macquarie) B 9 2,785 36,362

Total Surface Water Storage (Asws) 742,011 1,468,863

Change in Surface Water Storage (726,852) 224,423

2. Allocation Account Balance Accuracy Notes 30 June 2013 30 June 2012

Cudgegong A1 1

General Security 34,014 48,651

Macquarie A1 1

Domestic and Stock 0 0

High Security (HS) (32) 0


Environmental Water Allowance A1 7 77,210 160,000

Total Allocation Account Balance (Lsws) 382,843 814,502

Change in Allocation Account Balance (431,659) 213,666

Net Surface Water Assets (Asws-Lsws) 359,168 643,605

Change in Net Water Assets (295,193) 10,758



Macquarie catchment

Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities

For the year ended 30 June 2013 (1 of 3) ( ) denotes negative

Surface Water Storage Inflows Accuracy Notes 2012-2013 2011-2012

Burrendong Dam

Inflow (Cudgegong) A 10 51,158 136,533

Inflow (Upper Macquarie) A 10 376,030 1,108,129

Rainfall B 11 24,784 54,422

Windamere Dam

Inflow A 10 25,504 67,017

Rainfall B 11 9,160 11,641

Cudgegong River

Rainfall C 12 1,072 2,897

Ungauged Inflow C 14 43,326 126,876

Inflow from Windamere A 15 23,670 13,704

Macquarie River

Rainfall B 11 9,167 21,429

Gauged Inflow A 13 82,745 159,510

Ungauged Inflow C 14 363,976 121,843

Inflow from Aquifer D 21 4,690 3,486

Inflow from Burrendong Dam A 15 1,052,258 1,044,088

Total Surface Water Storage Increases (Isws) 2,067,540 2,871,575

Surface Water Storage Outflows Accuracy Notes 2012-2013 2011-2012

Burrendong

Releases A 15 1,052,258 1,044,088

Evaporation B 11 84,348 113,071

Windamere

Releases A 15 23,670 13,704

Evaporation B 11 19,440 17,757

Cudgegong River

Evaporation C 12 2,024 3,329

Basic Rights Extractions C 19 227 227

Licenced Extractions from River A 18 4,493 2,710

Flow to Burrendong A 10 51,158 136,533

Macquarie River

Evaporation C 12 43,135 39,154

Basic Rights Extractions C 19 973 973

Licenced Extractions from River A 18 554,363 228,657

Flow to Macquarie Marsh B 17

Licenced 137,718 65,251

Other 518,026 561,209

End of System Flow A 16 120,908 126,754

Regulated Effluent A 16

Marra Creek 21,816 32,745

Crooked Creek 13,517 18,904

Duck Creek 19,774 17,588

Gunningbar Creek 28,888 62,906

River outflow to Aquifer D 21 10,459 22,867

Total Surface Water Storage Decreases (Dsws) 2,707,195 2,508,427

Unaccounted Volume (Balancing Item) (Usws) D 22

Cudgegong 10,361 475

Macquarie 76,836 138,250

Net Surface Water Storage Inflow (Isws-Dsws-Usws) (726,852) 224,423



Macquarie catchment


For the year ended 30 June 2013 (2 of 3)


Allocation Account Increases Accuracy Notes 2012-2013 2011-2012

Available Water Determinations A1 2

Cudgegong



High Security 5,452 5,452

High Security (Research) 1 1

Local Water Utility 2,600 2,600

Macquarie

Domestic and Stock 4,862 4,861



High Security (Research) 4,344 4,344

High Security (TWS) 40 40


Environmental Water Allowance A1 7 102,400 78,400

New Licence A1 1

Cudgegong 749 0

Supplementary Water Demand A 20

Macquarie 2,293 1,504

Internal Trade - Buyers A1 4

Cudgegong 34,662 189,765

Macquarie 262,200 12,142

Storage spill reset - increase A1 5 118,477

Cudgegong 0 13,763

Macquarie 0 336,002

Macquarie EWA 0 160,000

Adjusting Account Entry - increase A1 23 0 230

Total Allocation Account Increases (Iaa) 849,212 1,143,956



Macquarie catchment


For the year ended 30 June 2013 (3 of 3)


Allocation Account Decreases Accuracy Notes 2012-2013 2011-2012

Account Usage A 3

Cudgegong


General Security 1,807 440

High Security 435 344


Macquarie






Supplementary 2,293 1,504

EWA A1 7 128,119 88,232

Account Forfeiture A 1

Cudgegong



High Security 261 863


Local Water Utility 630 817

Macquarie



High Security 451 6,066

High Security (Research) 3,626 3,388

High Security (TWS) 40 40


Environmental Water Allowance 57,071 71,446

Licence cancelled A1 1

Cudgegong 889 0

Internal Trade - Sellers A1 4

Cudgegong 34,662 186,023

Macquarie 262,200 15,883

Adjusting Account Entry - decrease A1 23

Cudgegong 0 13

Storage spill reset - decrease A1 5

Macquarie 214,639 239,249

Environmental Water Allowance 57,071 71,446

Total Allocation Account Decreases (Daa) 1,280,871 930,290

Net Allocation Account Balance Increase (Iaa-Daa) (431,659) 213,666

Change in Net Surface Water Assets (Isws-Dsws-Usws-Iaa+Daa) (295,193) 10,757



Note Disclosures



Reconciliation and future prospect descriptions

Reconciliation of change in net water asset to net change in physical water storage

2012-13 2011-12

ML ML

CHANGE IN NET SURFACE WATER ASSETS (295,193) 10,975

Non-physical adjustments

Net Change in Allocation Accounts (348,869)

134,727

Net Change in Claims to Water: EWA (82,790) 78,722

(431,659) 213,449

NET CHANGE IN PHYSICAL SURFACE WATER STORAGE (726,852) 224,424

Reconciliation of closing water storage to total surface water assets

30 June 2013 30 June

2012

ML ML

CLOSING WATER STORAGE

Surface Water Storage 742,011 1,468,863

TOTAL SURFACE WATER ASSETS 742,011 1,468,863

Notes: All figures can be derived from or found directly in the Water Accounting Statements of the General Purpose Water Accounting Report.



Water assets available to settle water liabilities and future commitments within 12 months of reporting date (ML) Note (ML)

TOTAL WATER ASSETS AS AT 30 June 2013 (WARP) 742,011

Plus: Water Asset increases within 12 months of reporting date (WAI)

Minimum Storage Inflow 270,000 (a) 270,000

Less: Water assets not available to be accessed and taken or delivered within 12 months of reporting date. (WANA)

Storage Net Evaporation 50,000 (b)

Essential Requirements 2014-15 170,000 (c)

Conveyance Losses 175,000 (d)

End of System Flows 15,000 (e)

Storage Reserve 100,000 (f)

Dead Storage 35,000 8 545,000

Water assets available to be accessed and taken or delivered within 12 months of reporting date.

467,011

Less: Water liabilities and future commitments expected to be settled within 12 months of the reporting date.

Water Liabilities expected to be delivered within 12 months of reporting date. (WLE)

Surface Water Carryover 305,633 1

EWA Account Carryover 72,210 7 382,843

Future Commitments expected to be delivered within 12 months of reporting date. (FC)

Indicative Allocations and Basic Rights (g)

EWA Increase 0 (h)

General Security 0 1

High Security 18,213 1

Domestic and Stock 5,590 1

Local Water Utility 18,805 1

Basic Rights 1,200 19

Other Essential Requirements 2013/14 40,000 (i) 83,808

466,651

Surplus of available water assets over water liabilities and future commitments expected to be settled within 12 months of the reporting date. (SWA) SWA = (WARP + WAI - WANA - WL E – FC)

(j) 360

Notes: (a) The statistical long term annual minimal inflow sequence to storages. For Macquarie/Cudgegong it is based on a 2-year sequence. (b) This is an estimate of the annual impact of the net effect of rainfall and evaporation on the storages. (c) The Macquarie/Cudgegong catchment puts aside sufficient amount of water asset to meet the essential requirements for two years.

This figure represents the essential requirement in year two being made up of towns, high security, stock and domestic, minimum storage releases, basic rights and estimated loss to deliver them.

(d) This is the volume of water set aside to account for the losses encountered in the delivery of the water liabilities and future commitments. This includes some additional losses for year 2 general security delivery.

(e) This is the minimum flow that is expected to leave the system in a dry year. (f) The minimum storage level set aside in Burrendong and Windamere Dams for long-term security of essential supplies of essential

requirements. (g) Indicative Allocation represents a proposed starting allocation for each licence category. Local water utilities, domestic and stock and

high security licences will receive a potential starting allocation of 100% with general security having an increase of 0% of entitlement. (h) The EWA account will increase by 0% of its 160,000 limit in line with the general security allocation announcement. (i) This is an allowance to meet replenishment flow requirements including an allowance to meet the D/S Macquarie Marsh targets as

specified in the Plan. (j) Remaining uncommitted water that is set aside for future increases to allocation. This volume is minimal and more an indication of

uncertainty about the data being used.



Note 1 – Allocation accounts

This note is reference for the volume held in the allocation accounts at the time of reporting

and is also relevant for the various processes that occur to either increase or decrease an

allocation account throughout the water year.

The volume of water that is in the licence allocation accounts at the time of reporting is a net

balance for the relevant licence category and represents that water that can be carried

forward to the next water year as dictated by the carryover rules in place for that year or

required under the water sharing plan.

A negative number for the carryover figure indicates that more usage has occurred than has

been allocated to the account, and the deficit must be carried forward to the next season.

Water that is in the accounts at the end of a water year but is not permitted to be carried over

is forfeited and has been represented as a decrease in water liability.

The accounting presented is relevant to licence category and is therefore inclusive of

licences held by environmental holders (these are also detailed separately in Note 6).

Data type

Derived from measured data

Policy

Water Sharing Plan for the Macquarie and Cudgegong Regulated Rivers Water Source 2003

Available on the NSW Office of Water website

Data accuracy

A1 – Nil inaccuracy +/- 0%

Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source

State Water Corporation/NSW Office of Water – Water Accounting System (joint ownership)

Methodology

The carryover volume of water in the allocation account for each licence category is

determined once all transactions and end of year forfeit rules have been applied. Below is list

of typical transactions that can apply to an allocation account:

Available Water Determination (AWD) (detailed in Note 2)

Allocation account usage (detailed in Note 3)

Forfeiture due to:

o No or limited carryover being permitted (End of Year Forfeit)

o Account limit breaches

o Storage spills (detailed in Note 5)

o Evaporation reductions on carryover

o Cancellation of licence

Trade of allocation water between accounts (detailed in Note 4)

Determined carryover volume




Additional information

The tables on the following page provide a balanced summary of the water allocation

accounts for each category of access licence. Below is a description of each of the table

components.

Table 3: Explanatory information for allocation account summary

Heading Description

Share This is the total volume of entitlement in the specific licence category.

Opening balance The volume of water that has been carried forward from previous years allocation account.

AWD – Available water determination The total annual volume of water added to the allocation account as a result of allocation assessments. This figure includes additional AWD made as a result of a storage spill reset as defined in the water sharing plan.

Licences New Increase in account water as a result of the issuing of a new licence.

Cancelled Decrease in account water as a result of a licence cancellation where account balance has not been traded to another licence.

Assignments In Increase in account water as a result of temporary trade in.

Out Decrease in account water as a result of temporary trade out.

Account usage

Volume of water that is extracted or diverted from the river and is accountable against the access licence allocation

Spill Increase High security and general security accounts are rest to 100% of entitlement when Burrendong Dam enters the flood mitigation zone by a volume equal to or greater than the volume currently in the carryover sub accounts.

Decrease This is that volume forfeited from the carryover sub accounts, of either general security or high security licences, as a result of Burrendong Dam entering the flood mitigation zone. The volume being forfeited is the volume in the flood mitigation zone until all the carryover water has been forfeited.

Forfeits During Year Account water forfeited throughout the year as a result of the accounting rules specified in the water sharing plan. Forfeited water may occur due to account limits being reached, conversions between licence categories and various types of other licence dealings. It also includes any reductions on carryover volumes due to storage evaporation as required by the water sharing plan.

End of year forfeit Account water that is forfeited at the end of the water year as a result of carryover rules that restrict the carry forward volume.

End of year balance Account balance that is available to be taken at the conclusion of the water year.

Carry forward This represents the account water that is permitted to be carried forward into the next water year as determined by the carryover rules.

( ) Negative figures are shown in red brackets



Table 4: Allocation account balance summary for the Cudgegong regulated river 2012-13

Category Share Opening Balance

AWD Licences Assignments

Account usage

Spill Forfeit During

Year

End of Year Balance

End of Year

Forfeit

Carry Forward New Cancelled In Out Increase Decrease

Domestic and Stock 696 0 696 0 0 0 0 277 0 0 0 419 419 0

Domestic and Stock [Domestic] 12 0 12 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 8 8 0

Domestic and Stock [Stock] 20 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 20 0

Local Water Utility 2,600 0 2,600 0 0 0 0 1,970 0 0 0 630 630 0

General Security 20,067 48,651 12,843 749 889 5,713 29,477 1,807 0 0 576 35,206 1,192 34,014

High Security 5,412 0 5,452 0 0 429 5,185 435 0 0 0 261 261 0

High Security (Research) 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0

Supplementary Water 1,390 0 1,391 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,390 1,390 0

Table 5: Allocation account balance summary for the Macquarie regulated river 2012-13

Category Share Opening Balance

AWD Licences Assignments

Account usage

Spill Forfeit During

Year

End of year balance

End of year

forfeit

Carry forward New Cancelled In Out Increase Decrease

Domestic and Stock 4,355 0 4,354 0 0 0 0 1,372 0 0 0 2,982 2,982 0

Domestic and Stock [Domestic] 332 0 333 0 0 0 0 112 0 0 0 221 221 0

Domestic and Stock [Stock] 175 0 175 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 164 164 0

Local Water Utility 16,205 0 16,205 0 0 0 0 12,147 0 0 0 4,058 4,058 0

General Security 611,649 605,851 391,457 0 0 290,557 261,561 530,229 0 214,639 6,850 274,587 2,936 271,651

High Security 8,416 0 8,376 0 0 163 639 7,481 0 0 1 419 451 (32)

High Security (Research) 4,344 0 4,344 0 0 0 0 718 0 0 0 3,626 3,626 0

High Security (Town Water Supply) 40 0 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 40 0

Supplementary Water 48,650 0 48,651 0 0 0 0 2,293 0 0 0 46,357 46,357 0



Note 2 – Available water determination (AWD) (allocation announcement)

This is the process by which the regulated surface water asset available for use within the

regulated system is determined and shared. The process calculates the volume of water that

is to be added to an individuals licence allocation account. Announcements of allocations are

made on a seasonal basis - usually corresponding with the financial year and are updated on

a regular basis or following significant inflow events. Under the Water Management Act 2000

the announcements are termed available water determinations.

Data type

Derived from measured data.

Policy

Water Management Act 2000 (NSW).

Chapter 3 – Part 2 Access Licences.

o Clause 59 – Available Water Determinations.


Part 8 – Limits to the availability of water

o Division 2 – Available Water Determinations.


Data accuracy


Providing agency

NSW Office of Water.

Methodology

The AWD procedure itself is generally divided into two sections; the available water asset,

and system commitments. Once the required system commitments have been allowed for,

the remaining water asset is then available for distribution to the access licence categories in

order of priority (see following table). Announcements are expressed as either a percentage

of the share component for all access licences where share components are specified as

megalitres per year, or megalitres per unit share for all regulated river (high security) access

licences, regulated river (general security) access licences and supplementary water access

licences.

Table 6: Priority of access licence categories

Licence Category AWD Priority

General Security Low

High Security High

Conveyance Low

Domestic and Stock9 Very High

Local Water Utility Very High

Available Water Asset – this is calculated by summing the water currently available in

storage, future (minimum) inflows to the system, and additional volumes due to recessions of

inflows from the current levels to the minimum inflow levels. Also taken into consideration is

9 Domestic and Stock is further broken down into three sub categories: Domestic and Stock, Domestic and Stock (Domestic)

and Domestic and Stock (Stock). For the purposes of this report and the general purpose water account they were all treated as

Domestic and Stock.




the reduction of the total inflows to the system for those that arrive too late in the season to

be useful.

System Commitments – this is an assessment of the existing commitments that have to be

delivered from the Available Water Asset in either the current or future years. Key

components include:

essential supplies include things such as town water supplies, stock and domestic

requirements, industrial use and permanent plantings (e.g. orchards, vineyards) and

environmental allowances

undelivered account water is the water that has already been allocated to accounts

but yet to be provided

end of system flow requirement is an estimate of the flow that to pass through the

system as a result of operation of the system

losses which are estimated as the amount of water that will be lost by the system

either through evaporation or in the process of delivering the water via transmission

losses

Available water determinations are limited to an equivalent volume of 100 per cent of share

component (entitlement) for all categories other than general security. The sum of available

water determinations for general security holders cannot exceed 1 megalitre per share,

unless the AWD is a result of a storage spill reset (see Note 5 for more details).


The following pages contain the allocation summary reports for 2012-13. Below is a table

containing report notes to help interpret the report.

Table 7: Allocation summary report notes

Report Heading Description

Opening Remaining allocation account balances at the conclusion of the previous season that is allowed to be carried forward to this season.

Individual announcement Actual announcement made to each licence category

Share component (Entitlement) Sum of the licensed volume of water within the licence category on the announcement date.

Allocation announced volume Volume of water credited to accounts within a licence category as a result of the announcement made.

Allocation cumulative announced volume

Cumulative total of the announced volumes for the water year and licence category.

Allocation announced volume % of share

This is the announced volume expressed as a percentage of the entitlement applicable on the particular date.

Allocation cumulative announced volume % of share

This is the cumulative total percent (of total entitlement) that has been issued on the announcement date (inclusive)

Account balance available Sum of water available in allocation accounts that has been made available to be taken during the season.

Account balance not available Water allocated that is not accessible at this point in time.

Account balance total Total balance of accounts (available plus not available)

Account balance available % of share Account balance available expressed as a percentage of share component.

Account balance total % of share Account balance expressed as a percentage of share component.

Supplementary water Water that is not a stored source of water and is only made available if an uncontrolled flow event occurs.



Table 8: Allocation announcements for the Cudgegong regulated river water source 2012-13

Date Individual

announcement Share

component

Allocation Account balance

Announced volume

(ML)

Cumulative announced

volume (ML)

Announced volume

% of share

Cumulative Announced

volume % of share

Available (ML)

Not available

(ML)

Total (ML)

Available % of

share

Total % of share

DOMESTIC AND STOCK

Start 696 0 0 0 0.0 0.0

1-Jul-12 AWD 100.0 % 696 696 696 100.0 100.0 696 0 696 100.0 100.0

DOMESTIC AND STOCK(DOMESTIC)

Start 12 0 0 0 0.0 0.0

1-Jul-12 AWD 100.0 % 12 12 12 100.0 100.0 12 0 12 100.0 100.0

DOMESTIC AND STOCK(STOCK)

Start 20 0 0 0 0.0 0.0

1-Jul-12 AWD 100.0 % 20 20 20 100.0 100.0 20 0 20 100.0 100.0

LOCAL WATER UTILITY

Start 2,600 0 0 0 0.0 0.0

1-Jul-12 AWD 100.0 % 2,600 2,600 2,600 100.0 100.0 2,600 0 2,600 100.0 100.0

REGULATED RIVER (GENERAL SECURITY)

Start 20,067 48,651 0 48,651 242.4 242.4

1-Jul-12 AWD 0.28 ML per Share 20,067 5,618 5,618 28.0 28.0 54,269 0 54,269 270.4 270.4

3-Aug-12 AWD 0.28 ML per Share 20,067 5,620 11,238 28.0 56.0 59,889 0 59,889 298.4 298.4

7-Sep-12 AWD 0.01 ML per Share 20,067 201 11,439 1.0 57.0 60,090 0 60,090 299.4 299.4

5-Oct-12 AWD 0.01 ML per Share 20,067 199 11,638 1.0 58.0 60,289 0 60,289 300.4 300.4

7-Mar-13 AWD 0.04 ML per Share 20,067 804 12,442 4.0 62.0 61,093 0 61,093 304.4 304.4

12-Apr-13 AWD 0.02 ML per Share 20,067 400 12,843 2.0 64.0 61,494 0 61,494 306.4 306.4

REGULATED RIVER (HIGH SECURITY)

Start 0 0 0 0.0 0.0


REGULATED RIVER (HIGH SECURITY)(RESEARCH)

Start 1 0 0 0 0.0 0.0

1-Jul-12 AWD 1.0 ML per Share 1 1 1 100.0 100.0 1 0 1 100.0 100.0

SUPPLEMENTARY WATER

Start 1,391 0 0 0 0.0 0.0




Table 9: Allocation announcements for the Macquarie regulated river water source 2012-13

Date Individual

announcement Share

component

Allocation Account balance

Announced volume

(ML)

Cumulative announced

volume (ML)

Announced volume

% of share

Cumulative Announced

volume % of share

Available (ML)

Not available

(ML)

Total (ML)

Available % of

share

Total % of share

DOMESTIC AND STOCK

Start 4353 0 0 0 0.0 0.0

1-Jul-12 AWD 100.0 % 4353 4,353 4,353 100.0 100.0 4,353 0 4,353 100.0 100.0

DOMESTIC AND STOCK(DOMESTIC)

Start 332 0 0 0 0 0

1-Jul-12 AWD 100.0 % 332 333 333 100.0 100.0 333 0 333 100 100

DOMESTIC AND STOCK(STOCK)

Start 175 0 0 0 0.0 0.0

1-Jul-12 AWD 100.0 % 175 175 175 100.0 100.0 175 0 175 100.0 100.0

LOCAL WATER UTILITY

Start 16,205 0 0 0 0.0 0.0

1-Jul-12 AWD 100.0 % 16,205 16,205 16,205 100.0 100.0 16,205 0 16,205 100.0 100.0

REGULATED RIVER (GENERAL SECURITY)

Start 611,649 605,851 0 605,851 99.1 99.1


3-Aug-12 AWD 0.28 ML per Share 611,649 171,260 342,522 28.0 56.0 948,373 0 948,373 155.1 155.1

7-Sep-12 AWD 0.01 ML per Share 611,649 6,119 348,641 1.0 57.0 954,492 0 954,492 156.1 156.1

5-Oct-12 AWD 0.01 ML per Share 611,649 6,116 354,757 1.0 58.0 960,608 0 960,608 157.1 157.1

7-Mar-13 AWD 0.04 ML per Share 611,649 24,465 379,222 4.0 62.0 985,073 0 985,073 161.1 161.1

12-Apr-13 AWD 0.02 ML per Share 611,649 12,235 391,457 2.0 64.0 997,308 0 997,308 163.1 163.1

REGULATED RIVER (HIGH SECURITY)

Start 8,376 0 0 0 0.0 0.0


REGULATED RIVER (HIGH SECURITY)(RESEARCH)

Start 4,344 0 0 0 0.0 0.0

1-Jul-12 AWD 1.0 ML per Share 4344 4,344 4,344 100.0 100.0 4,344 0 4,344 100.0 100.0

REGULATED RIVER (HIGH SECURITY)(TOWN WATER SUPPLY)

Start 40 0 0 0 0.0 0.0

1-Jul-12 AWD 1.0 ML per Share 40 40 40 100.0 100.0 40 0 40 100.0 100.0

SUPPLEMENTARY WATER

Start 48,650 0 0 0 0.0 0.0




Note 3 – Allocation account usage

This is the volume of water that is extracted, diverted or measured as usage and is

accountable against an access licence issued under the water sharing plan.

Data type

Measured/administration data

Policy


Data accuracy

A – Estimated in the range +/- 10%

Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source

State Water/NSW Office of Water – Water Accounting System (Joint ownership of system).

Methodology

Usage information is determined by either on-farm meters that measure extraction, gauges

on diversion works or orders/releases when the volume cannot be effectively metered, such

as an environmental watering event.

Meter readings are collected for individual licence holders at intervals during the year and

converted via a calibration factor to a volume of water extracted. Water diverted from the

river is measured by recording the height at either the gauge or weir with the volume diverted

being derived by passing these heights through a rating table. With potentially multiple

categories of access licences being extracted through the same pumps additional

information and methodologies are required to separate use under the various licence

categories. Below is a description of these:

Based on periods of announcement – during periods of supplementary water

announcements extractions can be debited against the supplementary water

licences

Usage based on water orders – users place orders for water against an access

licence and usages are debited against accounts in proportion to the orders placed.

Licence category apportionment – if no water orders are available water extracted is

apportioned against categories of access licence in order of priority as set out in the

table below. The prioritising is based on the nature of and rules around each of the

licence categories.

The following table provides the order in which extractions are apportioned to access licence

categories in the water accounting system. This is a generic list where not all categories will

necessarily appear in this GPWAR. There are also various sub categories of licence

associated with some of the categories.



Table 10: Licence category metered usage apportionment table

Priority Surface water

1 Supplementary

2 Uncontrolled Flow

3 Domestic and Stock

4 Regulated River High Security

5 Regulated River General Security

6 Conveyance

7 Local Water Utility

8 Major Water Utility

Table 11: Account usage summary 2012-13

Licence category Account usage (ML)

Macquarie Cudgegong

Domestic and Stock 1,372 277

Domestic and Stock [Domestic] 112 4

Domestic and Stock [Stock] 11 0



High Security 7,481 435


High Security (Town Water Supply) 0 NA

Supplementary Water 2,293 0

Total Usage 554,363 4,493



Note 4 – Internal trading (allocation assignments)

This represents the temporary trading (allocation assignments) of water between allocation

accounts within the regulated Macquarie and Cudgegong water sources.

Data type

Administration

Policy


Part 10 Access licence dealing rules

o Clause 50 rules relating to constraints within a water source

o Available on the NSW Office of Water website

Data accuracy


Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source

State Water/NSW Office of Water – Water Accounting System (joint ownership of system).

Methodology

Trading is permitted between certain categories of access licences and between certain

water sources. This is detailed in the water sharing plan or stipulated under the licence

holder’s conditions.

The net internal trade for each licence category is zero for a water year. As such, trades

occur as both a water liability decrease (sellers of water) and a water liability increase

(buyers of water).


The following table shows the internal trading figures between licence categories. All figures

represent a volume in megalitres.

Table 12: 2012-13 Macquarie catchment allocation assignments summary

Licence Category

Buyer

Seller Total Macquarie Cudgegong

General Security High Security General Security High Security

Selle

r

Macquarie General Security 260,320 129 1,112 0 261,561

High Security 617 22 0 0 639

Cudgegong General Security 27,760 12 1,276 429 29,477

High Security 1,805 0 3,380 0 5,185

Buyer Total 290,502 163 5,768 429 296,862




Note 5 – Storage spill account reset

Windamere Dam

As set out in the water sharing plan allocation is progressively withdrawn from Cudgegong

general security and high security carryover sub accounts whenever, Windamere Dam is

spilling while the volume held in Burrendong Dam is in exceedence of full supply capacity

(i.e. in the flood mitigation zone). Water will be withdrawn monthly at a volume equivalent to

the volume spilled from Windamere Dam, while these conditions prevail, until the sub

accounts are empty.

All remaining water in the AWD sub accounts will be forfeited and reset to 1 megalitre per

share once all allocation has been withdrawn from the carryover sub accounts in the

Macquarie. Following the reset each month that Burrendong Dam remains above its full

supply level (i.e. in the flood mitigation zone) the AWD sub accounts will be topped up to the

equivalent of 1 megalitre per share. Detailed rules about the implementation of this process

are available in the water sharing plan.

Burrendong Dam

Similarly, water sharing plan allocation is progressively withdrawn from general security and

high security carryover sub accounts and the Environmental Water Allowance (EWA)

whenever the volume held in Burrendong storage is in exceedence of full supply capacity

(i.e. in the flood mitigation zone). Once all allocation has been withdrawn from the carryover

sub accounts all remaining water in the AWD sub accounts will be forfeited and they will be

reset to 1 megalitre per share or 160,000 megalitres for the EWA. Following the reset each

month that Burrendong Dam remains above its full supply level (i.e. in the flood mitigation

zone) the AWD sub accounts will be topped up to the equivalent of 1 megalitre per share

while EWA account will be topped up to 160,000 megalitres. Detailed rules about the

implementation of this process are available in the water sharing plan.

Water traded out of accounts during the year prior to a spill reset is accounted for under the

rules of its source location and licence category during the spill reset process.

Data type

Administration

Policy


Part 9 Rules for Managing Access Licences

Division 2 Water Allocation Account Management

Clause 45 Carrying over of water allocation credits, water allocation account

limits and withdrawal of water allocations

Part 3 Environmental water provisions

Clause 15 Planned environmental water

Available from the NSW Office of Water website

Data accuracy

A1 - Nil inaccuracy +/- 0 per cent

Providing agency

NSW Office of Water




Data source

Water Accounting System

Methodology

Data is extracted directly from the corporate databases which results in a reduction and\or

increase in the associated general security account.


Table 13: Storage Spill forfeitures and resets

Cudgegong Spill Forfeiture Spill AWD Reset

General Security 0 0

High Security 0 0

Macquarie Spill Forfeiture Spill AWD Reset

General Security 214,639 0

High Security 0 0

EWA 57,071 0

Note: As Windamere Dam did not spill no water was spilled from the general security or high

security carryover sub accounts in 2012-13.



Note 6 – Held environmental water

This represents that environmental water that is held as part of a licensed volumetric

entitlement. These licences are either purchased on the market by environmental agencies

or issued as a result of water savings achieved through investment by those relevant

agencies.

These licences are held within the same licence categories as all other water access

licences hence are subject to the same operating rules. Therefore they are subject to the

following key rules:

Available Water Determinations (AWD) for their share of the entitlement to be added

to accounts

Carryover rules hence the forfeiting of unused water that cannot be carried over

Provide water orders prior to use.

These licences are used to provide environmental benefit and outcomes to the catchment by

either providing water to, or supplementing water requirements of, a specific environmental

events or incidents.

Measured

Policy

Water Management Act 2000

Dealings with access licences (Division 4)

o 71G Assignment of water allocations between access licences



Data accuracy

A1 – Estimated in the range +/- 10%

Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source

State Water/NSW Office of Water – Water Accounting System (Joint ownership of System).

Available Water Determination Register - NSW Office of Water website

Methodology

The water held for the environment represents a volume of water in corresponding allocation

accounts. This allocation account represents the sum of the remaining volume of held

environmental water at the conclusion of the water year once all transactions and forfeit rules

have been applied to the accounts. These environmental balances are at the licence

category level and represent the water that can be carried forward for use in the next year.

Below is list of typical transactions that can apply to an environmental allocation account:

Available Water Determination (AWD) (detailed in Note 2)

Allocation account usage (detailed in Note 3)

Forfeiture due to:

o No or limited carryover being permitted (End of Year Forfeit)





o Account limit breaches

o Storage spills (detailed in Note 5)

o Evaporation reductions on carryover

o Cancellation of licence

Trade of allocation water between accounts (detailed in Note 4)

Determined carryover volume

In addition the trade and purchase of environmental water is tracked to capture the

movement of environmental entitlement both in number of entitlements, and volume.


The table on the following page provides a summary of held environmental water for 2012-

13.

Table 14: Explanatory information for Environmental Account Summary

Heading Description

Share This is the total volume of entitlement in the specific licence category.


AWD – Available water determination The total annual volume of water added to the allocation account as a result of allocation assessments. This figure includes additional AWD made as a result of a storage spill reset as defined in the water sharing plan.

Licences New Increase in account water as a result of the issuing of a new licence.

Cancelled Decrease in account water as a result of a licence cancellation where account balance has not been traded to another licence.



Account usage

Volume of water that is extracted or diverted from the river and is accountable against the access licence allocation

Spill Increase High security and general security accounts are rest to 100% of entitlement when Burrendong Dam enters the flood mitigation zone by a volume equal to or greater than the volume currently in the carryover sub accounts.

Decrease This is that volume forfeited from the carryover sub accounts, of either general security or high security licences, as a result of Burrendong Dam entering the flood mitigation zone. The volume being forfeited is the volume in the flood mitigation zone until all the carryover water has been forfeited.

Forfeits During Year Account water forfeited throughout the year as a result of the accounting rules specified in the water sharing plan. Forfeited water may occur due to account limits being reached, conversions between licence categories and various types of other licence dealings. It also includes any reductions on carryover volumes due to storage evaporation as required by the water sharing plan.


End of year balance Account balance that is available to be taken at the conclusion of the water year.





Table 15: Cudgegong regulated water source environmental account balance summary 2012-13

Licence Category Share Opening Balance

AWD

Licences Assignments Account

usage

Spill Forfeit End of Year

Balance

End of Year

Forfeit


During Year

General Security 901 901 577 0 0 0 1,116 0 0 0 7 355 0 355

Supplementary water 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Table 16: Cudgegong regulated water source environmental holding summary 2012-13

Licence Category Number of licences Share

30 June 2012 30 June 2013 Change 30 June 2012 30 June 2013 Change

General Security 3 3 0 901 901 0

Supplementary water 1 1 0 0 0 0

Table 17: Macquarie regulated water source environmental account balance summary 2012-13

Licence Category Share Opening Balance

AWD

Licences Assignments Account

usage

Spill Forfeit End of Year

Balance

End of Year

Forfeit


During Year

General Security 163,628 141,143 93,134 0 0 143,678 148,462 137,718 0 50,226 1,560 39,989 0 39,989

High Security 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Domestic and Stock 40 0 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 40 0

Supplementary water 3,340 0 3,340 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3,340 3,340 0

Table 18: Macquarie regulated water source environmental holding summary 2012-13

Licence Category Number of licences Share

30 June 2012 30 June 2013 Change 30 June 2012 30 June 2013 Change

General Security 23 9 (14) 145,522 163,628 18,106

High Security 1 1 0 0 0 0

Domestic and Stock 1 1 0 40 40 0

Supplementary water 8 7 (1) 3,340 3,340 0



Note 7 – Environmental provisions

There a number of planned environmental provisions allowed for within the regulated

Macquarie and Cudgegong water sources, implemented under the water sharing plan, with

the aim of enhancing environmental benefits.

A long-term extraction limit

Macquarie-Cudgegong Regulated River Water river extractions must be limited to a long

term average of 391,900 megalitres. All flows above the plan extraction limit, approximately

73 per cent, are reserved for environmental health.

Increased natural flows in the upper reaches of the Cudgegong River

This is achieved by releasing a portion of inflows to Windamere Dam to attain, in

combination with downstream tributary contributions, a flow of 150 to 1,500 megalitres per

day at Rocky Water Hole. No releases occur when the capacity of Windamere Dam is less

than 110,000 megalitres, and releases are subject to an annual limit of 10,000 megalitres.

Establish an environmental water allowance for the Macquarie River

The plan allows for up to 160,000 megalitres to be credited to an environmental water

allowance in any water year. Part of this allowance (sub account 1) is used to provide more

natural flows downstream of Burrendong Dam. Releases are made during the periods 1

June to 30 November, and 15 March to 31 May each year to attain, in combination with

downstream tributary inflows, a flow of between 500 and 4,000 megalitres per day at

Marebone Weir. The other part of the environmental water allowance (sub account 2) is

released when needed for special environmental purposes such as enhancing native fish

recruitment, ensuring completion of water bird breeding events, and alleviating severe,

unnaturally prolonged drought conditions in the Macquarie Marshes. An Environmental Flow

Reference Group provides advice on when the water should be released for environmental

purposes.

Data type

Measured

Policy


Part 3 Environmental Water Provisions

Clause 15 Planned Environmental Water


Data accuracy


Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source

State Water/NSW Office of Water – Water Accounting System (Joint ownership of System).

State water annual compliance report (internal document)





Performance against long term extraction limit

In the Macquarie Cudgegong Regulated River Water source the average annual extractions

since the introduction of the plan are 179,928 megalitres, well below the limit of 391,900

megalitres. For more information refer to section ‘Surface water resources and management’

earlier in this report.

Increasing Cudgegong River Natural Flows

During 2012-13 Windamere storage was higher than 110,000 megalitres for the entirety of

the year and as a result the requirement for environmental flows in the Cudgegong River

was triggered. Under this condition 9,904 megalitres was released from Windamere with the

resultant environmental flows illustrated in (Figure 19).

Figure 19: Cudgegong River at Rocky Water Hole planned environmental flows 2012-13

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1-J

ul-

12

1-A

ug-

12

1-S

ep-1

2

1-O

ct-1

2

1-N

ov-

12

1-D

ec-1

2

1-J

an-1

3

1-F

eb-1

3

1-M

ar-1

3

1-A

pr-

13

1-M

ay-1

3

1-J

un

-13

1-J

ul-

13

Flo

w (

ML/

d)

Flow at Rocky Water Hole Environmental Flow

Environmental Water Allowance

A total of 128,119 megalitres of environmental water allowance was used in 2012-13 to

provide environmental top-up flows to the Macquarie Marshes (Table 19).

Table 19: Summary balance of environmental water allowance

Water Year Carryover Account

1 July

AWD Forfeiture

Usage End of Year

Balance as at 30 June AWD

Spill Reset

Spill Evaporation

2004-05 14,803 14,400 0 0 731 0 28,472

2005-06 28,472 70,400 0 0 0 83,784 15,088

2006-07 15,088 0 0 0 2,136 0 12,952

2007-08 12,952 8,000 0 0 0 20,952 0

2008-09 0 16,000 0 0 0 0 16,000

2009-10 16,000 0 0 0 0 16,000 0

2010-11 0 160,000 160,000 99,624 0 139,098 81,278

2011-12 81,278 78,400 160,000 71,446 0 88,232 160,000

2012-13 160,000 102,400 0 57,071 0 128,119 77,210



Note 8 – Surface water storage

This is the actual volume of water stored in the individual surface water storages at the date

of reporting. The volumes provided represent the total volume of water in the storage,

including dead storage which is the volume of water which can’t be accessed under normal

operating conditions e.g. volume below low level outlet. It is assumed that the dead storage

can be accessed if required via alternative access methods e.g. syphons.

Data type


Policy

Not applicable

Data accuracy


Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source

NSW Office of Water – HYDSTRA

Methodology

Storage volumes are calculated by processing a gauged storage elevation through a rating

table that converts it to a volume.


Table 20: Storage summary table

Name Capacity (ML) Dead storage (ML) % change 2012/13

Windamere Dam 368,120 1,130 3

Burrendong Dam 1,190,06010

33,730 57

For plots of storage behaviour for 2012-13, including volumes and percentages, see Figure 9

and Figure 10 earlier in this report.

10

Burrendong also has a flood mitigation storage zone of 489,940 megalitres. Combined capacity is 1,680,000 megalitres.



Note 9 – River channel storage

The volume of water stored in the river channel on the day of reporting.

Policy

Not applicable

Data type


Data accuracy

B – Estimated in the range +/- 25%

Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data sources

NSW Office of Water: HYDSTRA, CAIRO

Methodology

For each river section S(n):

V = Q x T

The river channel storage will be equal to the sum of all river section volumes.

River channel storage = S(n) V

Table 21: Summary of river channel storage calculation components

Symbol Variable Data Source Unit

Q Average flow in the river section. Calculated by averaging the daily flows at the upstream and downstream river gauges.

HYDSTRA ML/d

V Volume in each river section. Calculated ML

T Average travel time for a parcel of water to travel through the river section. CAIRO days

Assumptions and approximations:

Travel times are estimated to the nearest day.

Daily flow change between gauging sites assumed to be linear.



Table 22: Summary of River Volume Calculation 2012-13

UPSTREAM DOWNSTREAM Average Flow (ML/D)

Travel Time (days)

Volume (ML) Site Flow (ML/d) Site Flow (ML/d)

Cudgegong

Windamere Dam 17 Rocky Waterhole 18 17.5 2 35

Rocky Waterhole 18 Wilbertree 26 22 1 22

Wilbertree 26 Yamble Bridge 44 35 2 70

Cudgegong Total 5 127

Macquarie

Burrendong Dam 60 Bell River Junction 54 57 1 57

Burrendong + Bell River 54 Dubbo 205 129.5 2 259

Dubbo + Talbragar River 220 Baroona 316 268 1 268

Baroona 316 Gin Gin 334 325 1 325

Gin Gin 334 U/S Warren Weir 332 333 1 333

D/S Warren Weir 187 U/S Marebone Weir 275 231 2 462

D/S Marebone 275 Oxley 212 243.5 2 487

Duck Creek @ Offtake 25 Duck Creek @ Napali 37 31 0.4 12.4

Gunningbar Ck D/S weir 44 Gunningbar @ Fairview Dam 4,609 2,327 0.25 582

Macquarie Total 11 2,785

Macquarie-Cudgegong Water Source Total 2,912



Note 10 – Storage inflow

Storage inflow refers to the volume of water flowing into the major headwater storages –

Windamere Dam and Burrendong Dam.

Policy

Not applicable

Data type


Data accuracy


Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data sources

NSW Office of Water: HYDSTRA, Integrated Quantity and Quality Model (IQQM)

Methodology

In most of the major storages in NSW there is no direct measurement of inflows. However, it

is possible to calculate inflows by using a mass balance approach (based on balancing the

change in storage volume) where inflow is the only unknown. This is referred to a

backcalculation of inflows.

The backcalculation figures were derived using a one day time step with the inflow

calculated according to the equation below. The daily inflows are then summed to provide an

annual inflow figure.

I = ΔS + O + Se + ((E – R)* Kp* A)

Table 23: Components for backcalculation of inflow

Symbol Variable Unit

I Inflow ML/day

ΔS Change in storage volume ML

O Outflow ML/day

Se Seepage ML/day

R Rainfall mm/day

E Evaporation mm/day

Kp Pan evaporation factor

A Surface area - derived from height to surface areas lookup curve ha

For Burrendong Dam, inflow is provided by both the Cudgegong River and inflow from the

upper Macquarie (unregulated) river. This split was estimated in the GPWAR by assuming

the total gauged annual volume passing the Cudgegong River at Yamble Bridge as the

Cudgegong contribution. The Macquarie contribution is then assumed to be the total

backcalculated volume minus the Cudgegong River estimate. For plots of daily storage

inflows refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 earlier in this report.

Assumptions and approximations:

Constant storage specific pan evaporation factors are applied (one annual factor).

Seepage was assumed to be zero



Note 11 – Storage evaporation and storage rainfall

This refers to the volume of water effective on Windamere and Burrendong Dam that is

either lost as a result of evaporation, or gained as a result of rainfall.

Data type


Policy

Not applicable

Data accuracy


Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source

NSW Office of Water – IQQM backcalculation, HYDSTRA

Methodology

While the backcalculation methodology requires the effect of evaporation and rainfall on the

storage to be calculated, it is currently output as a net evaporation figure. The ED AWAS 1

specifies that off-setting should be avoided and as such, a further calculation was required to

split the net evaporation figure to rainfall and evaporation. This is achieved by first,

outputting daily time-series of storage surface area from the backcalculation (which uses a

height to area lookup curve as defined in HYDSTRA). Daily rainfall and evaporation data is

then applied to the area time-series to achieve a volume in megalitres which is then

aggregated to an annual figure. The rainfall and evaporation data utilised is equivalent to the

data used in the storage inflow backcalculation, with the same pan factor applied to the

evaporation data.

Rainfall: Volume (ML) = Rainfall (mm) x Area (m2) x 10-6

Evaporation: Volume (ML) = Pan Evaporation (mm) x Pan Factor x Area (m2) x 10-6



Note 12 – River evaporation and river rainfall

This refers to the volume of water effective on the accounted river reach that is either lost as

a result of evaporation, or gained as a result of rainfall.

Data type


Policy

Not applicable

Data accuracy

C – Estimated in the range +/- 50%

Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source

NSW Office of Water: HYDSTRA, ARCGIS

QLD Department of Natural Resources: SILO

Methodology

The volume applied for evaporation and rainfall on the regulated river is achieved by first

calculating a daily time-series of river area. This is achieved by breaking the river up into

reaches and utilising the cross sections recorded at river gauging locations to determine the

average width of the river with a given daily flow. River length is then determined between

two gauging locations using ARCGIS and as such an area for each reach can be defined.

Area (m2) = Average W (m) x L (m)

Where W is the daily width determined from the gauging cross sections and L is the length

as determined through ARCGIS analysis.

With daily area determined, various climate stations are then selected based on their

proximity to each river reach. Rainfall and evaporation data is then extracted from SILO and

applied to the area time-series to achieve a volume in megalitres which is then aggregated

to an annual figure.

Rainfall: Volume (ML) = Rainfall (mm) x Area (m2) x 10-6

Evaporation: Volume (ML) = ET0 (mm) x Kc x Area (m2) x 10-6

Where ET0 = reference evapotranspiration from SILO and Kc = crop factor for open water

(1.05)



Note 13 – Gauged tributary inflow

The inflow into the regulated river that occurs downstream of the headwater storages that is

measured at known gauging stations.

Policy

Not applicable

Data type

Measured data

Data accuracy


Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data sources

NSW Office of Water: HYDSTRA

Methodology

The flows are obtained by measuring river heights at gauging stations along the river, and

then passing these heights through a rating table that converts them to a daily flow volume.


The total gauged inflow for 2012-13 is the sum of the inflows for the gauged tributaries

defined in the table below.

Table 24: Summary of gauged tributary inflow 2012-13

Station code Station name Catchment area (sq km) Volume (ML)

421048 Little River at Obley 612 2,782

421042 Talbragar River at Elong Elong 3,050 28,595

421018 Bell River at Newrea 1,620 40,977

421055 Coolbaggie Creek at Rawsonville 626 10,391



Note 14 – Ungauged runoff estimate

The inflow into the river that occurs downstream of the headwater storages that is not

measured.

Policy

Not applicable

Data type

Estimated

Data accuracy

C – Estimated in the range +/- 50 per cent

Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data sources

NSW Office of Water, Statewater: CAIRO

Methodology

Ungauged inflow is a very difficult component to estimate with such large volumes of water

flowing through the catchment in 2012-13. To derive an estimate a simple mass balance

approach was adopted whereby known inflows and outflows were combined with an

assumed loss factor. No estimate was made for the areas below The Yamble Bridge gauge

in the Cudgegong, and the Warren Weir gauge in the Macquarie.

UI = EoS - SR– GI + E + LE

Where:

UI = Ungauged Inflow Estimate

EoS = Gauged Flow at the point in the system where no further inflow is estimated downstream for the purposes of this ungauged calculation (Yamble Bridge in the Cudgegong and Warren Weir in the Macquarie)

SRk = Storage release

GI = Gauged inflows

E = Extractions (excluding any that are below the nominated ‘EoS’)

LE = Estimated losses. This was assumed to be 10% of the measured (gauged flow plus storage releases) entering the system for the Cudgegong and 15% for the Macquarie

Table 25: Summary of 2012-13 ungauged Inflow Estimate

Catchment Total volume estimated (ML)

Cudgegong 43,326

Macquarie 363,976



Note 15 – Dam releases, river inflow from dam releases

The volume of water released from Windamere and Burrendong storages. In the accounting

process this release is represented as both a decrease in asset (of the dam) and an equal

increase in asset (of the river).

Policy

Not applicable

Data type

Measured data

Data accuracy


Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data sources

NSW Office of Water: HYDSTRA

Methodology

The flows are obtained by measuring river heights at a gauging station downstream of the

dam wall, and then passing these heights through a rating table that converts them to a daily

flow volume. The releases have been represented in the Statement of Changes in Water

Assets and Water Liabilities as both a decrease in water asset (water leaving the dam) and

an equal volume of increase in water asset (water released increasing the volume of the

river). It would have been also possible to account this as a transfer in asset whereby the

volumes would not appear in the statements.


Figure 20: Burrendong Dam releases 2012-13

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

1-J

ul-

12

1-A

ug-

12

1-S

ep-1

2

1-O

ct-1

2

1-N

ov-

12

1-D

ec-1

2

1-J

an-1

3

1-F

eb-1

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1-M

ar-1

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pr-

13

1-M

ay-1

3

1-J

un

-13

1-J

ul-

13

Re

leas

e (

ML/

day

)



Figure 21: Windamere Dam releases 2012-13

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1-J

ul-

12

1-A

ug-

12

1-S

ep-1

2

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ct-1

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ov-

12

1-D

ec-1

2

1-J

an-1

3

1-F

eb-1

3

1-M

ar-1

3

1-A

pr-

13

1-M

ay-1

3

1-J

un

-13

1-J

ul-

13

Re

leas

e (

ML/

day

)



Note 16 – End of system/Regulated Effluents

This refers to flow that leaves the entity and does not return to the entity.

Data type


Policy

Not applicable

Data accuracy


Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source

NSW Office of Water – HYDSTRA

Methodology

Summation of flows at gauging site/s measuring the volume of water that leaves the entity at

end of system locations or via regulated effluents. For the Macquarie reporting entity the end

of system is considered to be the Macquarie River at Carinda (42012).

Regulated effluents leaving are considered for Crooked Creek, Duck Creek, Gunningbar

Creek and Marra Creek.

Gauges at these locations record a time series of heights which are then converted to a

volume of water based on a derived ‘height to flow’ relationship (rating table). Effluent

outflows from the Macquarie other than those defined in this note, such as flow leaving via

Albert Priest channel, have not been included in this line item and form part of the

unaccounted difference presented in the statements

Additional Information

Table 26: End of System Flows

Station name Station code 2012-13 outflow (ML)

Macquarie River at Carinda 421012 120,908

Gunningbar Creek at Fairview Dam 421166 21,816

Crooked Creek at Profile 421016 19,774

Duck Creek at Nepali 421164 13,517

Marra Creek at Billybingbone Bridge 421107 28,888



Figure 22: Macquarie end of system flow 2012-13

Macquarie River at Carinda

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,6001

-Ju

l-1

2

1-A

ug-

12

1-S

ep-1

2

1-O

ct-1

2

1-N

ov-

12

1-D

ec-1

2

1-J

an-1

3

1-F

eb-1

3

1-M

ar-1

3

1-A

pr-

13

1-M

ay-1

3

1-J

un

-13

1-J

ul-

13

Flo

w (

ML/

d)

Figure 23: Macquarie regulated effluents 2012-13

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1-J

ul-

12

1-A

ug-

12

1-S

ep-1

2

1-O

ct-1

2

1-N

ov-

12

1-D

ec-1

2

1-J

an-1

3

1-F

eb-1

3

1-M

ar-1

3

1-A

pr-

13

1-M

ay-1

3

1-J

un

-13

1-J

ul-

13

Flo

w (

ML/

day

)

Duck Ck Crooked Ck Gunningbar Ck Marra Ck



Note 17 – Flow to Macquarie Marshes

The flow to Macquarie Marshes is an estimate of the volume of water that enters the

Macquarie Marshes and does not pass through to the end of system (i.e. the Macquarie

River at Carinda for the purpose of this GPWAR).

The total water entering the Macquarie Marshes in a year is made up of water provided from

a variety of sources including:

Environmental Water Allowance (EWA)

Held Environmental Water (licensed)

Operational loss

High flow events

Policy

Not applicable

Data type

Measured data

Data accuracy


Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data sources

NSW Office of Water: HYDSTRA, CAIRO

Methodology

The estimate of water entering the Macquarie Marshes is obtained from operational data

within the Macquarie Cairo sheet. The estimate calculates the amount of flow passing

Marebone either via the Macquarie River or Marebone Break and is reduced by the amount

of water ordered by downstream licence holders.

The annual flow at Macquarie River at Carinda is then subtracted from the Cairo estimate to

obtain an estimate of water that is received by the marshes but not passed through.

The calculation is summarised below:

FMM = FMW + FMB – O – FEOS

Where:

FMM = Annual flow to Macquarie Marshes

FMW = Annual flow passing Marebone Weir via the Macquarie River

FMB = Annual flow passing via Marebone Break

O = Licenced orders for extraction

FEOS = Annual flow at Macquarie River at Carinda



Additional Information

Table 27: Breakdown of flow to Macquarie Marshes

Source of Flow to Macquarie Marshes Flow (ML)

Environmental Water Allowance 128,119

Held Environmental Water 137,718

Other 389,907

Total flow to Macquarie Marshes 655,744



Note 18 – Extractions from river

This is the actual volume of water directly pumped or diverted from the regulated river by

licence holders. Occasionally (generally in the case of environmental water) volumes are

ordered against a licence account for in-stream benefits or to pass through end of system

target points. As such the volume reported to be physically extracted from the accounted

river extent will not always be equal to the amount of water debited against accounts for

usage, which has been described in Note 3. The volume stated for extractions from river

excludes basic rights extractions, which is reported as a separate line item and detailed in

Note 19.

Data type

Measured data

Policy

Not applicable

Data accuracy


Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source


NSW Office of Water – Water Ordering and Usage database

Methodology

For the purposes of this GPWAR extraction from the river is considered to be the total

volume metered and debited to the allocation accounts minus any licenced account water

that can be identified as being used within the system, or ordered to be passed through the

system. These volumes are generally associated with environmental water orders and have

already been accounted for in other line items.


Table 28: Reconciliation of physical extraction to account usage (ML)

Macquarie Cudgegong

Licenced extractions from River 11

416,645 4,493

plus

Licenced flow leaving System12

137,718 0

plus

In stream licenced usage 13

0 0

equals

Total account usage 14

554,363 4,493

11

Direct licenced extractions from the river excluding basic rights usage estimate 12

Licenced water ordered to leave the accounted Macquarie extent for environmental benefits – in this case the water was sent

to the Macquarie Marshes 13

Water ordered and used within the accounted system for environmental benefit (not extracted from the river) 14

The total amount of water accounted for usage against the allocation accounts



Note 19 – Basic rights extractions

This is the non-licensed right to extract water to meet basic requirements for household

purposes (non-commercial uses in and around the house and garden) and for watering of

stock. It is available for anyone who has access to river frontage on their property.

This water cannot be used for irrigating crops or garden produce that will be sold or bartered,

for washing down machinery sheds or for intensive livestock operations.

In times of limited supply, there may be restrictions on taking water for domestic and stock

use.

Data Type

Estimated

Policy


Part 4 Basic Landholder Rights

o Clause 18 Domestic and stock rights


Data accuracy

C – Estimated in the range +/- 50%

Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source

Water Sharing Plan for the Macquarie Regulated River Water Source 2003

Methodology

The estimation of domestic and stock rights uses a series of estimates for water usage,

stocking rates, population and property shape based on local knowledge to calculate riparian

(stock and domestic) requirements in megalitres per year. The annual extraction for

Domestic and Stock rights in the water accounts is assumed to be the estimated figure

stated in the Water Sharing Plan for the Macquarie and Cudgegong Regulated Rivers Water

Source 2003 (1,200 megalitres).




Note 20 – Supplementary extractions

This is the volume of water extracted or diverted under supplementary access licences

during announced periods of supplementary water. Supplementary flow events are

announced periodically during the season when high flow events occur with the period of

extraction and volume of water to be extracted determined based on the rules as set out in

the water sharing plans. It is important to note that supplementary access licences differ

from other categories of access licence in that the volume of water in the account refers to

an annual upper limit for extractions and its provision is totally reliant on the occurrence of

high flow events.

Data type

Measured data

Policy


Part 8 Limits to the availability of water

Division 2 - Available water determinations

- Clause 39 Available water determinations for supplementary water access licences

Part 9 Rules for managing access licences

Division 3 - Extraction conditions

- Clause 48 Taking of water under supplementary water access licences

Refer to applicable Water Sharing Plan on NSW Office of Water website

Data accuracy

A - Estimated in the range +/- 10%

Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source


Methodology

Supplementary water extraction and diversion data is collected by either on farm meters that

measure extraction or gauges on diversion works. Meter readings are collected for individual

licence holders at intervals during the year and converted via a calibration factor to a volume

of water extracted. Water diverted from the river is measured by recording the height at

either the gauge or weir with the volume diverted being derived by passing these heights

through a rating table. However, with supplementary water being extracted through the same

pumps as those extracting water under other categories of access licences additional

information is required to separate out supplementary extraction. Basically licence holders

provide notification of their intention to pump prior to pumping or diverting water during the

declared supplementary event and provide meter readings both at the commencement and

conclusion of pumping. This enables the supplementary flow extraction to be assessed

independent of other categories of access licences.





Figure 24: Macquarie supplementary usage by river section

645

1,196

193

2

65

185

8

0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400

Narromine to Gin Gin Weir

Gin Gin Weir to Reddenville Break

Reddenville Break to Beleringar Offtake

Junction Creek Confluence to Marebone Weir

Marebone Weir to Oxley

Marebone to Bifurcation

Gunningbar Offtake to Gunningbar Weir

Account Usage (ML)Total Annual Usage = 2,294 ML

Table 29: Macquarie supplementary events summary 2012-13

Event Period 12 July 2012 to 18 July 2012

Event Limit 100.0% or 1.0 ML per Share

Announcement Date 12 July 2012

Catchment Section Start Date End Date

Macquarie River Bell River to Little River 12-July-12 13-July-12

Macquarie River Little River to Dubbo 12-July-12 13-July-12

Macquarie River Dubbo to Talbragar River 12-July-12 13-July-12

Macquarie River Talbragar River to Coolbaggie Creek 12-July-12 13-July-12

Macquarie River Coolbaggie Creek to Baroona 12-July-12 13-July-12

Macquarie River Baroona to Narromine 12-July-12 13-July-12

Macquarie River Narromine to Gin Gin Weir 12-July-12 13-July-12

Marebone Break Marebone Break 16-July-12 17-July-12

Macquarie River Gin Gin Weir to Reddenville Break 13-July-12 14-July-12

Bulgeraga Creek Marebone to Bifurcation 16-July-12 17-July-12

Macquarie River Reddenville Break to Beleringar Offtake 13-July-12 14-July-12

Bulgeraga Creek Bifurcation to Macquarie Junction 17-July-12 18-July-12

Macquarie River Beleringar Offtake to Gunningbar Offtake 13-July-12 14-July-12

Gunningbar Creek Gunningbar Offtake to Gunningbar Weir 17-July-12 18-July-12

Macquarie River Gunningbar Offtake to Warren Weir 13-July-12 14-July-12

Gunningbar Creek Gunningbar Weir to Fairview 17-July-12 18-July-12

Macquarie River Warren Weir to Junction Creek Confluence 14-July-12 15-July-12

Macquarie River Junction Creek Confluence to Marebone Weir 14-July-12 15-July-12

Gunningbar Creek Fairview to Bogan Junction 17-July-12 18-July-12

Macquarie River Marebone Weir to Oxley 15-July-12 16-July-12

Gunningbar Creek Cutting 2 Gunningbar to Creek Cutting 2 17-July-12 18-July-12

Crooked Creek Crooked Creek 17-July-12 18-July-12

Duck Creek Duck Creek to Napali 17-July-12 18-July-12

Duck Creek Napali to Bogan Junction 17-July-12 18-July-12



Event Period 13 July 2012 to 09 August 2012

Event Limit 100.0% or 1.0 ML per Share

Announcement Date 13 July 2012

Catchment Section Start Date End Date

Macquarie River Bell River to Little River 13-July-12 4-August-12

Macquarie River Little River to Dubbo 13-July-12 4-August-12

Macquarie River Dubbo to Talbragar River 13-July-12 4-August-12

Macquarie River Talbragar River to Coolbaggie Creek 13-July-12 4-August-12

Macquarie River Coolbaggie Creek to Baroona 13-July-12 4-August-12

Macquarie River Baroona to Narromine 13-July-12 4-August-12

Macquarie River Narromine to Gin Gin Weir 13-July-12 4-August-12

Marebone Break Marebone Break 17-July-12 8-August-12

Macquarie River Gin Gin Weir to Reddenville Break 14-July-12 5-August-12

Bulgeraga Creek Marebone to Bifurcation 17-July-12 8-August-12

Macquarie River Reddenville Break to Beleringar Offtake 14-July-12 5-August-12

Bulgeraga Creek Bifurcation to Macquarie Junction 18-July-12 9-August-12

Macquarie River Beleringar Offtake to Gunningbar Offtake 14-July-12 5-August-12

Gunningbar Creek Gunningbar Offtake to Gunningbar Weir 18-July-12 9-August-12

Macquarie River Gunningbar Offtake to Warren Weir 14-July-12 5-August-12

Gunningbar Creek Gunningbar Weir to Fairview 18-July-12 9-August-12

Macquarie River Warren Weir to Junction Creek Confluence 15-July-12 6-August-12

Macquarie River Junction Creek Confluence to Marebone Weir 15-July-12 6-August-12

Gunningbar Creek Fairview to Bogan Junction 18-July-12 9-August-12

Macquarie River Marebone Weir to Oxley 16-July-12 7-August-12

Gunningbar Creek Cutting 2 Gunningbar to Creek Cutting 2 18-July-12 9-August-12

Crooked Creek Crooked Creek 18-July-12 9-August-12

Duck Creek Duck Creek to Napali 18-July-12 9-August-12

Duck Creek Napali to Bogan Junction 18-July-12 9-August-12

Figure 25: Total daily supplementary usage in the Macquarie 2012-13

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1/0

7/1

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3

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7/1

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Sup

ple

me

nta

ry u

sage

(M

L)



Note 21 – River and groundwater interaction

This note refers to water that has been identified as either flowing from the connected

alluvium to the accounted river extent (increase in water asset), or alternatively from the

accounted river extent to the alluvium aquifer (decrease in water asset).

Note while a detailed water budget for the groundwater aquifer itself had previously been

reported within the water accounting statements (Macquarie-Bogan catchment General

Purpose Water Accounting Report 2010-11), this information is now being presented in the

groundwater appendix of this document.

Data type

Modelled

Policy

Not applicable

Data accuracy

D – Estimated in the range +/- 100%

Providing agency

NSW Office of Water

Data source

NSW Office of Water MODFLOW (Data inputs from HYDSTRA, GDS)

Methodology

For the lower Macquarie groundwater source the annual budget has been estimated using

the NSW Office of Water MODFLOW for the Lower Macquarie Groundwater Management

Area (for a more detailed explanation of the Method, see ‘Method A’ in the document NSW

General Purpose Water Accounting Reports - Groundwater Methodologies, available for

download from the NSW Office of Water website).

No estimates were made for interactions with the river outside the area covered by the lower

Macquarie groundwater source




Note 22 – Unaccounted difference

In theory if all the processes of a water balance could be accurately accounted for the

unaccounted difference would be zero. In reality due to the large uncertainties in many of the

volumes presented in the accounts, the various sources from which the data has been

obtained and the fact that not all processes of the water cycle have been accounted, the

statements are not balanced at the end of the accounting process. In order to balance the

accounts a final balancing entry is required, and this is termed the unaccounted difference.

As technology progresses and accuracy improves in the account estimates, it is anticipated

that relatively, this figure should reduce in future accounts.

Data type

Not applicable

Policy

Not applicable

Data accuracy

D – Estimated in the range +/- 100%

Providing agency

Not applicable

Data source

Not applicable

Methodology

The unaccounted difference is equal to the amount required to obtain the correct volume in

river at the end of the reporting period, after all the known physical inflows and outflows have

been accounted. The double-entry accounting process attempted to represent the physical

movement of water by creating a river asset. The opening and closing balance of the river

volume was estimated according to Note 9.

Surface Water Unaccounted difference

UVSW = Rs – Rc + RI - Ro

Where:

UVSW = Unaccounted difference for Surface Water

Rs = Opening river volume estimate

Rc = Closing river volume estimate

Ro = Physical outflows from the river (e.g. extractions)

RI = Physical inflows to the river (e.g. runoff, return flows, dam releases)



Note 23 – Adjusting entry

This is a line item that is used to correct balances in the accounts. The double entry

accounting being applied is a continuous process whereby the closing balance of one year is

the opening balance for the following year.

Occasionally corrections will be required for a variety of reasons including when an error is

identified in prior year reporting, a balance in the previous year has been since adjusted or

when a process that had previously been reported is unable to be supplied and the

associated asset or liability must be removed to maintain the integrity of the statements.

This is different to the unaccounted difference component which is a physical volume

required to achieve mass balance after all the known processes have been accounted.

Data type

Calculated

Accuracy

A1 – Nil inaccuracy +/- 0 per cent

Providing agency

NSW Office of Water.

Data source

Not applicable

Methodology

A journal entry is placed in the comparative year to ensure correct opening balances are

achieved in the reporting year.



Appendix 1 - Groundwater



Groundwater Management

Groundwater management for the area bounded by the Macquarie surface water catchment

is covered by seven water sharing plans15 and all or part of 19 of the groundwater sources

within these plans (detailed in Table 30 below). The Water Sharing Plans provide long term

average annual extraction limits for each water source within the plans which determine the

maximum volume of water that may be extracted under access licences and pursuant to

domestic and stock rights and native title rights from each groundwater source on a long-

term average annual basis.

Groundwater sources often cross multiple surface water catchment areas and hence only

part of them reside in the Macquarie. The percentage of the groundwater source within the

catchment can be seen in Table 31.

Table 30: Macquarie groundwater water sharing plan summary

Water sharing plan Water sources applicable for the

Macquarie Catchment Date commenced Expires

Water Sharing Plan for the Barwon-Darling Unregulated and Alluvial Water

Sources 2012 Upper Darling Alluvial 4 October 2012 30 June 2023

Macquarie Bogan Unregulated and Alluvial Water Sources 2012

Cudgegong Alluvial Groundwater Source

4 October 2012 30 June 2023

Talbragar Alluvial Groundwater Source

Bell Alluvial Groundwater Source

Upper Macquarie Alluvial Groundwater Source

Lower Macquarie Groundwater Water Sources 2003

Lower Macquarie Zone 1 groundwater source

1 October 2006 30 June 2017






NSW Great Artesian Basin Groundwater Water Sources 2008

Southern Recharge Groundwater Source 1 July 2008 30 June 2019

Surat Groundwater Source

NSW Great Artesian Basin Shallow Groundwater Water Sources 2011

GAB Surat Shallow Groundwater Source 14 November 2011 30 June 2022

NSW Murray Darling Basin Fractured Rock Groundwater Sources 2011

Lachlan Fold Belt MDB GW Source

16 January 2012 30 June 2022 Liverpool Ranges Basalt MDB GW Source

Orange Basalt GW Source

NSW Murray Darling Basin Porous Rock Groundwater Sources

Gunnedah-Oxley Basin MDB Groundwater Source 1 July 2012 30 June 2022

Sydney Basin MDB Groundwater Source

A spatial representation of the areas covered by each of the water sharing plans can be

seen in Figure 26 below. This shows that a number of groundwater water sharing plans

overlay the same surface area due to the varying depths of the aquifers within the

catchment.

15

By the 4th October 2012 the last of the groundwater plans were implemented for the Macquarie catchment. Up until this date

those not yet covered by a plan continued to operate under the Water Act 1912. Water sharing plan status is shown at time of

publication.



Figure 26: Macquarie surface water catchment – groundwater water sharing plans



Groundwater Availability

In 2012-13, all groundwater licences in the Macquarie were granted an equivalent allocation

of 1 megalitre per share, with the exception of Supplementary access licences (in the Lower

Macquarie Groundwater Source).

In the Lower Macquarie Groundwater Source supplementary licences received an available

water determination (AWD) of 0.3 megalitres per share. Under the terms set out in the Water

Sharing Plan for the Lower Macquarie Groundwater Sources the available water

determination for supplementary licences is reduced each year by 0.1 megalitres per share.

This means the AWD will be zero for these licences by 2015-16. The purpose of this licence

category was to reduce entitlements to a sustainable level over time allowing affected users

to adapt to these changes.



Table 31: Macquarie surface water catchment groundwater sources summary table (1 of 2)

Groundwater Source Long Term Annual Extraction Limit (ML/Year)16

Licence Category Share (ML)

% of Share Component Announced 2012-13

Water Source % within the Macquarie Surface Water Catchment

Metered Usage 2012-13 (Total for water source)

Water Sharing Plan for the Barwon-Darling Unregulated and Alluvial Water Sources 201217

Upper Darling Alluvial (Groundwater Source)

17,120

Domestic and Stock Rights18 2,283 N/A

2 Not available Local Water Utility 220 100

Salinity and water table management 3,300 100

Macquarie Bogan Unregulated and Alluvial Water Sources 201217

Cudgegong Alluvial 2,533

Domestic and Stock Rights18 27 N/A

100

N/A

Local Water Utility 3,000 100 172

Aquifer [High Security] 8,667 100 929

Aquifer 1,928 100 98

Talbragar Alluvial 3,473

Domestic and Stock Rights18 69 N/A N/A

Local Water Utility 656 100 0

Aquifer [Town Water Supply] 2

Aquifer 5,156 100 1,328

Bell Alluvial 3,299



Aquifer 4,292 100 1,342

Upper Macquarie Alluvial 17,935


Local Water Utility 4,320 100 2,782

Aquifer 27,721 100 10,608

Lower Macquarie Groundwater Water Sources 200319

Lower Macquarie Zones 1 to 6 69,293


100

N/A


Aquifer 65,375 100 32,078

Supplementary 2,396 30 769

16

Extraction limits stated may exclude water for basic rights, and water allocated to supplementary licences. Check with the relevant water sharing plan for details. 17

Water sharing plan commenced 4 October 2012 prior to this management remained under the Water Act 1912. Figures provided are based on the implemented plan. 18

Domestic and Stock Rights are not a licenced entitlement and therefore do not have an allocation announcement associated with them. The value in the table for share is that volume estimated in

the water sharing plans for each of the water sources 19

There are 6 water sources covered by the water sharing plan for the Lower Macquarie Groundwater Sources (Lower Macquarie zones 1 – 6). These water sources have been combined for

reporting purposes.



Table 32: Macquarie surface water catchment groundwater sources summary table (2 of 2)

Groundwater Source Long Term Annual Extraction Limit (ML/Year)20

Licence Category Share (ML)

% of Share Component Announced 2012-13

Water Source % within the Macquarie Surface Water Catchment

Metered Usage 2012-13 (Total for water source)

NSW Great Artesian Basin Groundwater Water Sources 2008

Southern Recharge See WSP21


31

N/A


Aquifer [Town Water Supply] 25 100 0

Aquifer 5502 100 1,746

Surat 13,300


22

N/A



Aquifer 24,008 100 641

NSW Great Artesian Basin Shallow Groundwater Water Sources 2011

Great Artesian Basin Surat Shallow 143,335

Domestic and Stock Rights22 978 N/A

22

N/A


Aquifer 5,637 100 1,570

NSW Murray Darling Basin Fractured Rock Groundwater Sources 2011

Lachlan Fold Belt MDB 821,250


18

N/A

Local Water Utility 5,101 100 71

Aquifer 68,498 100 5,014


Salinity and Water Table Management 236 100 0

Liverpool Ranges Basalt 19,075 Domestic and Stock Rights22 1,828 N/A

25 N/A

Aquifer 384 100 0

Orange Basalt 16,208


30

N/A

Aquifer 9,533 100 596


NSW Murray Darling Basin Porous Rock Groundwater Sources 2011

Gunnedah-Oxley Basin MDB 205,640


10

0


Aquifer 16,688 100 3,643

Sydney Basin MDB 60,443 Domestic and Stock Rights22 465 N/A

100 N/A

Aquifer 2,420 100 0

20

Extraction limits stated may exclude water for basic rights, and water allocated to supplementary licences. Check with the relevant water sharing plan for details. 21

Extraction limit details available in the water sharing plan and includes adjustments for a range of water saving programs 22

Domestic and Stock Rights are not a licenced entitlement and therefore do not have an allocation announcement associated with them. The value in the table for share is that volume estimated in

the water sharing plans for each of the water sources



Figure 27: Lower Macquarie groundwater sources water availability summary since the introduction of the water sharing plan

23

0

50

100

150

200

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Wat

er A

vaila

bili

ty (

% o

f En

titl

emen

t)

Aquifer Local Water Utility Supplementary

Figure 28: Share component and account usage in the lower Macquarie groundwater source since the introduction of the water sharing plan.

70,500

70,750

71,000

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Shar

e C

om

po

nen

t (M

L)

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Usa

ge (

ML)

Aquifer Local Water Utility Supplementary

23

The six water sources that make up the Lower Macquarie groundwater management area have been combined.



Figure 29: Allocation assignments within Aquifer licences in the Lower Macquarie Groundwater Management Area

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Allo

cati

on

ass

ign

men

ts (

ML)

Groundwater Account Summaries

Table 34 provides a detailed 2012-13 account summary for the Lower Macquarie (combined)

groundwater sources. Below (Table 33) is a description of each of the components

contained in the account summary.

Table 33: Explanatory information for allocation account summary

Heading Description

Licence category The relevant category of access licence as defined in the water sharing plans.

Share Component This is the total volume of entitlement in the specific licence category on the last day of the accountable water year


AWD

Available Water Determination. The total annual volume of water added to the allocation account as a result of allocation assessments.



Account usage Volume of water that is debited against the allocation accounts for usage

End of year balance That part of the remaining account balance that is available to be taken at the conclusion of the water year.






Table 34: Lower Macquarie Groundwater Source 2012-13 account summary

Licence Category Share

Component AWD Opening balance

Assignments Account usage

End of year balance

End of year forfeit Carry

forward In Out

Aquifer 65,375 65,375 39,306 387 387 32,078 72,604 35,012 37,592

Local water utility 3,090 3,090 0 0 0 1,568 1,522 1,524 (2)

Supplementary water 2,396 719 0 0 0 769 (50) 44 (94)



Physical Groundwater Flows

The following section provides information on physical groundwater flows. For the lower

Macquarie groundwater sources a detailed annual water budget (Figure 30) has been

produced by the NSW Office of Water groundwater planning models (MODFLOW) (see

Method A in the document NSW General Purpose Water Accounting Reports - Groundwater

Methodologies, available for download from the NSW Office of Water website). The change

in groundwater levels throughout 2012-13 for these water sources is also presented (Figure

31). These estimates were obtained by the contouring of available monitoring bore data

(levels) within the groundwater sources.

For the areas outside of the Lower Macquarie groundwater sources (with the exception of the

area covered by the Macquarie Marshes), where no planning model is available, and there is

insufficient monitoring bore data to estimate a complete budget, the NSW Office of Water’s

soil water budget accounting method was applied to obtain an estimate of the potential

recharge for 2012-13. This method uses daily grid physical and climatic information to

estimate a recharge via a basic book keeping technique that tracks the balance between the

inflow of water from precipitation and the outflow of water by evapotranspiration, stream flow

and drainage (potential groundwater recharge). A detailed description of this method is

available in ‘General Purpose Water Accounting Reports - Groundwater methodologies’

(referred to as method C) and can be accessed via the NSW Office of Water website. This

method provided the information for a comparison of both the potential annual recharge

against the historical long term mean (Figure 32) and the annual potential recharges (see

Figure 33). This indicates that for 2012-13 potential recharge was well below average and

significantly down on those of the past 2 years, an indication of the falling soil moisture levels

resulting from the dry catchment conditions that prevailed during the water year.

The area covered by the Macquarie marshes was excluded from the groundwater analysis

as the system was considered too complex for the models to be applied with an acceptable

degree of confidence.

It is important to note that the data presented is modelled data and hence its quality can not

be guaranteed. Care should be taken if using this data outside the context of this report.

Figure 30: Lower Macquarie groundwater combined sources physical flow budget 2012-13

Change in Storage =

River

Recharge (Net) =

Irrigation

recharge = 19,318

Rain

recharge = 20,185

Pumping =33,977

23,308

Lateral flow out

25,472

5,769

9,131

Lateral flow in

Lower Macquarie

combined groundwater

sources





Figure 31: Lower Macquarie Groundwater Management Area, change in groundwater levels 2012-13 (based on monitoring bore data)

Figure 32: Potential recharge deviation non-modelled areas 2012-13



Figure 33: Macquarie catchment, non-modelled areas annual potential recharge (1971-72 to 2012-13)

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,0001

97

0-1

97

1

19

72

-19

73

19

74

-19

75

19

76

-19

77

19

78

-19

79

19

80

-19

81

19

82

-19

83

19

84

-19

85

19

86

-19

87

19

88

-19

89

19

90

-19

91

19

92

-19

93

19

94

-19

95

19

96

-19

97

19

98

-19

99

20

00

-20

01

20

02

-20

03

20

04

-20

05

20

06

-20

07

20

08

-20

09

20

10

-20

11

20

12

-20

13

1971/72 to 2011/12 Potential Recharge 2012-13 Potential Recharge Mean



References Ali A. (2011) General Purpose Water Accounting Reports: Groundwater methodologies, NSW Office of Water, Sydney

Burrell M., Nguyen K. (2012) Guide to General Purpose Water Accounting Reports, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Sydney

WASB 2012, Australian Water Accounting Standard 1 Preparation and Presentation of General Purpose Water Accounting Reports (AWAS 1), Bureau of Meteorology

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