the environment institute where ideas grow the murray-darling basin mike young executive director,...
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The Environment InstituteWhere ideas grow
The Murray-Darling Basin
Mike Young Executive Director, The Environment Institute
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Murray-Darling Basin• Directly supports 3 million people• Feeds approximately 20 million people• Significant environmental values• 14% of Australia (size of Spain & France)• Australia’s three longest rivers• 40% Australia’s farmers• Agricultural exports earn $9b/year• Gross value of agricultural production $15b (40% Australia)
• Irrigation: $5.5b (15%) • Home to 34 major Indigenous groups
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Flow generation
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
The Murray will haveto solve its own problems
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Major water storages in the MDB
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Ecosystem Health Assessments 2004-07
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Change?
Total Water Water Use
Historical Climate 23,417 11,327 (48%)
2030 Median Climate 20,936 10,876 (52%)
2030 Dry Extreme 15,524 8,962 (58%)
(CSIRO Water Availability – 2008)
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Amplification -decreases in
runoff
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Growth in Basin diversions
9
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Water Rights Reform & unbundling
Water
Tradable Right Price
Land
Single Title to
Land with aWater Licence
Entitlement Shares
in PerpetuityBank-like Allocations
Use licences with limits & obligations
National CompetitionPolicy 1993/94Plus Cap
National Water Initiative2004
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Scarcity and Trading
Source: Murray Darling Basin Commission, 2007
Murray-Darling Basin Water Entitlement Transfers - 1983/84 to 2003/04
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1 000
1 100
1 2001983/8
4
1984/8
5
1985/8
6
1986/8
7
1987/8
8
1988/8
9
1989/9
0
1990/9
1
1991/9
2
1992/9
3
1993/9
4
1994/9
5
1995/9
6
1996/9
7
1997/9
8
1998/9
9
1999/0
0
2000/0
1
2001/0
2
2002/0
3
2003/0
4
Tra
ns
fer
Vo
lum
e (
GL
)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1 000
1 100
1 200
1983/8
4
1984/8
5
1985/8
6
1986/8
7
1987/8
8
1988/8
9
1989/9
0
1990/9
1
1991/9
2
1992/9
3
1993/9
4
1994/9
5
1995/9
6
1996/9
7
1997/9
8
1998/9
9
1999/0
0
2000/0
1
2001/0
2
2002/0
3
2003/0
4
Intrastate Temporary (GL)
Intrastate Permanent (GL)
Interstate Temporary (GL)
Interstate Permanent (GL)
Water Reform Trading opened up
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Return to investment in entitlement systems & trading
After Bjornlund & Rossini 2007
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Water needed to ensure conveyance
Entitlements Environment
Flood water
Shared WaterEntitlements
Vo
lum
e of w
ater availab
le
Environment with a
fully-specified share
A robust sharing system
Now buying back water for the MDB environment
$3.1 billion
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
The Guide to the Plan
1. Conveyance to and through Mouth 9 in 10 yrs2. Prepared to lose 25% of red gum forests3. Most benefits from 3,000 GL to 4,000 GL local
are within region where reduction occurs4. States must comply with SDLs even if
Commonwealth fails to buy enough water
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Guide principles and concepts• Hydrological integrity
– Most interception is included in the SDL algebra• Equitable risk sharing with Environment
– Conveyance reserve specified separately– Environment gets an entitlement for freshes and some overbank work
• Maximum subsidiarity– Uniform definition of SDL across the Basin built around a 114 year
average less 3% allowance for adverse climate change– But CEWH takes a centralised view of the world ....
• Robust planning as the “premier” control instrument– Entitlement and allocation system sits under the plan– Could reverse this approach
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Some critical dimensions1. Only buy up to 45% of any system
– But free trade??2. Average is a good basis for planning
– Portfolio of entitlements would be better approach3. No discussion of abandoned assets4. Not clear about what will happen if Commonwealth
fails to buy enough entitlements– Compensation? (Groundwater?)
5. Impact on each state in proportion to current share of the system
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
SDL proposals
Surface water:
17
Basin-wide
Current diversion limits
13,700 GL/y 13,700 GL/y 13,700 GL/y
SDL proposals 10,700 GL/y 10,200 GL/y 9,700 GL/y
Reduction 3,000 GL/y(22%)
3,500 GL/y(26%)
4,000 GL/y(29%)
% reduction in watercourse diversion component*
27% 32% 37%
Max reduction for an SDL area
26% 30 % 35%
Max reduction in watercourse diversion component*
40% 40 % 45%
* If only this component is reduced
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
South Australia – Tier 1 Flow
• SA has an “administrative” Choke • Storage options, interstate trade & environment flow management
is severely constrained• Inconsistent with notion of free trade and efficient management
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
The LTA SDL• Long Term
– Hides climate change signal• Average
– Mean not mode or median• Sustainable
– Not defined as a limit Don’t compromise key environment or productive base
• Diversion– Not allocated– Not “used”
• Limit• Not a share of inflows• Not a seasonal resource allocation
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
“Take” not “net use”environmentally sustainable level of take for a water
resource means the level at which water can be taken from that water resource which, if exceeded, would compromise:(a) key environmental assets of the water resource; or(b) key ecosystem functions of the water resource; or(c) the productive base of the water resource; or(d) key environmental outcomes for the water resource.
• Management of “take” not amount “allocated” for taking • Little concept of optimal storage management
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Conveyance Reserve• Conveyance water is water in the River
Murray System required to deliver water to meet critical human water needs as far downstream as Wellington in South Australia.
• Not to barrages• No requirement to have a minimum annual
flow to the sea
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Elements of a way forward• A much more regional approach• Commit to a fully specified entitlement system rather than a “planning”
system– Define conveyance water needed throughout the system– Define the maximum amount that may be allocated in any irrigation season as
the amount held when every “user” including interceptors has 100% allocation– Define a target portfolio of entitlements for the environment in each district
• Continue with a market-driven approach– buy entitlements at higher and less callous prices – Establish community development funds and place money in proportion to
money spent on buy backs and scale of the buy back• Establish regional environmental trusts to hold and manage entitlements. • Move forward step by step, monitoring, adjusting learning as we go
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
Funding adjustmentProportion of entitlements in region secured by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
Additional amount of money to be placed in Regional Community Development Fund
0-10% 20% of amount spent on purchases
11-20% 30% of amount spent on purchases
21-30% 40% of amount spent on purchases
31-40% 50% of amount spent on purchases
41- 45% 60% of amount spent on purchases
The Environment InstituteWhere ideas grow
www.adelaide.edu.au/environment
www.myoung.net.au
The Environment Institute
Life Impact The University of Adelaide25
When it takes effect
proposed Basin Plan
Final Basin Plan
2010 2014 2020