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Basin SalinityManagementStrategy2001–2002AnnualImplementationReport

April 2003

SIX

GOVERNMENTS WORKING IN

PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNIT

Y

Basin Salinity ManagementStrategy2001–2002 Annual Implementation Report

M U R R A Y – D A R L I N G B A S I N C O M M I S S I O N

T H E C O M M O N W E A L T H • N S W • V I C • S A • Q L D • A C T

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Bet Bet Creek, Victoria

© M

att K

enda

ll

Direct seeding for salinity rehabilitation, ‘Weilora’, Binalong

© A

rthur

Mos

tead

Whilst there are many areas in the Murray-Darling Basin where successful rehabilitation has occurred there arestill many areas where significant work is required.


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Basin SalinityManagementStrategy2001–2002AnnualImplementationReport

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Mourquong Basin Buronga SIS disposal site - ‘Sun–Salt’ Salt harvesting operation

©Ph

il Pf

eiffe

r

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Contents

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Foreword v

Executive Summary vii

1. Introduction 1

2. Background 3

2.1 S&D Strategy 1988–2000 3

2.2 Basin Salinity Management Strategy 3

2.2.1 Strategy Objectives 3

2.2.2 Basin Strategic Approach 4

3. Year in Review 5

3.1 Implementing Accountability Features of the BSMS 5

3.1.1 Commission Salinity Registers 5

3.2 Joint Works Program 5

3.21 Performance of Salt Interception Schemes in the Joint Works Program 5

3.3 Rolling Five-Year Reviews 8

3.3.1 Rolling Reviews - State Actions 8

3.3.2 Rolling Reviews - Valley Actions 10

3.4 End-of-Valley Targets 10

3.5 Protection of Within-Valley Assets 15

3.6 On-Ground Actions 16

3.7 Basin-wide Implementation Activities 16

3.7.1 Murray-Darling 2001 Program (MD2001) 16

3.7.2 Targeting Reforestation and Vegetation Management 16

3.7.3 Redesigning Farming Systems - Dryland 19

3.7.4 Redesigning Farming Systems - Irrigation Areas 20

3.7.5 Monitoring 20

3.7.6 Modelling 20

3.7.7 Assessment 24

3.8 Case Studies 25

3.8.1 Engineering Works 25

3.8.2 Redesigning Farming Systems 26

3.9 Work Plan for 2002–2003 27

Glossary 29

Annexes 31

Annex 1 New South Wales Implementation Report 31

Annex 2 Queensland Implementation Report 55

Annex 3 South Australian Implementation Report 69

Annex 4 Victorian Implementation Report 89

Annex 5 Valley Report Card 127

Annex 6 On-Ground Works for 2001/2002 in Each Tributary Valley 129

Annex 7 Flow and Salinity Data 131

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Basin Salinity Management Strategy2001–2002 Annual Implementation Report

Published by the Murray-DarlingBasin Commission

Office AddressLevel 5, 15 Moore St, Canberra,Australian Capital Territory

Postal AddressGPO Box 409, Canberra ACT 2601

Tel: (02) 6279 0100;from overseas +61 2 6279 0100

Fax: (02) 6248 8053;

from overseas + 61 2 6248 8053

Email: [email protected]

Internet: http://www.mdbc.gov.au

ISBN 1 876830 66 2

© Copyright Murray-Darling Basin Commission, April 2003

This work is copyright. Graphical and textual information inthe work (with the exception of photographs and the MDBClogo) may be stored, retrieved and reproduced in whole or inpart, provided the information is not sold or used forcommercial benefit and its source (Basin SalinityManagement Strategy 2001–2002 Annual ImplementationReport) is acknowledged. Such reproduction includes fairdealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism orreview as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968.Reproduction for other purposes is prohibited without priorpermission of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission or theindividual photographers and artists with whom copyrightapplies.

To the extent permitted by law, the copyright holders(including its employees and consultants) exclude all liabilityto any person for any consequences, including but not limitedto all losses, damages, costs, expenses and any othercompensation, arising directly or indirectly from using thisreport (in part or in whole) and any information or materialcontained in it.

Ref. No. I&D 8432Cover Images Top image, ‘Weilora’, Binalong

photo credit: © Arthur MosteadBottom Image, Lock and Weir No. 4, RiverMurray, Bookpurnong, South Australiaphoto credit: © Michael Bell

Recycled Paper: This publication is printed on Monza SatinRecycled, a new generation premium A2+ gloss coatedrecycled paper. It is produced with 50% recycled fibre (15%post consumer and 35% pre-consumer) with the balance(50%) being oxygen bleached virgin pulp.

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Foreword

July 2003

The Hon. Warren Truss MPChairmanMurray-Darling Basin Ministerial CouncilParliament HouseCANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Minister,

I have the pleasure of submitting to you the first Basin Salinity Management Strategy AnnualImplementation Report. This report is the first to be produced as a requirement of Schedule C to theMurray-Darling Basin Agreement and will provide the basis for ensuring future accountability underthe Basin Salinity Management Strategy.

It is noted that in September 2001 the Basin Salinity Management Strategy (BSMS) was released by theChairman of the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council. This Strategy was designed to bringcommunities and governments together to control salinity throughout the Murray-Darling Basin overthe period 2001–2015.

Throughout this first year of the Strategy the focus has been primarily on developing the mechanismsfor implementing the Strategy. However, some on-ground works and actions have been initiated bycatchment planning groups under the auspices of the National Action Plan for Salinity and WaterQuality.

A highlight of 2001/2002 has been the revision of Schedule C to the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement,which outlines the statutory requirements of the BSMS.

In addition to Schedule C, progress on the Strategy was also made by establishing an inter-jurisdictionalworking group to oversee the implementation of the Strategy, by developing plans to initiate jointworks and measures, conducting a review of the operation of the Commission’s Salinity Register, bydeveloping a timetable for the review of valley actions and defining interim end-of-valley targets.

The development of tools to support the BSMS continued throughout 2001/2002. During this time asignificant advancement was made in refining in-stream flow and salinity models, catchment scalemodels, irrigation and salinity mapping tools and tools to assess the impact of interstate water trade.These tools are an integral part of implementing the BSMS and in ensuring accountability against theBSMS objectives.

The first year of the Strategy has been successful in setting up a way forward for salinity managementover the next 15 years and beyond. Future BSMS Annual Implementation Reports will continue totrack the progress made in each of the jurisdictions in regards to salinity management at the valley andBasin scale.

It must be noted that in preparing this document the cooperation of the State Governments’ agencieswas greatly appreciated. The preparation of the first annual report was a challenging process and wasgreatly assisted by the invaluable input of the government administrators.

Don Blackmore

Chief Executive

Murray-Darling Basin Commission

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Executive Summary

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The Basin Salinity Management Strategy2001–2015 was officially released by MinisterTruss, Chairman of the Murray-Darling BasinMinisterial Council on 17 September 2001. ThisStrategy has a Basin-wide focus and will:

• Maintain the water quality of the sharedwater resources of the Murray and DarlingRivers for all beneficial uses—river salinity atMorgan, SA, will be maintained at less than800 EC for 95% of the time;

• Control the rise in salt loads in all tributaryrivers of the Murray-Darling Basin and,through that control, protect their waterresources and aquatic ecosystems at agreedlevels—meeting the end-of-valley targets;

• Control land degradation and protectimportant terrestrial ecosystems, productivefarm land, cultural heritage, and builtinfrastructure at agreed levels Basin-wideexpressed as within-valley targets; and

• Maximise net benefits from salinity controlacross the Basin.

The instruments for accountability arrangementsregarding salinity impacts under the BasinSalinity Management Strategy involve theCommission Registers and the end-of-valleytargets. Commission oversees a range ofimplementation activities that assist in meetingthe agreed outcomes of the Strategy, within theagreed accountability arrangements.

1. RegistersUnder the previous Salinity and DrainageStrategy (S&DS) the Commission maintained aRegister to account for the salinity ‘Credits’ and‘Debits’ resulting from works and measures thatincrease or decrease river salinity in order tomeet the Morgan Target. To date, credits havebeen associated with salt interception schemes,although under the new Basin SalinityManagement Strategy this is being extended toinclude improved irrigation, land use change and

revegetation. Debits are associated with theconstruction of irrigation drains, groundwaterpumps, new irrigation development and wetlandflushing.

Under the S&D Strategy, it was agreed thatSouth Australia would not have to beaccountable under the rules of the Register untilDecember 2002. The impacts of irrigationdevelopment post-1988 in South Australia arecurrently being assessed for inclusion on theRegister by 1 July 2004, as agreed byCommission. Commission has accepted thatSouth Australia is currently demonstratingneutrality and is developing mechanisms tomaintain neutrality into the future.

The operation of the Register is currently beingrevised in light of the new Basin SalinityManagement Strategy and provisions for theoperation of the Register will be incorporatedinto the revised Schedule C to the Murray-DarlingBasin Agreement. This includes adding a secondRegister, Register B, to account for the impacts oflegacy of history, or pre-1988 actions that havesalinity impacts now and into the future. Asummary of the existing Register, updated for2001/2002, is presented in Table 1. Theoperating rules under the Salinity and DrainageStrategy still apply for 2001/2002 because thenew operating rules under the Basin SalinityManagement Strategy are currently beingformalised.

2. End-of-Valley TargetsA key feature of this Strategy is Council’sadoption of salinity targets for each tributaryvalley and a Basin target at Morgan in SouthAustralia. While end-of-valley targets allow forfurther rises in salinity, they are in effect a ‘cap’on salinity that gives the appropriate signals forprotecting key values and assets in the valleys,and also encourage the States to meet theirobligations to protect the shared rivers. The NewSouth Wales and South Australian governments

NSW Victoria South Australia

Salinity Credits from joint schemes +14.5 +14.5 0

Salinity Debits from joint works/measures –0.9 –0.9 0

Salinity Credit from State works/measures +0.2 +4.8 TBA

Salinity Debits total drainage impact –8.6 –16.8* TBA

Current Balance +5.1 1.6 TBA#

Table 1: Summary - Salinity and Drainage Strategy Register (Units - Equivalent EC (electrical conductivity µS/cm) at Morgan)

* Allocated EC credits - of these 11.1 have been taken up, the remaining 5.7 have not been utilised# Not advised as of the 30th June 2002

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have nominated an interim set of end–of–valleytargets for stream salinity and saltloads. EachState has set its own program for finalisation oftargets. Targets will be finalised by March 2004.

An important element of the Strategy is thereporting framework where States reportannually to Commission on end-of-valley targetsin the form of a ‘Valley Report Card’. In this, thefirst year of implementation of the Strategy, themonitoring network and protocols along withthe targets themselves, are still being finalised.Despite these limitations, it is imperative that anend-of-valley reporting system is progressed andmaintained for the life of the Strategy andbeyond.

3. Implementation Progress In October 2001, the Commission identified anumber of key activities that were required toinitiate implementation of the Basin SalinityManagement Strategy. The progress against theseactivities during 2001/2002 is outlinedin Table 2.

Table 2: Progress of actions undertaken in 2001/2002 as part of BSMS

Activity Responsibility Deadline Action 2001/2002

Completing the Salinity and Drainage Strategy

Completing the S&D Strategy HLWGSI, JUN 2003 New schemes developed to joint works program of an Commission, complete 80 EC target including 80 EC reduction at Morgan Council Waikerie Phase IIA, with focus now

shifting to cost sharing, credit allocation and delivery of new jointworks package for BSMS.

Inclusion of South Australia South Australia, DEC 2002 The salinity impact of newin the new Commission ‘A’ BSMS IWG, irrigation development due to tradeRegister under Schedule C to Commission is being assessed and will be the Agreement entered onto the Register as of

1 July 2004 as agreed by Commission.

Establishing a group to oversight Strategy implementation agreed by Commission

A Basin Salinity Management President SEP 2001 The Commission established the Strategy Working Group, Basin Salinity Management Strategycomprising senior staff from Implementation Working Group the partner governments with (BSMS IWG), comprising technical or policy development representatives of all partner responsibility for salinity governments and the Community management, will oversee Advisory Committee (CAC), with Strategy implementation and technical and administrative supportprovide the necessary quality provided by the Commission Office.assurance and auditing.

Revising Schedule C

As this Strategy replaces the BSMS IWG, MAR 2002 The revised Schedule C will be S&D Strategy, Schedule C Commission, considered by Council at its will be revised to give effect Council November 2002 meeting.to its key elements, whilst preserving the achievements of the S&D Strategy.

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Finalising arrangements for the new joint works program

The Council will finalise cost HLWGSI, MAR 2002 Commission, at Meeting 65 sharing and benefit allocation Commission, September 2002, will be arrangements for the new Council considering a proposal for an initial joint works program, after joint works program of 61 EC, taking advice from the where 31 EC is to offset legacy of Commission’s High Level history.Inter-Jurisdictional Working Group on Salt Interception Schemes.

Developing modelling/assessment frameworks

The States and the Commission Commission JUN 2002 A number of modelling initiatives will develop a suite of Office, have been undertaken:hydrologic and salt mobilisation BSMS IWG, - Tributary modelling - Developing models that will allow State Agencies predictive tools for end-of-valley assessment of accountable flow and salinity actions against the agreed - BIGMOD - Development of a baseline conditions. River Murray modelling suite for

daily flow and salinity- Modelling Workshop held toenhance discussion betweenjurisdictions regarding modellingmethods.

To address concerns regarding Commission JUN 2002 The BSMS IWG commissioned a the expected salinity impacts Office, study to develop a rapid of interstate water trade, it is BSMS IWG, assessment tool to assess the necessary to develop common Interstate salinity impacts of interstate trade. standards for assessing salinity Water Trading The final report was completed in impacts (which should also be Project Board May 2002. The BSMS IWG agreed consistent with methods used that the Rapid Assessment Tool by States for assessing intrastate could be used as a safety net for trade) assessing the salinity impacts of

water trade in the absence of any other agreed approach.

Finalising end-of-valley targets

Finalise end-of-valley targets, State MAR 2004 The timeframe for finalising end-of-along with agreed monitoring Governments valley targets has been extended site locations during the revising of Schedule C to

allow for adequate community consultation in all jurisdictions.

Basin-wide monitoring

A monitoring network for State DEC 2001 A hydrographic review of all end-collecting continuous flow Governments, of-valley monitoring sites was and salinity data to agreed BSMS IWG, completed in May 2002.standards will be required Commission

Office

Table 2: Progress of actions undertaken in 2001/2002 as part of BSMS (continued)

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Basin Irrigation and State AUG 2002 The Basin Irrigation and Salinity Salinity Mapping Governments, Mapping project has continued to

Commission collect data on irrigation Office, infrastructure. The project has BSMS IWG expanded to include collection of

other land management datasets related to salinity. An Atlas of data was produced in August 2001 and an updated version will be circulated in August 2002.

Developing accountability and reporting arrangements

This Strategy will incorporate Catchment ongoing The details of implementation are transparent accountability Organisations, currently being developed in the arrangements whereby State protocols to Schedule C. The progress towards targets will Governments, production of an Annual Report is be monitored and reported BSMS IWG, one element of these arrangements.to Council annually. Commission,

Council

Targeting reforestation and vegetation management

The Ministerial Council Vegetation ongoing A Project Board comprising agreed to the further Bank Project Commissioners, Deputy development of the vegetation Board, Commissioners and a representativebank concept. The vegetation Commission of the CAC was formed (with bank would contribute pooled Office, Dr Bob Smith as Executive). The public/private funds for Commission, project has identified a range of targeted investment in Council datasets at a Basin-wide scale and reforestation and vegetation collaborated in the development of management, invested only analytical tools to identify where in areas where there would maximum salinity benefits will be measurable salinity occur in relation to land use benefits. change. This work is ongoing.

Redesigning farming systems

The BSMS will coordinate a Commission ongoing Commission has invested in the range of initiatives researching Office, CRC for Plant-based Management new farming systems that can Commission of Dryland Salinity, the CRC for use more rainfall to reduce Catchment Hydrology, the Joint deep drainage than existing Venture Agroforestry Program, the systems. Redesigning Agriculture for

Australian Landscapes Program, the National Dryland Salinity Program and continued to support strategic investigations into dryland and irrigation areas.

Table 2: Progress of actions undertaken in 2001/2002 as part of BSMS (continued)

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1. Introduction

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The Basin Salinity Management Strategy (BSMS)builds on the 1988 Salinity and DrainageStrategy (S&DS) and guides communities andgovernments in working together to controlsalinity and protect key natural resource valueswithin their catchments, consistent with theprinciples of the Integrated CatchmentManagement Policy Statement. It establishestargets for the river salinity of each tributaryvalley and the Murray-Darling system thatreflect the shared responsibility for action bothbetween valley communities and between States.It provides a stable and accountable framework,that over time, will generate confidence in howwe are tracking in our joint efforts to managesalinity. Whilst setting targets for 2015, theStrategy also calls for predicting salinity impactsfor both 50 and 100-year scenarios. Thesepredictions will be based on the best available

models and data at the time and will be revisedin light of new information gained from therolling five year reviews, monitoring and modeldevelopment.

The purpose of the Basin Salinity ManagementStrategy Annual Implementation Report is toprovide a salinity reporting framework, wherebya range of biophysical and socio-economicoutcomes is represented in an integrated Basincontext. In the first year of the Strategy, thereporting framework is being developed and thefocus has been primarily on developing reportingmechanisms to implement the Strategy ratherthan works and measures.

In 2001/2002 a number of achievements wereaccomplished. A brief summary of theseachievements is outlined in Table 3.

Basin-wide Ministerial Council Agreement to the Basin Salinity Management StrategyAchievements • The Strategy was officially released by Minister Truss on the

17 September 2001

Conceptual Framework for Strategy Implementation and Delivery• Formation of inter-jurisdictional working group to oversee the

implementation of the Strategy

• Revision of Schedule C to the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement

• Development of the joint works program for the Basin SalinityManagement Strategy

• Partnership arrangements set up with State Governments

Investment in knowledge generation and tools

• Interim Rapid Assessment Tool for salinity impacts of water trade

• Hydrographic review of the Basin monitoring network

• Tributary salinity and flow modelling

• Updated Commission Model

• Basin Irrigation and Salinity Mapping

• Vegetation Bank Concept

• Redesigning Dryland and Irrigation Farming Systems

• Airborne Geophysics

• Modelling Workshop

Table 3. Implementing the Basin Salinity Management Strategy - 2001/2002 Highlights

The Basin Salinity

Management Strategy

works within the

Integrated Catchment

Management

framework,

encouraging

communities and

governments to work

together and share

responsibility to

control salinity and

protect key natural

resources.

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The Basin salinity target in the River Murray at Morgan, South Australia, is less than 800 EC for 95% of the time. Morgan isupstream of the major urban and industrial offtake where Adelaide sources its water. The salinity (EC) at Morgan is thereference point for salinity credits and debits.

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Irrigation adjacent to the River Murray


2. Background


2.1 S&D Strategy 1988–2000The Salinity and Drainage Strategy was agreed toin 1989 by the Murray-Darling Basin MinisterialCouncil and provided a framework for jointaction by the New South Wales, Victorian, SouthAustralian and Commonwealth governments toeffectively manage the problems of waterloggingand land salinisation in the irrigation districts ofthe Murray Valley in New South Wales andVictoria and river salinity in the lower MurrayRiver. The Strategy was based on a balancebetween engineering (interception schemeswhich divert saline groundwater that wouldotherwise flow into the river) and non-engineering (land and water management)solutions, which tackle both river salinity andland salinisation. Under the Strategy, no Statewas to construct works or approve any proposalthat would have an adverse impact on thesalinity of the River Murray unless it hadpreviously earned ‘salinity credits’ bycontributing to salinity mitigation works.

A review of the Salinity and Drainage Strategywas completed in July 2000. The review assessedthe strengths of the existing Strategy, pointed toareas that could be improved and proposed theintegration of the existing 1988 Salinity andDrainage Strategy with the new Basin SalinityManagement Strategy.

2.2 Basin Salinity ManagementStrategy

A draft Basin Salinity Management Strategy wasreleased for public comment in early September2000. The draft Strategy was the first BasinStrategy to be developed consistent with theIntegrated Catchment Management Policy. Thedraft Strategy was prepared with substantialinput from all six partner governments, theCommunity Advisory Committee and technicalexperts.

At the end of the three month feedback period,approximately 200 submissions had beenreceived on the draft Strategy. Following anevaluation of public comments, the draftStrategy was revised for Council consideration inMarch 2001. On approval by Commission andCouncil, the Basin Salinity Management Strategy2001–2015 was officially released by MinisterTruss, Chairman of Ministerial Council on 17 September 2001.

2.2.1 Strategy Objectives

The Murray-Darling Basin is the food-bowl ofthe nation and is a major contributor toAustralia’s important and burgeoning foodexport markets. The Basin is home to uniqueand environmentally significant natural features,many of which are subject to internationaltreaties. Over two million people directly dependon the natural resources of the Basin for theirlivelihood, and their future prosperity isdependent upon its sustainable management.These values are at risk from salinity.

Under current trends, future Basin-wide salinityimpacts will be so large that it will not be feasibleto contain or reduce them in all at-risk areas. Thehigh cost of salinity prevention and rehabilitationwill prohibit protection or restoration of naturalresource values in all parts of the Basin.

This means that in different areas, careful choiceswill need to be made between three approachesto salinity management: to attempt to reverse it;to limit its rate of spread and impacts; or to let ittake its course. A ‘business as usual’ approach isnot acceptable.

The Strategy has a Basin-wide focus andemphasises the first two approaches, and will:

• Maintain the water quality of the sharedwater resources of the Murray and DarlingRivers for all beneficial uses—river salinity atMorgan, SA, will be maintained at less than800 EC for 95% of the time;

• Control the rise in salt loads in all tributaryrivers of the Murray-Darling Basin, andthrough that control, protect their waterresources and aquatic ecosystems at agreedlevels—meeting the end-of-valley targets;

• Control land degradation and protectimportant terrestrial ecosystems, productivefarm land, cultural heritage, and builtinfrastructure at agreed levels Basin-wide—expressed as within-valley targets; and

• Maximise net benefits from salinity controlacross the Basin.

The means of achieving these objectives will bethe application of actions to attain targets for theshared water resources (less than 800 EC for95% of the time at Morgan), for each tributaryvalley (end-of-valley salinity, salt load and flow)and for other Basin-wide values and assets (Statewithin-valley management targets).

Under the S&D

Strategy, deliberate

adverse impacts on

River Murray salinity

were offset with

‘salinity credits’.

The BSMS builds on

the success of the S&D

Strategy.

The BSMS has four

objectives: maintain

water quality; control

salt loads;

control land

degradation and

protect resources; and

maximise benefits.



2.2.2 Basin Strategic Approach

There are nine elements to the Strategy, whichfollow a logical sequence, similar to that used incatchment planning for salinity management.

The nine elements are:

• Developing capacity to implementthe Strategy

• Identifying values and assets at risk

• Setting salinity targets

• Managing trade-offs with the availablewithin-valley options

• Implementing salinity and catchmentmanagement plans

• Redesigning farming systems

• Targeting reforestation andvegetation management

• Constructing salt interception works

• Ensuring Basin-wide accountability:monitoring, evaluating and reporting

Much of the strategic implementation is in thehands of the catchment communities and guidedby salinity and catchment management plans.The governments are committed to workingclosely with communities within the principles ofthe ICM policy.

There are 9 elements

to the BSMS, which

are aimed at guiding

the implementation of

the Strategy.

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Joh

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Extensive rehabilitation work with the Barr Creek catchment, combined with engineering works such as drainage diversionpumps are providing significant salinity benefits to downstream users.

Evaporation basin for saline groundwater, Barr Creek

Drainage diversion pumps at Barr Creek


3. Year in Review


Much of the focus of the first year of the BasinSalinity Management Strategy (BSMS) was onimplementation aspects, such as the revision ofSchedule C to the Murray-Darling BasinAgreement, development of protocols toimplement the revised Schedule C and theformation of a working group to oversee theimplementation of the Strategy. Significantinvestment has also occurred in knowledgegeneration, particularly with respect tomodelling activities and a hydrological review ofthe end-of-valley monitoring network. Partnergovernments have been developing priorityprograms under the National Action Plan forSalinity and Water Quality and in some cases on-ground works have been initiated by catchmentcommunities.

3.1 Implementing AccountabilityFeatures of the BSMS

Prior to the BSMS, Schedule C of the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement specified the statutoryrequirements of the 1988 Salinity & DrainageStrategy (S&DS), which included the operationof joint salt interception schemes, operating aRegister of Morgan salinity credits and debits forreporting and accountability.

As the BSMS replaces the S&DS, Schedule C isbeing revised to give effect to its key elements,while still preserving the achievements of theS&DS. The development of the new Schedule Chas involved detailed consultation with partnergovernments and coordination with the BasinSalinity Management Strategy ImplementationWorking Group (BSMS IWG) and the High LevelWorking Group on Salt Interception (HLWGSI).

It is expected that the revised Schedule C to the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement will bepresented to Commission for consideration inSeptember 2002 and Council for approval inNovember 2002.

To further provide guidance to theimplementation of Schedule C, a set of protocolsis being developed through the BSMS IWG.These protocols will be presented to theCommission in March 2003 for endorsement.

3.1.1 Commission Salinity Registers

The operation of the Register is currently beingrevised in light of the new Basin SalinityManagement Strategy and will be incorporatedinto the revised Schedule C to the Murray-DarlingBasin Agreement. The existing Register, updatedfor 2001/2002, is presented in Table 4. Theoperating rules under the Salinity and Drainage

Strategy still apply for the period 2001/2002. It isexpected that the new operating rules under theBasin Salinity Management Strategy, which arecurrently being finalised, will be applied in2002/2003.

3.2. Joint Works ProgramUnder the Basin Salinity Management Strategy anew joint works program of salt interceptionschemes has been initiated to offset the predictedfuture increases in average daily salinity, arisingfrom accountable actions and delayed salinityimpacts by 61 EC.

As part of the new joint works program theCouncil will finalise the cost sharing and benefitallocation by November 2002, after taking advicefrom the Commission’s high-level working groupon salt interception schemes. This will require:

• A decision on the size of the joint worksprogram; and

• The basis for cost sharing between partnergovernments and the basis for allocatingsalinity benefits between the governments asSalinity Disposal Entitlements and towardsoffsetting the ‘legacy of history’.

The arrangements for the new joint worksprogram will be formalised in a revised Schedule Cto the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement.

3.2.1 Performance of Salt InterceptionSchemes in the Joint Works Program

Each of the salt interception schemes has definedoperating targets that relate to their predictedsalinity impacts at Morgan. For the period July2001 to June 2002, only the Rufus River Schemeperformed poorly against its target (Table 5). Thepoor performance was attributed to thecontinued maintenance on Line 2 of the scheme,which has now been completed and isfunctioning in its full capacity.

In total, the salt interception schemes that arepart of the joint works program prevented over450 000 tonnes of salt from entering the river.

New joint works for

salinity control will

offset predicted future

salinity increases

amounting to 61 EC.

Reduced salt loads

demonstrate the

impact of the salt

interception scheme.



Table 4: Salinity and Drainage Strategy Register at June 2002(Victorian entries revised on pro rata basis using July 2002 Version of Register and allocations made by Victoria in 2000/01)



Salt

Inte

rcep

tion

Sch

eme

Vol

um

e P

um

ped

Salt

Loa

d D

iver

ted

Ave

rage

Sal

init

y# T

arge

t A

chie

ved

Pow

er C

onsu

mp

tion

kW

h(M

L)

(Ton

nes

)(E

C U

nit

s)(%

of T

ime)

Tot

als

Bar

r C

reek

11 7

8745

889

7 73

185

%21

2 54

2

Mild

ura

-Mer

bein

2 60

274

717

39 5

0062

%81

4 11

3

Mal

lee

Clif

fs2

160

88 0

0064

000

79%

675

820

Bu

ron

ga2

170

80 5

0059

000

89%

678

949

Woo

lpu

nda

5 03

010

2 00

030

000

92%

3 40

0 00

0

Wai

keri

e3

073

53 8

0025

800

88%

1 60

0 00

0

Ru

fus

Riv

er

Lin

e 1

328

2 32

212

837

40%

30 4

49

Lin

e 2

612

188

58 8

072%

7 80

3

Lin

e 3

103

4 34

274

406

60%

35 0

10

Lin

e 4

792

182

45 7

6748

%28

853

Min

or P

/S51

897

Maj

or P

/S83

358

Tota

l Ru

fus

Riv

er57

211

035

33 4

5023

7 37

0

TO

TA

L27

965

466

975

7 61

8 79

4

Table 5: Joint Salt Interception Scheme Performance Reporting 2001/02

# Al

l site

s ha

ve g

roun

d w

ater

leve

l tar

gets

, with

the

exce

ptio

n of

Bar

r Cre

ek w

hich

has

a ta

rget

bas

ed o

n vo

lum

es p

umpe

d.



3.3 Rolling Five-year ReviewsAs part of the BSMS, each State contractinggovernment will be required to review andreport upon each valley where an end-of-valleytarget has been adopted and in doing so list allactions undertaken within that State. A rollingfive-year review program for each valley andCommission register entry is being developed bythe BSMS IWG. The timetable for completingthese reviews is listed in Table 6.

During 2001/2002 four reviews were completedand another three reviews are still in progress.The completed reviews are detailed below.

3.3.1 Rolling Reviews - State Actions

Barr Creek Diversion Scheme

The performance review of the Barr CreekDiversion Scheme was completed by SinclairKnight Merz in October 2001 (SKM, 2001c). Theperformance review indicated that for the periodJuly 2001 to June 2002, 45 889 tonnes of saltwere diverted from Barr Creek into disposalbasins, which was 68% of the design target forthat period. The impact of the scheme on theriver was last assessed in 1999 (MDBC, 1999).

Each State will report

on actions taken to

reach end-of-valley

targets.

Register Actions Agreed Priority Expected Completion for Review Date

Lake Hawthorn Drainage Diversion 2001/02 *

Rufus River Groundwater Interception Scheme 2002/03 *

Curlwaa (Tuckers Creek) Groundwater 2003/04 *Interception Scheme

Noora (Renmark) Drainage Disposal Scheme 2001/02 *

Buronga and Mildura-Merbein Salt Interception 2000/01+ In progressSchemes - pre and post upgrade component

Barr Creek Catchment 2001/02 *- Pre-baseline component Completed- Revised operating rules Completed- Barr Creek SMP effect *

Woolpunda Groundwater Interception Scheme 2005/06 *

Waikerie Groundwater Interception Scheme 2005/06 *

Mallee Cliffs Groundwater Interception Scheme 2003/04 *

Psyche Bend Drainage Diversion 2003/04 *

Qualco Sunlands Drainage and Salinity Pending *Mitigation Scheme 2001/02

Tragowel Plains Salinity Management Plan 2004/05 *

Shepparton Salinity Management Plan 2000/01 In progress

Nangiloc Colignan Salinity Management Plan 2004/05 *

Nyah to SA Border Salinity Management Plan 2000/01 *

Kerang Lakes - Swan Hill Salinity Management Plan 2004/05 *

Campaspe West Salinity Management Plan 2002/03 Completed

Boort West of Loddon Salinity Management Plan 2004/05 *

Koondrook Murrabit Salinity Management Plan 2004/05 *

NSW Land and Water Management Plans (four plans) 2000/01 In progress

South Australian Irrigation Development through 2001/02 In progresswater trade

Table 6. Rolling Five-year Review Program

*To be advised



Valley Actions Agreed Priority Expected Completion for Review Date

New South Wales

Namoi * *

Gwydir * *

Macquarie * *

NSW Border Rivers 2002/2003 2003

Murrumbidgee * *

Bogan * *

Castlereagh * *

Lachlan * *

NSW Mallee Zone 2002/2003 2003

NSW Upper Murray * *

Barwon-Darling * *

NSW Riverine Plains * *

Victoria

Goulburn * *

Broken * *

Ovens * *

Kiewa * *

Wimmera * *

Avoca * *

Campaspe * *

Loddon * *

Vic. Mallee Zone 2002/2003 2003

Vic. Riverine Plains * *

Vic. Upper Murray * *

South Australia

SA Mallee Zone 2002/2003 *

Queensland

Condamine Balonne 2005/2006 *

Qld Border Rivers 2002/2003 2003

Moonie 2003/2004 *

Warrego 2004/2005 *

Paroo 2004/2005 *

Table 6. Rolling Five-year Review Program (continued)

*To be advised



Campaspe West Salinity Management Plan

The Campaspe West Salinity Management Planwas reviewed during 2001 (SKM, 2001d),indicating that the impact of the plan on theMurray would be an improvement of 0.34 EC.Additional planned works will increase thecurrent benefit from 0.34 EC to 0.41 EC. Theimplementation of works such as surface waterdrainage and groundwater pumping has resultedin benefits to greater than 167 Ha of land sincethe plan commenced.

South Australian Accountability 1988–2001

As part of the sign-off on the 1988 Salinity andDrainage Strategy (S&DS), South Australiaagreed to ‘bring its commitment to the S&DSinto balance within 2 years’, particularlyconsidering the actions that result in debitsrelated to drainage from new irrigationdevelopment between 1988 and 2001 and tochanged wetland management practices.

To identify these salinity debits and credits theSA Government has facilitated a comprehensiveand transparent assessment of all theaccountable activities undertaken during thisperiod. The purpose of this audit was to confirmthat the approach taken at the inception of theS&DS has ensured that the original commitmentto salinity neutrality has been achieved.

The BSMS IWG will oversee the technical reviewof the salinity impacts of permanent water tradein 2002/2003, and South Australia is currentlyimplementing a tracking system for water tradesalinity assessment, which will facilitate futurereporting requirements.

3.3.2 Rolling Reviews - Valley Actions

SA Mallee Zone - predicting future drylandsalt loads to the River Murray

Significant work has been completed ongroundwater models for the western MurrayBasin in South Australia to predict the increasein groundwater inflows and salt loads to theRiver Murray as a result of land clearing in theMallee.

Modelling of various recharge reductionstrategies to reduce saline groundwater inflowswere considered, with indications thatcontinuous revegetation closer to the river wasmore effective than changes to existing farmingsystems over large areas. It was also noted thatrecharge reduction actions further than 20 kilometres from the river will have no impacton river salinity for hundreds of years. Anindependent review of this report will be

undertaken in 2003 to examine the scientificvalidity and salinity impacts on the CommissionRegister, in particular the role of legacy of history(i.e. salinity impacts from development pre-1988).

3.4 End-of-valley TargetsA key feature of this Strategy is Council’sadoption of salinity targets for each tributaryvalley and a Basin target at Morgan in SouthAustralia. While end-of-valley targets allow forfurther rises in salinity, they are in effect avoluntary ‘cap’ on salinity that gives theappropriate signals for protecting key values andassets in the valleys, whilst also encouraging theStates to meet their obligations to protect theshared rivers. The partner governments havenominated an interim set of end-of-valley targetsin New South Wales and South Australia forstream salinity and salt loads. Each State has setits own program for the finalisation of targets. Inthe interim, Council adopted targets are listed inAnnex 5. All targets must be finalised by March2004. Flow and salinity data for each end-of-valley and interpretation site for the 12 monthperiod July 2001–June 2002 are shown in Table 7. The appropriate time interval to reporton progress towards end-of-valley targets iscurrently being addressed through thedevelopment of protocols to Schedule C of theMurray-Darling Basin Agreement.

End-of-valley targets

are in effect a

voluntary ‘cap’ on

salinity to protect

within-valley assets

and to meet mutual

obligations towards

protecting the

shared rivers.

©Jo

hn B

aker

Citrus production at Bookpurnong, South Australia



Val

ley

Site

AW

RC

N

o. o

f day

sN

o. o

f day

sSa

linit

yFl

own

o.w

ith

sal

init

yw

ith

flow

reco

rds

reco

rds

Mea

nM

edia

n80

%ile

Mea

nM

edia

n80

%ile

SA Lock

6 to

Mor

gan

Riv

er M

urra

y at

Mor

gan

4265

5435

335

259

660

365

24

606

4 17

06

500

Riv

er M

urra

y at

Loc

k 4

4265

1436

436

448

348

953

55

485

5 80

06

700

Riv

er M

urra

y at

Loc

k 6

4265

1036

436

440

840

646

24

062

4 72

05

049

Bel

ow M

orga

nR

iver

Mur

ray

at M

urra

yN

AN

AN

AN

AN

AN

AN

AN

A

Bri

dge

4265

2222

4N

A60

358

668

0N

AN

AN

A

NSW

Mur

rum

bidg

eeM

urru

mbi

dgee

at B

alra

nald

4101

3036

435

315

615

121

382

239

01

490

Lach

lan

Lach

lan

at F

orbe

s41

2004

365

359

518

447

590

2 21

81

813

3 27

0

Bog

anB

ogan

at G

ongo

lgon

4210

2336

536

552

052

868

350

3462

Mac

quar

ieM

acqu

arie

at C

arin

da42

1012

365

365

612

648

718

8224

109

Cas

tlere

agh

Cas

tlere

agh

at G

unga

lman

Bri

dge

4200

2018

316

71

025

1 01

31

148

4032

54

Nam

oiN

amoi

at G

oang

ra41

9026

365

365

522

482

612

156

7820

4

Gw

ydir

/Meh

iM

ehi a

t Bro

nte

4180

5836

536

549

048

464

277

3311

5

NSW

Bor

der

Riv

ers

Bar

won

at M

ungi

ndi

4160

0136

536

527

928

832

718

311

021

1

Inte

rpre

tatio

n sit

es

NSW

Upp

er M

urra

yM

urra

y at

Hey

woo

ds40

9016

204

364

4744

4810

430

8 02

020

522

Bar

won

-Dar

ling

Dar

ling

at W

ilcan

nia

4250

0830

536

592

787

41

373

523

400

890

NSW

Riv

erin

e Pl

ains

Mur

ray

at R

edcl

iffs

4142

0424

9N

A27

426

632

5N

AN

AN

A

NSW

Mal

lee

Zone

Mur

ray

at L

ock

642

6510

364

364

408

406

462

4 06

24

720

5 04

9

Table 7: Summary Table of Salinity and Flow Statistics for End-of-Valley Sites 2001/2002



NA

-not

ava

ilabl

e

Val

ley

Site

AW

RC

N

o. o

f day

sN

o. o

f day

sSa

linit

yFl

own

o.w

ith

sal

init

yw

ith

flow

reco

rds

reco

rds

Mea

nM

edia

n80

%ile

Mea

nM

edia

n80

%ile

Vic

.

Wim

mer

aW

imm

era

at H

orsh

am W

eir

4152

0036

536

51

548

1 51

21

836

235

37

Avo

caA

voca

at Q

uam

bato

ok40

8203

NA

90N

AN

AN

A11

613

Lodd

onLo

ddon

at L

aane

coor

ie40

7203

NA

365

NA

NA

NA

213

185

332

Cam

pasp

eC

ampa

spe

at P

umps

4062

0236

136

583

688

11

170

3828

52

Gou

lbur

nG

oulb

urn

at M

urch

ison

4052

0036

536

513

311

420

134

129

747

7

Ove

nsO

vens

at P

eech

elba

Eas

t40

3241

304

365

6563

802

456

1 00

34

721

Kie

wa

Kie

wa

at B

andi

ana

4022

0515

336

050

5059

1 42

31

022

2 55

0

Inte

rpre

tatio

n sit

es

Vic

. Upp

er M

urra

yM

urra

y at

Hey

woo

ds40

9016

204

364

4744

4810

430

8 02

020

522

Vic

. Riv

erin

e Pl

ains

Mur

ray

at S

wan

Hill

4092

0436

236

518

817

823

93

527

3 17

34

652

Vic

. Mal

lee

Zone

Mur

ray

at L

ock

642

6510

364

364

408

406

462

4 06

24

720

5 04

9

Qu

een

slan

d

Moo

nie

Moo

nie

at F

ento

n41

7204

AN

A88

NA

NA

NA

115

1316

3

Bal

land

ool

Bal

land

ool a

t Woo

lerb

illa-

Heb

el R

d42

2207

AN

A14

7N

AN

AN

A20

533

Bok

hara

Bok

hara

at H

ebel

4222

09A

NA

149

NA

NA

NA

5324

103

Bri

arie

Ck

Bri

arie

at W

oole

rbill

a-H

ebel

Rd

4222

11A

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Paro

o Pa

roo

at C

aiw

arro

4242

01A

NA

163

NA

NA

NA

879

3846

6

AC

T

AC

TM

urru

mbi

dgee

at H

all’s

Cro

ssin

g41

0777

NA

362

NA

NA

NA

1 08

655

11

195

Table 7: Summary Table of Salinity and Flow Statistics for End-of-Valley Sites 2001/2002 (continued)



Morgan Salinity

The recorded salinities for Morgan across fourdiffering time intervals: 1 year, 5 years, 10 yearsand 25 years are presented in Table 8 to reflectthe variability of salinity at Morgan.

The Basin salinity target is to maintain theaverage daily salinity at Morgan at a simulatedlevel of less than 800 EC for at least 95% of thetime during the benchmark period (1975–2000).The achievement of the target will be assessed bythe Commission from time to time, using anumber of models adapted to simulate the landand water management conditions at the timethe assessment is made.

In 2001/2002 there has been a combination offactors including additional dilution flows toSouth Australia and unregulated high river flowsthat have meant the salinity remained below theBasin target for 100% of the time. Average dailyrecorded flows and salinity at Morgan for the

period July 2001 to June 2002 are presented inFigure 1.

Our current knowledge of the impact of salinity predicts that if no further interventionoccurs, then the average salinity at Morgan willbe 790 EC at 2050 (MDBMC, 1999). Thecontributions to this increase from each tributary valley are presented in Figure 2.

The salinity profile of the Murray River (Figure 3), from the headwaters (far left of chart)to the mouth (far right of chart), during2001/2002 and the 10-year period of 1992–2002are compared in Figure 3. The median riversalinity for 2001/2002 is lower than the 10-yearaverage along the Murray River upstream of theDarling River junction and higher for the lengthof the Murray below the Darling junction. Thereasons for this are related to the low flow in theNorthern Rivers during 2001/2002.

Time Interval Average 50% ile 95% ile

1 Year 590 597 690July 2001 to June 2002

5 Year 541 541 735July 1997 to June 2002

10 Year 547 547 810July 1992 to June 2002

25 Year 632 608 1 061July 1977 to June 2002

Table 8: Morgan Recorded Salinities

Figure 1: Flow and Salinity Levels at Morgan 2001–2002

Current predictions

indicate that if no

further intervention

occurs, the average

salinity at Morgan

will be 790 EC

at 2050.



Figure 2: Current Estimated Contributions to Average Salinity at Morgan, South Australia, in EC units

NB: Colours only used to distinguish defined catchment boundaries and do not relate to salinity values



Baseline Conditions

In order to set a realistic target and measureprogress towards the target, a set of baselineconditions at the beginning of the Basin SalinityManagement Strategy are necessary. A baselineconditions technical panel, comprising arepresentative from each jurisdiction, has beenestablished to determine the baseline conditionsas of 1 January 2000 that contribute to thesalinity, salt load and flow regime for each end-of-valley site and the Basin target site at Morgan.The baseline conditions for Morgan will bedeveloped by March 2003 and for each tributaryvalley by March 2004.

3.5 Protection of Within-ValleyAssets

The protection of within-valley assets ensuresthe maintenance of water supplies fordownstream purposes according to communityvalues. This may include the protection of watersupplies for drinking, irrigation, stock wateringor ecosystem protection. Within–valley actionsare being driven by national and State strategiesas part of Regional Catchment ManagementPlans. These strategies and plans provide theframework, funding and processes forimplementing locally appropriate, prioritisedworks. At a national level, the major salinityinitiative is the National Action Plan for Salinityand Water Quality (NAPSWQ), which is a jointpartnership between the Commonwealth andStates where each provide 50% of the funding.The purpose of the National Action Plan (NAP) is

to identify high priority, immediate actions toaddress salinity and deteriorating water qualityin key catchments across Australia. Theimplementation of the State and national salinityplans is critical to the success of the BSMS.

Each of the States within the Murray-DarlingBasin has signed a bilateral agreement with theCommonwealth under the National Action Planfor Salinity and Water Quality. As of 30 June2002, $5.6 million dollars has been approved forNAP projects in NSW, $53 million for NAPprojects in Victoria, and $15.1 million for NAPprojects in South Australia.

At the State level, catchment management plansare being developed in a broader context, withmore than one funding program and more thanone issue being addressed. The status of naturalresource management plans within the Basin asof 30 June 2002 is:

New South Wales

Throughout 2001/2002 all NSW Catchmentsdeveloped a draft Catchment Blueprint. TheCatchment Blueprints have been responsible forsetting end-of-valley and within-valley targets,along with management actions and strategies toachieve these targets. It is expected that allBlueprints will be published in early 2003.

South Australia

A number of catchment plans exist at differentstages within the South Australian Murray-

Sal

init

y (

EC

µs/

cm)

Lak

e V

icto

ria

Dar

lin

g R

iver

Mu

rru

mb

idge

e R

iver

Wak

oo

l R

iver

Bar

r C

k a

nd

L

od

do

n R

iver

Ov

ens

Riv

er

Bro

ken

Cre

ekG

ou

lbu

rn R

iver

Cam

pap

se R

iver

Mit

ta M

itta

Riv

erK

iew

a R

iver

Mu

rray

Bri

dge

115k

m

Mo

rgan

320

km

Lo

ck 3

431

km

Lo

ck 5

562

km

D/S

Ru

fus

Riv

er 6

90k

m

Lo

ck 9

771

km

Mer

bei

n 8

70k

m

Red

clif

fs 9

10k

m

Eu

sto

n 1

121k

m

D/S

Wak

oo

lJu

nct

ion

130

1km

Sw

an H

ill

1410

km

Bar

ham

150

7km

To

rru

mb

arry

Wei

r 16

28k

m

Yar

raw

on

ga W

eir

1910

km

Jin

gell

ic 2

210k

m

Figure 3: River Murray Salinity Profile - 1992 to 2002 95%iles and Medians and 2001 to 2002 Medians

Regional Catchment

Management Plans

provide the

framework, funding

and processes for

implementing locally

appropriate,

prioritised

on-ground works.



Darling Basin. There a two key plans currently indraft stage: the INRM plan and the River MurrayCatchment Water Management Plan. Both ofthese plans are expected to be finalised in2002/2003.

Victoria

There are five main planning areas for theVictorian Murray-Darling Basin. Of these theMallee and North Central are in the process ofamalgamating pre-existing salinity managementplans into a single Land and Water ManagementStrategy.

Queensland

The Queensland Murray-Darling Committee andthe Condamine Alliance are the approvedregional natural resource management bodiesestablished under the National Action Plan forSalinity and Water Quality to lead thecommunity-based natural resource managementand planning in the Queensland Murray-DarlingBasin. Development of plans has commencedand is expected to be completed in early 2004.These plans will set the targets, directions,priorities and strategies for addressing salinityrisk.

3.6 On-Ground ActionsThis is the first year of implementation of theBasin Salinity Management Strategy, as such,much of the focus has been on planning inrelation to the implementation of the Strategy.Despite this focus, there has still beenconsiderable on-ground action undertakenwithin the jurisdictions. A summary of the landmanagement and engineering actions for eachtributary valley is summarised in Annex 6. Themajority of work has focussed on land usechange (i.e. revegetation, establishment ofalternative pastures, improvement to currentcropping systems) or engineering works such asthe construction of drains and groundwaterpumps. These works will have a positive impacton stabilising groundwater levels andconsequently minimising the potential for saltmobilisation.

3.7 Basin-Wide ImplementationActivities

3.7.1 Murray-Darling 2001 Program(MD2001)

In 2000/01, $9 million (combinedCommonwealth and State monies) was allocated

to projects designed to deliver Basin outcomes in salinity and algal management in keycatchments. Targeted component funds weredirected to key catchments on the basis of theBasin Salinity Audit and the Algal ManagementStrategy. At the time the projects wereformulated, salinity targets had not yet been set,although the general principle of either reducingor stabilising in-stream salinity was identified asa required outcome for the targeted component.In 2001/02, a further $11.72 million wasdirected to key catchments, allowing projectswhich were performing well to access a furtheryear of funding. 2001/2002 was the last year offunding for the MD2001 program with projectsdue for completion in late 2002–early 2003.

Projects funded under the targeted componentare listed in Table 9.

3.7.2 Targeting Reforestation and VegetationManagement

Under the BSMS, the Ministerial Council agreedto the further development of the VegetationBank concept. As originally envisaged, theVegetation Bank would contribute pooledpublic/private funds for targeted investment inreforestation and vegetation management,invested only in areas where there would bemeasurable salinity benefits. The VegetationBank project was subsequently undertaken to develop the concept in three stages over 18 months.

A Project Board comprising Commissioners,Deputy Commissioners and a representative ofthe CAC was formed (with Dr Bob Smith asExecutive). It was intended that the concept bedeveloped with strong linkages to thedevelopment of market-based instruments underthe National Action Plan for Salinity and WaterQuality. Despite considerable effort along theselines, the Commission has subsequently decidedthat because governments are exploring similarmechanisms, the Commission would defer itsdevelopment of the Vegetation Bank concept.The Project Board will keep a ‘watching brief’ onfurther developments.

The project has also been focussed on geographicprioritisation of those areas within the Murray-Darling Basin where revegetation using woodyperennials is most likely to deliver positiveoutcomes in terms of mitigating salinity. Theinitial work in this area has included:

• The identification of a range of relevant andavailable datasets which could be utilised forthis purpose at a Basin-wide scale; and,

A conceptual model

linking changes in

land use to changes in

stream flow and salt

load, assists

catchment- scale

prioritisation of tree

planting.



• Collaboration with researchers and othertechnical experts on developing analyticaltools which can help to identify where themost benefit is likely to be gained throughrevegetation (and other land use changeoptions).

An outcome of this project has been thedevelopment of a tool called BC2C (BiophysicalCapacity to Change). BC2C is a conceptual modelthat links changes in land use to changes instream flow volume and salt load. BC2C allowsthe prioritising of areas for tree planting withinlarge catchments. The BC2C tool is aimed atcatchment managers and policy makers to makerapid assessments of the gross change in salt and

water balance in response to land use change.BC2C has lead to the development of a series ofmaps (Figures 4 and 5), which spatially representthe impact of changing from current land usesystems to a scenario with 100% trees on the ECat Morgan and the in-valleyEC change.

In response to developments, the priority for theproject will now be to progress this knowledgegeneration further, in collaboration with Stateand regional partners as well as R&Dorganisations. The project’s parameters will bebroadened by working closely with the Salinityand Dryland sub-programs within theCommission Office, to ensure that work being

Project Outcomes / Outputs

Central-West NSW - Tools to Achieving salinity targets at Baroona (Macquarie River) and achieve landscape redesign Forbes (Lachlan River).giving environmental / –Achieved through interception plantings, retention of native economic targets vegetation and increased levels of perennial pastures in key

upland landscapes thereby reducing the level of salinisation in local groundwater systems.

Liverpool Plains NSW - Stabilising salt loads in the Namoi River.Mitigating salinity through –Achieved through revegetation on principle recharge areas of thelandscape-scale management Liverpool Plains.change

Goulburn-Broken Vic. - Meet end-of-valley salinity targets for Goulburn-Broken.Accelerating works for end- Reducing in-stream salt loads in south-west Goulburn, upper of-valley targets in the Broken and mid-Goulburn areas through farm forestry, native Goulburn-Broken revegetation and perennial pastures.

North-Central - Vic. - Reducing salt loads in the Lodden River in order to protect river Implementing targeted health, particularly the RAMSAR-listed wetlands of the Kerang salinity management in the Lakes system and irrigation water quality.Lodden catchment

Improving perenniality of landscapes in the Bet Bet catchment which is a high salt exporter, protecting remanent vegetation and installing re-use systems.

Mallee - South Australia - Reducing impacts of dryland recharge on salt loads to the Salinity Reduction Program River Murray.

Identify priority areas for the implementation of suitable land management practices and establishing perennial vegetation in those priority areas.

Mallee - South Australia - Reduce floodplain degradationAssessing current and future impacts of land management Identify those areas of the Murray floodplain at greatest risk induced groundwater discharge from degradation particularly from irrigation development on floodplain health and dryland recharge.

Queensland - Managing Information to support setting interim salinity targetsdryland salinity in the Queensland MDB Investigation and characterisation of shallow aquifers in the

QMDB in order to determine the risk of dryland salinity related to land use and management practices.

Table 9: Description of projects included in the targeted component of the MD2001 Initiative

Links with other

programs will be

developed to enhance

and test the

effectiveness of the

BC2C project.



Example only: estimates have not undergone thorough checking– The current-trees scenario assumes % woody vegetation greater than 2 m tall. Original 25 m cells (1–woody, 0–not) are summed

per 250 m cell to provide a per cent woody cover.– Et was calculated using the methods developed by Zhang (1999) with an additional latitude dependent adjustment for this work

(Dowling et al. in prep).– Rainfall Salinity: Blackburn & McLeod (1983); Simpson and Herzeg (1984).– Groundwater Salinity: based on expert opinion for GFS classes.

Draft25/09/02

Draft25/09/02

In-Valley EC Changes

Changes in EC at MorganµS/cm/km2

µS/cm/km2

–0.5 – –0.001–0.001 – –0.0005–0.0005 – 0.0001–0.0001 – 0.00010.0001 – 0.00050.0005 – 0.0010.001 – 0.5

–0.04 – –0.001–0.001 – –0.0005–0.0005 – 0.00001–0.00001 – 0.000010.00001 – 0.00050.0005 – 0.0010.001 – 0.05

Change in Morganflow-weighted EC

Scenario: Change from current to

100% trees after 50 yrs.

Change in EC = Flow-weighted

in-valley

EC x (avg. contribution/618.2)

(average contribution is the average

contribution of AWRC basins

(MDBC, 2002))

Change in In–valleyflow–weighted EC

Scenario: Change from current to

100% trees after 50 yrs.

Change in EC = dScell

(t/cell)/dWcell(ML/cell)–Sbsn(t/bsn)

/Wbsn(ML/bsn) x

1000/0.6xdWcell(ML/km2)/Wbsn

(ML/km2)

Figure 4: In-Valley EC Changes

Figure 5: Changes in EC at Morgan



undertaken is optimised. Links with theHeartlands initiative will provide the opportunityto test the effectiveness of land use changeoptions and guide future decision-making andinvestment by the MDBC.

3.7.3 Redesigning Farming Systems -Dryland

In order to redesign farming systems it isnecessary to identify where current farmingpractice is sustainable and where new systemsare required. The Landscapes and IndustriesProgram’s Landmark and CatchmentCharacterisation projects are helping to definewhere and what magnitude of changeis required.

The objective of the Landmark project is toidentify the need for land use and landmanagement change, and to explore policyresponses that may facilitate change in broadacredryland regions of the Murray-Darling Basin.The project is currently being trialed in threepilot regions within the Basin:

• Goulburn-Broken - High rainfall grazing

• Billabong - Winter cropping

• Condamine - Summer cropping

Application of the Landmark Projectmethodology provides the capacity to spatiallyrepresent the extent to which particular systemsachieve sustainability indicators. The results fromthe Goulburn-Broken pilot region will beavailable in early 2003, followed by theCondamine and Billabong catchments mid-year,together with policy options to supportsustainable land management. The Landmarkmethodology will also be refined for potentialapplication elsewhere in the Basin.

The Catchment Characterisation project allows themapping of different types of groundwater flowsystems across the Basin. As these systemsbehave similarly, the classification approachprovides some insights about salinity risk andpotential salinity management options. It alsopoints toward the size of the land use changeneeded to achieve a desired hydrologicaloutcome, and the timeframe over which it islikely to happen.

The MDBC is also a major partner in theHeartlands initiative. This project combines on-ground works with R&D to develop and testoptions for targeted land use change in theBasin. Implemented across four focus catchmentsin Victoria (Honeysuckle Creek and Ovens River)

and NSW (Billabong Creek and Kyeamba Creek),the project combines three major elements basedon land resource information:

• Production Systems - developing alternativesystems that are both economically viableand environmentally sustainable, includinglow-rainfall farm forestry.

• Designing Land Use Change - identifyingdesign options based on an improvedunderstanding of catchment and regional-scale processes.

• Integration and Adoption - contributing towidespread integration and adoption ofinnovative new approaches through thetransfer of the new knowledge generatedwithin the focus catchments to other areasacross the Basin.

Evaluating the potential effectiveness of land usechange options is a key part of the project, andwill include the use of technology such asairborne geophysics. Knowledge transfer willinvolve various communication productsincluding maps, fact sheets, guidelines andreports.

Where existing farming systems are notsustainable, a concerted R&D effort is required todevelop new industries. The MDBC is an activepartner in the CRC for Plant-based Managementof Dryland Salinity. The overarching mission ofthe CRC is to provide new plant-based land usesystems that lessen the economic, environmentaland social impacts of dryland salinity andthereby help to sustain rural communitiesthrough an improved understanding of the waynatural and agricultural ecosystems work.

In early 2001, the MDBC, in partnership withthe CRC Salinity and the Joint VentureAgroforestry Program, invested in the FloraSearchproject, which aims to implement a systematicsearch for species that can provide feedstocks fornew woody perennial industries suited to thesheep-wheat zones in south-eastern Australia.

The FloraSearch project focuses on native speciessuitable for short rotation periods that can beharvested either through coppice regeneration,or ready establishment from seed as a phasecrop. Short rotation tree crop systems enable thedevelopment of a regular income stream tofarmers compared with a 20–40 year rotation oftraditional forestry enterprises. Phase croppingcan also be integrated within a farming systemand potentially used to consume excess water inkey parts of the landscape.

Where existing

farming systems are

not sustainable, a

concerted R&D effort

is required to develop

new industries.



3.7.4 Redesigning Farming Systems -Irrigation Areas

Information Reporting System forIrrigation

Development of a framework for an IrrigationManagement Information and Reporting System(IMIRS) commenced in April 2001. The systemwill facilitate access to the most recent andcomplete irrigation data available for theMurray-Darling Basin. The IMIRS will build oncurrent data collection networks and will providea framework for stakeholders and data collectorsso that consistent, repeatable and reliableirrigation data will be collected in the future.Stage 1 of IMIRS was completed in March 2002.Stage 2 of the project commenced in May 2002and is due to be completed by late 2003.

The Watermark Program

Watermark is a group of projects funded by theMurray-Darling Basin Commission, which aimsto make a significant contribution to the strategicdevelopment of sustainable irrigation practices inthe Murray-Darling Basin. The Watermarkprojects will provide catchment managers with:

1. Reliable information and decision supporttools for establishing irrigation waterpriorities, targets and response plans.

2. Policy options to underpin improvementsto land use planning, groundwatermanagement, water use efficiency andbiodiversity.

The majority of projects commenced in April2002. Irrigation farmers, industry organisations,water authorities, catchment authorities andState resource management agencies areinvolved in all projects and in many cases areactive investors along with the Murray-DarlingBasin Commission. Individual projects are due tobe completed in 2003 and 2004. It is expected anintegrated report on the outcomes will beavailable by early 2005.

3.7.5 Monitoring

Hydrographic Review

To assist in the complex process of ongoingassessment of progress towards end-of-valleytargets, the partner governments committed toestablishing a monitoring network for collectingcontinuous flow and salinity data to agreedstandards. Throughout the year the Stategovernments have ensured that continuous flowand salinity monitoring stations are installed atall end-of-valley target locations.

A hydrographic review was undertaken toensure that the flow and salinity monitoring

network at the end-of-valley target sites is ‘fit forpurpose’. This is essential to ensure that thenetwork will allow future assessment of progresstowards, and accountability against, the end-of-valley salinity and salt load targets. The projectwas overseen by an inter-jurisdictional steeringcommittee to ensure that the necessarymonitoring standards and data protocols to fulfilthe minimum future needs of the BSMS weredeveloped. A draft report was submitted forconsideration by the project steering committeein May 2002 and will be finalised in August2002.

Basin Irrigation and SalinityMapping Project

The main output of the Basin Irrigation andSalinity Mapping project is a GIS database ofirrigation infrastructure throughout the Basin,which has been compiled into an Atlas anddistributed to government departments,Irrigation Trusts and regional groups throughoutthe Basin. The first version of the Atlas wasreleased in August 2001. The second version isdue for release in August 2002.

The scope of the project has now extendedbeyond mapping the engineering works anddrains called for by the Salinity and DrainageStrategy, to include other elements of land andsalinity management, which are included in thenew Basin Salinity Management Strategy (e.g.groundwater flow systems and groundwatersalinity). This combination of data will bepublished in August 2002 as part of the BasinIrrigation and Salinity Mapping Atlas of Data.

3.7.6 Modelling

In the past year a major effort has been initiatedto improve the availability and accuracy ofcomputer model simulations for both in-streamhydrologic conditions and the landscape saltmobilisation processes to assist in thedevelopment of in-stream salinity targets.

The success of the Council’s Basin SalinityManagement Strategy depends upon theadoption of in-stream salinity targets and theefforts of governments and communities inachieving these targets. It is acknowledged thatthese targets are not ‘ends in themselves’ butreflect the health of the catchments above thetarget sites and contribute to accountabilityarrangements, which help to protectdownstream water users and dependantecosystems.

Given that these targets must take into accountthe dynamic hydrologic regimes throughout arange of climatic conditions, the end-of-valleytargets are being established to reflect the

Watermark projects

provide catchment

managers with

information, decision

support tools and

policy options for

sustainable irrigation.

Hydrologic and salt

mobilisation computer

models are assisting

development of in-

stream salinity

targets.



climatic conditions, which occurred from 1975 to2000, whilst taking into account the year 2000development conditions within the landscapeand in relation to diversion and consumptionpractices along the Basin’s rivers. The concept oftargets relies wholly on the application ofcomputer models of the rivers and the landscapesalt mobilisation processes.

The models available prior to the adoption of thisStrategy within the tributaries, were veryrudimentary in relation to salt mobilisation andsalt routing down the streams. Nevertheless sincethe adoption of the Cap on water diversions in1995, there have been considerable advances inthe development of flow and diversion modelsacross the major rivers of the Basin. The revisedSchedule C has identified the need for competentmodels and has set March 2004 as the date bywhich the modelling work should be completedand the baseline conditions confirmed.

A suite of hydrologic models of the Murray andlower Darling has been used in the CommissionOffices since 1983 to facilitate the operation ofthe 1988 Salinity & Drainage Strategy. Thesemodels have been very successful, particularlybecause there has been data for both flow andsalinity over the length of the system and formany decades. This has resulted in highlyconfident calibrations and tested predictivecapabilities.

To support a rigorous and timely reportingprocess to Council, the States and theCommission are in the process of developingboth hydrologic and salt mobilisation models.These will facilitate the assessment of the fullextent of the salinity problems across the Basinand also provide the basis for quantifying theaccountable actions against the agreed baselineconditions. All models are being establishedaccording to agreed criteria including theBaseline Conditions at 1 January 1988 and 1 January 2000, using the Benchmark Climaticsequence from July 1975 to June 2000.

The efforts to improve the computer simulationmodels can be considered across two broad butinter-connected categories:

• In-stream hydrologic models of flow andsalinity within the Basin’s tributary streamsand downstream to the mainstream Darlingand Murray Rivers. These models are alsocoupled with economic attributes which canidentify the economic impacts to downstreamwater users.

• Catchment-scale landscape salt mobilisationprocesses which are capable of predictingfuture salinity impacts within the landscape.

In the past year or more these efforts have beenshared between the Commission and the State

jurisdictions. The Commission has focussed onstream modelling by funding and coordinating aseries of contracts with State agencies toaccommodate salt transport and salinityprediction processes within existing State flowand diversion models. The landscape simulationmodels for the salt mobilisation processes havebeen accelerated by both State agencies andresearchers, in particular the CRC for CatchmentHydrology.

A summary of the major advances is set outbelow:

Queensland Tributary Modelling

Queensland Department of Natural Resourcesand Mines is presently developing an integratedmodelling framework which links land,groundwater and surface water models.Currently, process models are being usedseparately but are to be integrated in 2002–2003under the MDBC funded project Development ofhydrologic models for the assessment of current andnew salinity regimes for the Murray-Darling BasinTributary Rivers in Queensland.

New South Wales Tributary Stream Modelling

Under a contract with the Commission Office,the DLWC hydrologic modelling group inParramatta has refined the existing flow anddiversion models for each of the tributary riversoriginating in NSW. These models based uponthe Integrated Quality and Quantity Model(IQQM) coding, will be capable of reflecting thebaseline year 2000 development conditions forthe benchmark climatic period from 1975 to2000. These IQQM models will provide dailysimulations of flow and salinity throughout thebenchmark climatic period. The models will beconsistent with the NSW Cap compliancemodels, albeit these are using a monthlytimestep and different baseline conditions.

Seven valley models are under developmenttogether with a model of the Barwon-DarlingSystem downstream to Menindee Lakes. Thevalleys being modelled are: Murrumbidgee,Lachlan, Macquarie, Castlereagh, Namoi, Gwydirand (NSW) Border Rivers.

The implementation of these models hasrequired a careful assessment of all the availablein-stream salinity data, prior to calibration andvalidation of the models as an effective salttransport and in-stream salinity prediction.During 2001/2002 the major effort has been onimproving the salt routing code and refining thevolumetric flow and diversion data for thebenchmark period. An important outcome willbe the confirmation of the baseline conditionsassumptions in accordance with Schedule Crequirements.

Advances in

simulation modelling

are a result of the

combined efforts of the

Commission and the

States. Over the

coming years the

Commission will

collate these different

approaches into

Basin-wide

cumulative

predictions.



Victorian Tributary Stream Modelling

Similar to the efforts in NSW, the CommissionOffice has contracted the Victorian Departmentof Natural Resources to develop flow and salinitymodels for key Victorian tributary streams. Theactual modelling work has been sub-contractedto consultants - Sinclair Knight Merz. Only theLoddon, Campaspe and the Goulburn-BrokenRivers are currently being modelled. This is dueto lower priorities in the Kiewa and Ovens Riversand data limitations in the Avoca and WimmeraRivers.

The models in the Victorian tributaries are beingconstructed within the REALM modelling code,which has been developed for river managerswith an emphasis of managing flows from thestorages to meet irrigation and urban demands. Itis important to note that these models have adifferent basis to the Victorian Cap compliancemodels which use a monthly timestep and areformulated within a GSM coding framework

Commission Salinity Model - BIGMOD

The Commission Office has developed a RiverMurray modelling suite (MSM-BIGMOD) bylinking its Monthly Simulation Model (MSM)and a daily flow and salinity routing modelBIGMOD. This modelling suite is proposed to beused for the assessment of salinity impacts underthe BSMS. The model calibration and setup forsalinity and other studies is now complete and isready for use.

The model has been set up to carry out flowmodelling for the period 1891 to 2002 andsalinity modelling for the period 1975–2000. Thecurrent model uses historical flow and salinitydata for all drains and historical salinity valuesfor tributary inflows. These values will not beupdated until the tributary modelling iscompleted by jurisdictions, and all pre-1988 andpost-1988 Land, Water and SalinityManagement Plans are reviewed. The tributarymodelling will be completed by March 2004 anda review of all plans will be completed over thenext 5 years as part of rolling reviews.

Catchment and Landscape Salt MobilisationModelling Simulations

All jurisdictions and other researchers haveplaced a priority on developing salt mobilisationmodelling simulations. It has been recognisedsince the publication of the MDBC Salinity Auditand the National Land & Water Audit drylandsalinity theme report, that there is an urgentneed for improved salt mobilisation models.

These earlier audits were generally based oncollating rates of rise of groundwater levelstogether with groundwater salinity

concentrations and assuming these will continueindefinitely into the future. Whilst this approachprovided the first Basin-wide predictions for a‘no further intervention scenario’; it is barelyadequate for the operation of an integratedsalinity strategy using in-stream salinity targetsand accurate measurements of debits and creditswithin an accountability framework.

Accordingly the next generation of saltmobilisation models will rely upon rainfall inputstogether with assessments of theevapotranspiration water use by all classes ofvegetation. The remaining water is assigned torun-off to streams and recharge to groundwatersystems. The current modelling efforts forlandscape salt mobilisation are attempting torefine these approaches. However, it is clear thatunlike the experience of the tributary streammodels, there will not be a Basin-wide genericapproach and that justifiable differences inmethodologies will always exist because of thelocal conditions and different source data.

A summary of the major modelling efforts at thebroader ‘whole of catchment-scale’ follows.There are also many more site specific focussedstudies, which use quite different methodologies.These finer scale studies often use verysophisticated modelling approaches involvingintegration of groundwater and surface flowprocesses.

Over the coming years the Commissionarrangements will focus on collating thesedifferent approaches into Basin-wide cumulativepredictions linked to the Basin’s rivers throughthe integration of the tributary models. Closerjurisdictional collaboration is being pursuedthrough more open communication providingfor shared experiences. The Commission’smodelling workshop is an example of this.

New South Wales

NSW has developed a number of tools andmodels to help develop a better understanding ofthe movement of water and salt throughout thelandscape and the implications of this behaviouron the management of salinity at a catchmentwide scale. A summary of the models developedby DLWC are listed in Table 10.

Victoria

Victoria is developing a suite of catchmentlandscape and salinity assessment tools tofacilitate a migration from earlier data intensivetools. Currently there is no single preferredapproach but the imminent development of aCatchment Analysis Tool (CAT) offers thelikelihood of integration of a range of othermodels.



Earlier simulation models were developed overthe past decade or more to address saltmobilisation associated with irrigation anddrainage issues in the Riverine Plains. Morerecently, groundwater models have been used toassess the impacts of the new irrigationdevelopments in the Mallee zone aroundSunraysia. This has lead to the implementationof the Nyah to the SA Border SalinityManagement Plan.

Elsewhere, in dryland areas, classic groundwaterflow models were used for predictions ofpotential land and water salinisation. The MIKE-SHE model is probably the most sophisticatedand provides for interaction between theunsaturated and saturated zones. However, itdoes require a considerable input of field data toprovide a useful calibration, which is not oftenavailable. The SOILFLUX model has been used toassess salt impacts on vegetation. Neverthelessthe estimates of recharge remain problematicand the implications of climate variability canconfound the calibration process. The modellingcapability was getting ahead of the availability ofgood field data. However there is a scarcity ofhigh-level modelling skills. Consequently, thepredictions used in the Salinity Audit were basedupon a simple ‘depth to watertable’ and ‘rate ofrise of groundwater’ approach which could beextrapolated across the wider geologic landscape.

Victoria has also been using the US designed SoilWater Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the BC2C

tool (biophysical capacity to change) developedby the CRC Catchment hydrology to assess thelikely impact of alternative salinity managementstrategies.

Modern GIS-based modelling tools offer theopportunity to provide a more simplistic andintegrated approach to the assessment of theoutcomes of management interventions. TheCatchment Analysis Tool has been proposed toprovide modelling functionality that encapsulatesthe following:

• Reconciling deep drainage and recharge;

• Stream dynamics and routing;

• Groundwater dynamics;

• External impacts of landscape change onsalinity and water quality;

• Impact of landscape change on biodiversity(terrestrial and aquatic);

• Farming system with a focus on cropping andgrazing enterprises;

• Forest production systems;

• Engineering interventions such as groundwaterpumping and drainage;

• Spatial systems such as terrain models, surfaceelement networks, catchment disaggregationtechniques; and

• Analysis of both off-site and on-site costs andbenefits of landscape change.

Model/Tool Purpose of model/tool

FLAG • To analyse existing digital elevation model data to predict thepotential extent of groundwater discharge and salinity outbreak areaswithin the catchment.

• All NSW upland catchment areas have been modelled and the coastalcatchments are to be completed by June 2002.

Recharge Modelling • Models the unsaturated zone to estimate leakage and lateral flow fordifferent combinations of climate, soil, land use and topography.

CATSALT • Provides a detailed salt balance of a catchment to predict local anddownstream impacts of land use change.

• Estimates the quantity of salt from wash-off and groundwaterdischarge.

• Has the ability to calculate the quantity of salt originating from eachcatchment, sub-catchment and land use type and can also calculatethe impact of land use change.

• 35 priority catchments examined.

Land use Simulator • Determines the impact of land use change scenarios on water and saltmovement scalable from property to catchment-scale.

• Based on output from CATSALT.

Strategic Landscape • Prioritisation of the best mix of activities to achieve salinity targets at Investment Tool the least cost to society.

Table 10: Summary of catchment-scale models and tools developed in New South Wales



South Australia

South Australian has developed a regional modelfor floodplain wetlands, which can be used to:

1. Estimate general changes in wetlandwater and salinity characteristics overlong periods of time;

2. Assess potential changes in water use andsalt returns that might result fromchanges to wetland management;

3. Highlight the relative effectiveness ofdifferent wetland management regimes.

The model SIMPACT (Salinity Impact) has alsobeen developed to predict the impact of newirrigation development on salinity. Theparameters used in the model include the size ofdevelopment, aquifer type and distance from thefloodplain, groundwater salinity and aquifertransmissivity. Salinity impact is determined bythe direction of groundwater flow and thepredicted exit point in the floodplain. SIMPACTlooks at different scenarios for the expression ofsalt in the landscape in 20, 50 and 100 years.

Queensland

Queensland Department of Natural Resourcesand Mines have been developing deep drainagemodels, to examine the main factors affectingdrainage, i.e. rainfall (location), soil watercapacity, permeability and land use. Modellingwill continue and comparisons made to actualmeasured data and to groundwater responses.

Salinity Modelling Workshop

The Basin Salinity Management StrategyImplementation Working Group (BSMS IWG)hosted a Salinity Modelling Workshop in May2002, providing an opportunity for eachjurisdiction to showcase their modellingtechniques and to build professional networksbetween key modellers. The outcomes of theworkshop included a better appreciation of themodelling progress within each jurisdiction,sharing of methodologies and information, and anetwork for key salinity modelling practitionerswithin each jurisdiction. A CD compilation of theworkshop presentations is to be circulated toworkshop participants in September 2002 andavailable to others on request.

3.7.7 Assessment

Assessing the Impacts of Water Trade

The first permanent interstate trade wascompleted in September 1998, and from thattime until November 2001, eighty-nine tradeshave been recorded on the interstate traderegister, representing a total transfer volume of15 GL. The majority of trades to date have beeninto the South Australian regions of the

Riverland (7 GL), the Angas Bremer (2.5 GL)and the Barossa Valley (0.5 GL). Schedule E ofthe Murray-Darling Basin Agreement provides forlimitation and suspension of the Pilot InterstateWater Trading Project if there is an increase in,or acceleration of, environmental degradationfrom the use or management of water divertedinterstate.

In February 2001, the Pilot Interstate WaterTrading Project Board requested thedevelopment of a consistent approach toassessing the impacts on salinity resulting fromall forms of water trade within the Murray-Darling Basin. In response, the BSMS IWGcommissioned a study to develop a RapidAssessment Tool for assessing the salinity impactsof Interstate trade (iRAT). The technicalassessment was to be based on numerousbiophysical factors including: location, drainagesetting, hydrogeological setting, irrigationefficiency and interaction with salt interceptionschemes.

The first stage of the Rapid Assessment Toolproject was undertaken under the guidance of aninter-jurisdictional project committee. InDecember 2001, a workshop was held with keystakeholders involved in water trade throughoutthe Basin, which demonstrated broadstakeholder support for the approach to beadopted.

Following consideration of the Interim RapidAssessment Tool (iRAT) for Assessing Salinity Impacts of Interstate Water Trade final report, theBSMS IWG agreed in June 2002 that the iRATcould be used as a safety net for assessing thesalinity impacts of new irrigation development inthe absence of any other agreed approach.

Assessment of New Irrigation Developmentin South Australia

Irrigation SIMPACT is a GIS-based tool developedby the Department of Environment and Heritagein conjunction with the Department of Water,Land and Biodiversity Conservation. IrrigationSIMPACT is used to quantify the salinity impactsof potential irrigation development and it iscurrently being used to assess the impact ofwater trade within South Australia. Preliminaryresults from permanent trade in 2001/2002 arecurrently being assessed.

Irrigation SIMPACT is being refined in 2002/2003in conjunction with the Airborne Geophysicswork being conducted under the NAP forSalinity and Water Quality. Combined withother projects, such as Predicting Impacts of Landand Water Management on Floodplain Health, thiswork has the potential to bring together theassessment of irrigation salinity impacts into anintegrated landscape model for the catchment.

The Interim Rapid

Assessment Tool

provides a means of

assessing the impacts

of new irrigation

development on

salinity.



3.8 Case Studies

3.8.1 Engineering Works

Case Study One: Woolpunda SaltInterception Scheme

The Woolpunda SIS is located on the MurrayRiver between Berri and Morgan in SouthAustralia. The scheme was commissioned in1990 with the objective of achieving an ECbenefit of 40.8 EC at Morgan.

Pumping Data

During the period July 2001 until June 2002,5030 ML of saline groundwater was pumped,resulting in 102 000 tonnes of salt beingprevented from entering the river. In attainingthis pumping rate 3 400 000 kWh of electricitywas consumed.

Salt loads to the River

Figure 6 compares the salt loads entering theriver in the Woolpunda Reach before and afterthe progressive implementation of the schemefrom June 1990–June 1992. The increasinginfluence of the scheme is demonstrated by thesignificantly reduced salt loads in the average1996–1998 salt loads and those measured inJune 2002. The river reach on the northern sideof the scheme between the 412 km mark to 424 km mark was the last section to becommissioned, but none the less is graduallybecoming more effective.

Woolpunda Observation Bores

A network of about 50 observation bores is usedto monitor the effectiveness of the scheme’sproduction bores in reducing groundwatergradients and hence salt load movement towardsthe river.

Figures 7 and 8 show the June 1990, June 1996and June 2002 water levels in selected mid-pointobservation bores (between production) withrespect to the drawdown target levels. Pumpingsince commissioning in June 1990 to June 2002has gradually lowered the water levels. As targetlevels have been reached, average pump flowshave been reduced to a steady rate to maintainthe observation bores at the target level.

Sal

t L

oad

(to

nn

es/d

ay)

Figure 6: Salt loads entering the River Murray in the Woolpunda Reach

met

res

abo

ve

or

bel

ow

tar

get

Figure 7: Water levels in the Woolpunda observationbores, Southern borefield

met

res

abo

ve

or

bel

ow

tar

get

Figure 8: Water levels in the Woolpunda observationbores, Northern borefield



3.8.2 Redesigning Farming Systems

Queensland

There are a number of research and investigationinitiatives focussed on redesigning farmingsystems within the Basin. These include ruralwater use efficiency, deep drainage investigationsand information, Landmark, quantifying salt inrainfall, and development of strategies tominimise adverse impacts of nutrients andpesticides.

Case Study Two: Queensland Rural WaterUse Efficiency

The irrigated cotton and grains industry, dairyingand horticultural industry are participating in theQueensland Government’s Rural Water UseEfficiency program in the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin. The Department of PrimaryIndustries is coordinating the project.

Results from farm-scale trials in the cottonindustry, the largest single user of water in theQueensland Murray-Darling Basin, showed thepotential for water use efficiency against fourperformance indicators in 2001/2002.

Crop Water Use Efficiency (CWUE) is a measure of how well plants convert water usedin evapotranspiration to yield and is calculated as bales per megalitre. Average CWUE for the trial sites over the 2001/2002 season was 1.31 Bales/ML, which was an improvement of0.17 Bales/ML.

Irrigation Water Use Efficiency is a measure ofproduction related to applied water and iscalculated as bales per megalitre of irrigationwater and effective rain. The 2001/02 seasonalaverage across the trial sites was 1.25 Bales/ML,with Irrigation Water Use Efficiency improvingby 0.12 Bales/ML.

Irrigation Efficiency is a measure of theproportion of water delivered to the farm thatwas utilised in evapotranspiration. The trial sitesaveraged 58% for the 2001/2002 season (i.e.42% of water diverted for irrigation has been lostas evaporation/seepage in storageor distribution).

Economic Water Use Efficiency is calculated asgross income per megalitre of irrigation water.The average for the RWUEI trial sites for the2001/2002 season was $470/ML.

The trials also highlighted that evaporation andseepage mitigation strategies also presentopportunities. Trial results have shown thatevaporation and seepage losses could be 8 ML/haand 13 ML/ha respectively.

Case Study Three: Delivering ImprovedWater Use Efficiency across the MDB

There are many research projects and on-groundworks occurring within South Australia whichwill assist in redesigning farming systems,particularly from the perspective of improvedsalinity impact management.

©Ar

thur

Mos

tead

Cotton production, Queensland.



The River Murray Catchment ManagementBoard, in partnership with the Murray-DarlingBasin Commission, DWLBC, DEH and PIRSAcontinued work on the Delivering Improved WaterUse Efficiency across the Murray-Darling Basinproject. This is a tri-State project for thedevelopment of tools to monitor and reportwater use efficiency (WUE) for irrigatedhorticulture in districts with pressurised waterdelivery systems.

This project will provide standard methods formonitoring, recording, and reporting on WUEfrom on farm-scale through to districts. Basicproperty information is recorded spatially andused as input into the Farm Level WaterManagement Module, or amalgamated toprovide an overall indication of WUE for adistrict. The tools being developed in this projectare an integral part of the delivery of improvedWUE in irrigation areas across the Murray-Darling Basin.

Task Expected Completion Date

Conceptual Framework for Strategy Implementation and Delivery

Continue the development of protocols to support the revised Schedule C. June 2003

Continue the development of baseline conditions through the Baseline March 2004Conditions Technical Panel.

Completion of the S&D joint works program of an 80 EC reduction December 2002at Morgan.

Council will finalise cost sharing and benefit allocation arrangements November 2002for the joint works.

2nd year program of rolling five-year reviews. June 2003

Refine the Salinity Reporting Framework. March 2002

Investment in knowledge generation and tools

Continue to develop hydrological and salt mobilisation models. Ongoing

Further development of the interim Rapid Assessment Tool. September 2003

An investigation into the sources of exceedance of the Basin Target September 2003at Morgan.

Continued development of tributary modelling within each jurisdiction. November 2003

Continued development of the Commission’s model - BIGMOD. March 2003

Further investigations related to the development of end-of-valley targets March 2004for EC, flow and salt load.

Further support of knowledge generation related to land use change and Ongoingvegetation management.

Continuation of the Basin Irrigation and Salinity Mapping data collection, Ongoingstorage and reporting.

3.9 BSMS IWG Workplan for 2002/2003

© A

rthur

Mos

tead

Improvements in water use efficiency can reducegroundwater salt loads to the River Murray.



© M

icha

el B

ell

The health of the River Murray is vital to many river commodities, Mildura.


Glossary


BC2C Biophysical Capacity to Change

BSMS Basin Salinity Management Strategy

BSMS IWG Basin Salinity Management Strategy Implementation Working Group

CAC Community Advisory Committee

CRC Cooperative Research Centre

CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation

DEH Department of Environment and Heritage

DLWBC Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation

EC Electrical Conductivity

GSM Goulburn Simulation Model

Ha Hectare

HLWGSI High level working group salt interception

ICM Integrated Catchment Management

IQQM Integrated Quality and Quantity Model

iRAT Interim Rapid Assessment Tool

IRMIRS Irrigation Management Information Reporting System

MDBC Murray-Darling Basin Commission

ML Megalitre

MSM BIGMOD A River Murray model developed by linking the Commission’s MonthlySimulation Model (MSM) and a daily flow and salinity routing model (BIGMOD)

NAPSWQ National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality

PIRSA Primary Industry and Resources South Australia

REALM Resource Allocation Model

R&D Research and Development

S&DS Salinity and Drainage Strategy

SIMPACT Modelling tool for assessing the salinity impact of new irrigation development


Annex 1: New South Wales Implementation Report


New South WalesGovernment

Meeting the Challenge

NSWSalinityStrategyPremier’s AnnualReport

2001/2002

This annex has been derived fromthe following publication,‘Meeting the Challenge, NSWSalinity Strategy–Premier’sAnnual Report 2001/02’,produced by:The NSW Government.



Foreword

Two years ago, we took on the challenge ofsalinity in New South Wales. A Salinity Summitwas held in Dubbo in March 2000. Then, theNSW Government released the NSW SalinityStrategy, which set out practical steps that theGovernment could take with communities andbusiness to deal with salinity.

This year, we increased our commitment to theStrategy to over $200 million for projects to beundertaken between now and 2007.

I am pleased to report that good progress is beingmade in addressing the salt problem.

The Government has significantly advanced itsland and water reforms, which will go some waytowards addressing the influences on salinity.

Communities have developed CatchmentBlueprints to guide work on the ground. I amvery impressed by the effort that has gone intothese plans.

Research and pilot projects are starting to give usinformation about the extent of salinity and thetype of actions which may be successful inreducing it.

Our combined efforts are being rewarded.Although reversing the decline is a long termchallenge, more landowners, business peopleand community groups are becoming involved.

Salinity is one of the most difficult and importantissues confronting New South Wales. It hasdeveloped over generations and the solution willalso take time to be effective.

We have made progress, but there is so muchmore to be done.

I thank those involved in making the NSWSalinity Strategy become a reality on the ground.I look forward to our continuing efforts togetherin meeting the salinity challenge.

Bob Carr

Premier


Contents


Introduction 34

What has been achieved so far? 35

Where the money is being spent 37

Working with the community 38

Planning and managing change 40

Targets for change 42

Incentives for change 43

Improving our knowledge 45

Creating business opportunities 48

Smarter regulation 51

Facts on salinity 52

Glossary 53



Introduction

The NSW Salinity Strategy was announced inAugust 2000 as the NSW Government’s responseto the Salinity Summit in Dubbo.

The Strategy delivers an integrated frameworkfor salinity management across the whole ofNSW. It represents a long term commitment bythis Government to work with land holders,conservationists, Aboriginal communities,scientists, business and all levels of governmentto combat one of Australia’s greatestenvironmental threats.

The NSW Salinity Strategy outlines our keypolicy directions:

• planning systems at the appropriategeographical scale to achieve change;

• targets that reflect the salinity levels we areprepared to live with and can afford;

• market based incentives for land holders tomanage their properties so that specificenvironmental outcomes are achieved;

• creation of business opportunities for saltaffected land;

• enhanced capacity of frontline staff to providesalinity advice to land holders;

• better information, advice and scientificresearch for land holders and communities;and

• consideration of salinity in existing regulation.

The NSW Government recognises that salinity isnot restricted to State borders and thereforerequires a national commitment. In May 2002, abilateral agreement was signed with theCommonwealth Government to implement theNational Action Plan for Salinity and WaterQuality (the National Action Plan) in NSW.

This agreement will allow the NSW SalinityStrategy to continue until 2007. It will fund newinitiatives in nine inland catchments and provideadditional funding for some of the existinginitiatives in the NSW Salinity Strategy.

The NSW Salinity Strategy and the NationalAction Plan will secure a joint investment of over$400 million for salinity initiatives.

Note: Definitions of key terms are in theGlossary.


What Has Been Achieved So Far?


It is now two years since the launch of the NSWSalinity Strategy. Many innovative actions andprojects are well advanced. Practical solutionsfor land holders to tackle salinity are emerging,as implementation of actions and projects nowmoves into top gear.

Catchment targets and salt-reducingmanagement actions have been finalised

• The Catchment Management Boards havefinalised their Catchment Blueprints which, forthe first time, provide NSW with acomprehensive set of strategic natural resourceplans at the catchment level, with targets andmanagement actions to steer land use changeand landscape improvement over the next tenyears.

• The Catchment Management Boards haveincorporated the salinity targets of the NSWSalinity Strategy in their Catchment Blueprints.

• Monitoring stations have been established atend of valley sites and salinity monitoring hascommenced. Gauging stations are also beingestablished at 44 within valley sites acrossNSW, to measure progress in meeting thetargets.

The Environmental Services Scheme hasbeen launched

• Expressions of interest have been called fromlandholders who would like to participate inthe Environmental Services Scheme.

• The purpose of the Scheme is to establishworking examples of properties whereenvironmental services are identified and toestablish monetary values for these services.

• The Scheme will help to:

– quantify the full value of environmentalservices, such as reducing the mobilisation ofsalt;

– build knowledge of the most effectiveapproach to manage environmental services;and

– examine how markets could be developedfor environmental services.

Support for landholders has been increased

• The six Salt Action Teams are now fullyoperational and are proving to be a vital linkbetween our frontline staff and the latestsalinity research. Negotiations are underwaywith the Commonwealth to enhance theresources of the Salt Action Teams under theNational Action Plan.

• The Teams are providing training and advice tofrontline extension staff to enable them to helpland holders deal with salinity. Over onehundred officers across NSW have attended thesalinity training courses.

• In addition, practical products like a Glove-Boxguide will soon be available to provide landholders with readily accessible salinityinformation.

Tools are being developed to assist councilswith urban salinity

• Building the capacity of local government tomanage salinity in the urban environment is animportant component of the Strategy.

• One of the six Salt Action Teams is specificallyfocusing on urban salinity problems, and isdeveloping products and information packs forcouncils. The first of these products, UrbanIndicators of Salinity has been finalised. Thebooklets are being distributed to councils acrossNSW.

• Government frontline staff are being trained torecognise and advise councils about urbansalinity problems.

• Planning tools are being developed to assist inappropriate development controls so thaturban salinity problems are ameliorated orprevented.

Pilot projects are providing importantinformation for managing salinity

• Three pilot projects in the Murray-DarlingBasin are now in their second year. Theprojects are trialing a number of initiativesdesigned to help farmers manage importantland use change decisions affecting theirenterprises:

– The Heartlands Project, near Albury, ismeasuring the effectiveness of revegetationworks, to help target further action to reducesalinity.

– The TARGET project in the Central West isexamining the social and economic barriersfaced by farmers seeking to implement landand water management changes.

– The Liverpool Plains project is trialingincentives for land use changes andpayments for environmental services.

New technologies and salt-based industrieshave been developed

• Encouraging businesses to take advantage ofopportunities arising from productive uses of



salt affected land and water is another importantcomponent of the Strategy.

• The Salinity Business Development Program ispromoting the development of newtechnologies to extract salt for commercialpurposes, commercial crops for salt affectedland and the commercial use of saline water:

– Saltbush is helping to reduce salinity and isproviding a fodder reserve during drought.

– An Inland Saline Aquaculture Centre hasbeen established.


Where The Money Is Being Spent


The NSW Government has committed over $200million to addressing salinity, from now untilJune 2007. This includes the $52 millionallocated to the NSW Salinity Strategy in 2000.Another $198 million is being provided by theCommonwealth Government under the NationalAction Plan.

This report focuses on expenditure of the original$52 million and related work by State agencies.A separate annual report on expenditure underthe National Action Plan will be produced jointlyby the NSW and Commonwealth Governmentsnext year. That report will include activities bycatchment management boards.

Key expenditure:

Key expenditure under the National Action Planhas not been finalised, but additional money forsome NSW Salinity Strategy activities has beenagreed.

Current budgeting in the salinity programprovides for -

• $21 million over four years to develop andimplement market based solutions to salinity,through the Environmental ServicesInvestment Fund. Another $10 million will bespent nationally on market based solutionsunder the National Action Plan.

• $15.4 million over four years to integrate datacollection, modelling, analysis and informationdissemination to support decision making.

• $4.8 million to finalise end of valley targets andassess progress against salinity targets.

• $4.5 million over four years for six Salt ActionTeams, to provide advice and training forextension officers. This includes $1.2 millionover two years under the National Action Planfor economists to work with the Teams.

• $2.1 million to trial plantation forestry insalinity areas and quantify the impact on saltmobilisation, deep drainage rates and surfacewater flows. This includes $152,530 under theNational Action Plan.

• $1.8 million to research and demonstrate landmanagement practices for farms that willcontrol and prevent dryland salinity.

• $1.2 million to raise awareness of salinity issueswithin the community.

• $680,000 to increase our understanding ofsocio-economic issues associated with salinitymanagement at a property and catchmentscale.

• $510,000 to work with producers and industryto establish environmentally accredited farmswithin priority salinity hazard landscapes.

• $700,000 to benchmark biodiversity values inmajor ecological communities (woodlands,rangelands, and forests). This includes$400,000 under the National Action Plan.

• $250,000 to undertake an audit of major saltaffected NSW catchments outside the Murray-Darling Basin, to allow interim end of valleytargets to be developed for the Hunter, and forNorth and South Coast catchments.

• $720,000 over four years for the SalinityAction Unit within The Cabinet Office tomonitor the progress and effectiveness of theNSW Salinity Strategy projects. Furtherfunding will be provided for programadministration under the National Action Plan.



Working With The Community

Meeting the challenge of salinity requiresproductive and successful partnerships betweenthe Government and community.

Farmers tell us that extension workers, providingone-on-one advice and assistance, is one of themost valuable services that the Government canprovide. Salt Action Teams have been establishedto help extension workers provide a superiorservice.

Salt Action Teams

• The six Salt Action Teams provide the linkbetween the best available science and researchinto salinity and the practical tools that farmersneed to tackle the problem.

• The Teams, a collaborative effort by NSWAgriculture and the Department of Land andWater Conservation, are based in Tamworth,Orange, Wellington, Wagga Wagga,Muswellbrook and Penrith.

• The teams are helping farmers identify saltaffected areas and provide advice on suitableland management practices.

• The Urban Salt Action Team has developed anetwork of officers throughout NSW who arebeing trained in urban salinity recognition, towork with local government.

• The Urban Salt Action Team is also developinginformation, education and technical packagesto enhance local government capability insalinity management.

• Inland Salt Action Teams are training advisorystaff within NSW Agriculture to ensureconsistent and accurate information is providedto stakeholders.

Training and skills development

Improving the ability of frontline staff to providesalinity advice to land holders is a key outcomefor the NSW Salinity Strategy. This will helplandholders identify and tackle salinity problemson their properties.

• A training program for frontline staff has beendeveloped, with regional seminars, workshops,

resource material and accessible resources.Workshops have been organised for Dubbo,Orange, Wagga Wagga, Maitland, Gunnedah andGoulburn.

• Training programs and suitable materials havealso been developed for private agriculturaladvisers. The training programs are based oncompetencies specified in the NationalAgricultural and Horticultural trainingpackages.

• A pilot tertiary-level course on salinitymanagement will be delivered through CharlesSturt University, Wagga Wagga during 2003.

• A draft Environmental Education Plan hasbeen completed, to provide direction foreducation and training providers to incorporatesalinity and its management in their courses.

• NSW Agriculture and NSW TAFE are jointlydeveloping education programs on salinity.The courses are aimed at TAFE studentsundertaking vocational education and training,including agricultural college students, farmersand landholders.

Local Government Salinity Initiative

Salinity is causing substantial damage to urbandevelopment and infrastructure in many areas ofNSW. The cost of this damage is high.

The NSW Government is working with councilsand their communities to better understand andmanage the causes and symptoms of urbansalinity.

• The Local Government Salinity Initiative is acollaborative effort between the Department ofLand and Water Conservation, NSWAgriculture, PlanningNSW and Lgov NSW(previously known as the Local Governmentand Shires Associations).

• Practical tools and awareness raising productsare being developed for councils. The first ofthe booklets, Urban Indicators of Salinity, hasbeen distributed to councils across NSW. Twoadditional booklets, Broad Scale Resources forUrban Salinity Assessment and Site

Salt Action Teams will provide advice on cost-effective solutions

In recognition of the vital role of Salt Action Teams in providing capability to deal with salinity,extra funding for the Teams has been allocated under the National Action Plan.

Five economists will work with Catchment Management Boards and others, to provide catchmentcommunities with better access to economic information and advice to make the adoption ofsalinity solutions more cost-effective.

The availability of economists to assess the financial benefits of land use changes is likely to assist inthe adoption of salinity solutions by farmers.



Investigations for Urban Salinity, will bedistributed later this year.

• Local councils throughout NSW will benefitfrom the development of planning tools toassist in development controls so that urbansalinity problems are ameliorated or prevented.

• PlanningNSW has appointed an expertenvironmental planner to develop models ofstrategic planning and policy for urban salinitymanagement. The draft planning provisionsfor a Model Salinity Local Environmental Planare being prepared in close consultation withthe Urban Salt Action Team and WesternSydney Regional Organisation of Councils’(WSROC) Salinity Working Party.

• Current Local Environmental Plan (LEP) andDevelopment Control Plan (DCP) provisionsrelating to urban salinity are being reviewed,along with salinity hazard maps and existinglocal government policies, to fully inform thedevelopment of the model planning provisions.The experience of local government is beingsought to develop the provisions and to reporton other planning options. Risk managementapproaches which may be appropriate, andcomparisons with existing natural hazard riskmanagement approaches, are beinginvestigated.

• Research into new building methods andmaterials, and guidelines for best practice in

building codes for salinity, are being developedwith Lgov NSW.

• Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM)studies are to be developed by local waterutilities when they are considering futureaugmentations. The utilities will assess theimpacts of their proposed actions within thecontext of upstream and downstream users,with the aim of minimising impacts on thewater resource. Twelve pilot studies areplanned between 2001 and 2003, as part of theCountry Towns Water Supply and SewerageProgram. A framework document is beingprepared to assist local water utilities inpreparing their studies.

Information exchange using rural networks

The NSW Salinity Strategy committed the NSWGovernment to work with the NSW FarmersAssociation and the Rural Lands ProtectionBoards to utilise existing networks to exchangeinformation between land holders on salinityissues.

• Fact sheets have been provided to Landcaregroups for distribution in their newsletters andtraining courses have been piloted withWesfarmers.

• A Glove Box Guide will be available inDecember 2002. This will provide a readilyaccessible summary of salinity information forrural land holders.

Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) Draft Code of Practice

The NSW Salinity Strategy supports councils taking a proactive role to address the impacts ofsalinity in their communities.

The Urban Salt Action Team is working closely with the Western Sydney Regional Organisation ofCouncils to develop a Salinity Code of Practice for councils, with the assistance of the Departmentof Land and Water Conservation.

The Code of Practice provides a guide to the options which are available to local government toaddress salinity problems. It is intended that each Council will use the Code to identify and developthose aspects that best suit their individual needs, and the particular salinity problems and hazardsthat occur in their area.

The draft Code of Practice is currently available for use by councils in Greater Western Sydney, aspart of a trial to be conducted until the end of the year.

The NSW Government is also working with WSROC on the development and delivery of thetraining for the Code of Practice.



Planning And Managing Change

Catchment Blueprints

The establishment of the CatchmentManagement Boards and the development ofCatchment Blueprints has been an importantmilestone for the NSW Government in its drivefor more sustainable land use systems for NSW.With careful planning, healthy ecosystems areachievable, complementing profitable farmingenterprises and viable rural communities.

• There are now 21 Catchment ManagementBoards and committees in NSW, together withthe Hunter Catchment Management Trust. Theachievement of the Boards in finalisingintegrated catchment management plansdemonstrates the value of the community-government partnership approach to naturalresource management.

• The plans, referred to as “CatchmentBlueprints”, are the primary integratingmechanism for natural resource planning atthe catchment level.

• Nineteen Catchment Blueprints have beenfinalised after extensive review and publicexhibition. Two other draft Blueprintsprepared by the two Sydney metropolitanCatchment Management Boards areundergoing review prior to finalisation.

• The Catchment Blueprints contain:

– A vision for the catchment;

– First order objectives provide statements of

community aspirations for the natural resourcesof the catchment;

– Catchment targets that represent anacceptable condition of natural resources at aspecified point of time, which provide broadindicators of catchment health and is specific,measurable, achievable and relevant;

– Management targets refer to actions neededto achieve a catchment target within aspecified time, being actions that are specific,measurable, achievable and relevant; and

– Management actions refer to specific actionsto be taken to address one or moremanagement targets, including an indicationof responsibility, timing, costing and priority.

• The Catchment Blueprints provide the basis forregional investment under the National ActionPlan for Salinity and Water Quality and thesecond phase of the Natural Heritage Trust.They also guide relevant State Governmentand local government programs, andinvestment by industry and the community.

• Now that the Catchment Blueprints have beenfinalised, investment strategies are beingdeveloped to implement the managementactions.

Irrigation Land and Water ManagementPlans

• The NSW Salinity Strategy pledged continuedsupport for Land and Water Management Plans

The Border Rivers Draft Catchment Blueprint

The Border Rivers Draft Catchment Blueprint aims to minimise the threat and reduce theoccurrence of salinity.

The Blueprint contains the following key targets:

• by 2012, median salinity levels in the Macintyre River at Mungindi should not exceed 230µs/cmEC and salinity levels should not exceed 630µs/cm EC more than 20% of the time.

• The median salt loads should remain constant at 68,000 tonnes/year and the salt load should notexceed 171,000 tonnes/year more than 20% of the time.

To meet the salinity targets, the Blueprint proposes to:

• maintain appropriate deep-rooted perennial vegetation in recharge areas, the area of which is tobe quantified;

• establish at least 15,000 hectares of appropriate deep-rooted perennial vegetation in rechargeareas to intercept groundwater, by 2012;

• use engineering solutions where appropriate to reduce the salt load from significant pointsources, such as high flow artesian bores and effluent treatment plants;

• manage 1,400 hectares of saline discharge areas; and

• ensure no net increase in river salinity as a result of new developments requiring a developmentapplication.



developed for privatised irrigation districts andareas.

• Plans have now been developed in irrigationareas across inland NSW to deal with salinity,rising watertables, water quality and vegetationhealth, while maintaining or increasing farmproduction.

• Irrigators outside NSW Land and WaterManagement Plan areas are developingIrrigation and Drainage Management Planswith financial assistance through the NSWIrrigated Agricultural Water Use EfficiencyIncentive Scheme.

Supporting Landcare

The Government supports Landcare groups withfunding of $880,000 for Landcare coordinatorsand extension staff each year.

Almost one in every three farmers in NSW is amember of a Landcare group, which continue tobe pivotal as change agents for new land usemanagement ideas. Although the NSWGovernment supports the broader community inthe fight against salinity, Landcare groups arealready well placed to implement actions toaddress salinity.

• There are currently 1650 Landcare Groups inNSW. There are also many Aboriginalcommunity organisations currently working onLandcare projects.

• The Salt Action Teams are working with theLandcare Facilitators and IndigenousFacilitators to provide training in salinity issues.



Targets For Change

Salinity targets are a key tool in the fight againstsalinity.

Salinity targets published in the NSW SalinityStrategy have been included in the inlandCatchment Blueprints. Salinity targets have alsobeen included in the Hunter CatchmentBlueprint. Other coastal catchments haverecommended management actions to tacklesalinity.

What will targets tell us?

Salinity targets are underpinned by the bestavailable information and scientific modelling.As the community implements the managementactions in the Catchment Blueprints, they will beable to monitor how well the actions areworking to reduce salinity. Although it may takemany years before the effects of remediation areevident, progress towards meeting the targetscan be monitored.

Setting salinity targets

Salinity targets represent a significant advance inthe way we undertake planning in naturalresource management.

Setting targets is a complicated process. A rangeof landscape features, surface and groundwaterquality and quantity, salinity condition,community values, predicted future catchmentcondition and desired catchment condition mustbe considered.

• In protecting our environment and managingour natural resources to halt degradation likesalinity, we must also consider the social andeconomic impacts. The salinity targetstherefore represent a balanced assessment ofhow much salinity in the landscape thecommunity is prepared to accept.

• End of valley salinity targets have been adoptedfor the Macintyre, Bogan, Gwydir, Namoi,Barwon-Darling, Castlereagh, Macquarie,Lachlan and Murrumbidgee rivers.

• Some of the inland Catchment ManagementBoards have also set within valley targets.

• The Hunter Salinity Audit is the first detailedassessment of salinity for the Hunter. TheHunter Catchment Management Trust has usedthe audit to set its salinity targets andmanagement priorities. The audit shows thatthe rate of increase in salinity in the Hunter issimilar to the inland catchments.

• Salinity audits for other coastal regions arecurrently in progress. These audits will informus about how and where we need to tacklesalinity on the coast and complements work

already undertaken in Western Sydney by theOffice of Western Sydney.

Monitoring salinity targets

• The Murray-Darling Basin Commissionundertook an audit of the end of valley stationmonitoring protocols in all States to ensure thatsalinity monitoring reflects agreed standardsand integrated with other States’ processes.For NSW, this includes the nine gaugingstations.

• End of valley monitoring stations have beeninstalled and are now operating. Forty-fourwithin valley monitoring stations are beinginstalled during 2002.

• Salinity monitoring information is available tothe community athttp://waterinfo.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/riis/riis.htmlThis web site also includes other valuable datasuch as river heights and flows.


Incentives For Change


Market based mechanisms that will raise thelevel of private investment in activities to avoidor repair damage to natural resources arebecoming increasingly important in the fightagainst salinity.

Environmental Services Investment Fund –strategic investment in solutions

• The Environmental Services Scheme is the firststep in developing markets for environmentalservices.

• Environmental services include:

– reducing the mobilisation of salt;

– reducing the export of products from acidsulfate soils;

– reducing soil loss;

– improving water quality;

– reducing greenhouse gases; and

– enhancing biodiversity.

• The NSW Government has committed an initial$2 million from the Environmental ServicesInvestment Fund for the Scheme, which waslaunched in June 2002.

• The NSW Government will pay selected landholders to manage part of their properties todeliver a particular environmental benefit.

• The Scheme will work with a these landholders to identify how activities that provideenvironmental services can be included as partof the operations of farm businesses, alongsideexisting production activities.

• The Scheme will test the basic arrangementsrequired to establish markets forenvironmental services in real life situations.

An example of changes in land use toprovide additional environmentalservices:

A grazier may decide to introduce deep-rooted perennial pastures. This increaseduse of perennial pastures would assist in:

• revegetating recharge areas; and

• reintroducing native grasses, whereappropriate.

The environmental services resulting fromthese activities include:

• increased biodiversity wherepredominantly native grasses andappropriate grazing regimes are used;

• reduced salinity in the river through betterwater table management; and

• locking up carbon in the plants and soil,instead of releasing CO2 (the majorgreenhouse gas) to the atmosphere.

Farm benchmarking and certification

NSW Agriculture is working with industrygroups and individual farmers to find sustainablesalinity solutions through the use ofEnvironmental Management Systems (EMS) inmanaging NSW farms. The aim is to harness theenvironmental and commercial benefits fromusing EMS.

EMS is a voluntary on-farm management systemthat allows farmers to assess the environmentalconditions of their farm, field operations andnatural resources and develop managementpractices that lead to continual improvement inenvironmental performance.

• Seven EMS training courses have beenconducted to raise awareness in farmingcommunities and natural resourcemanagement bodies of the potential benefitsfrom EMS. Over 200 people attended.

• Guidelines for EMS for agriculture have beendeveloped.

• Baseline data have been collected from 27 casestudies conducted by NSW Agriculture and incollaboration with the Rural IndustriesResearch and Development Corporation.

One of the important benefits requiring furtheranalysis is the opportunities for market support.

• A report has been prepared exploring ways ofdeveloping markets for agricultural producefrom properties operating under an accreditedEMS standards such as ISO 14001.

• NSW Agriculture chairs a national workinggroup that has released a framework for EMSin Australian agriculture for public comment.



Case study: Liverpool Plains

The Liverpool Plains catchment is a highly productive agricultural region generating an average of$280 million per year from irrigated and dryland cropping and grazing enterprises.

It has been predicted that over the next 25 years, without intervention, the gross value ofproduction will fall by around $100 million due to problems associated with dryland and riversalinity.

Landholders, industry and agency representatives have joined forces to tackle concerns aboutdryland salinity and other natural resource issues through the Liverpool Plains Land ManagementCommittee.

The Committee runs workshops for landholders to explain biodiversity and salinity and howaddressing these issues will ensure our future. The Committee provides on-farm support forfarmers making difficult decisions about their farm businesses. When the participants understandthe issues that affect them, they submit a business case, or tender for incentive funding based onthe environmental services they can provide. Approximately 100 tenders have been received andare being assessed.

This project has resulted in 3,267 hectares of land use and land management change forbiodiversity and salinity benefits.

Case study: TARGET project

The TARGET Project in the Central West is investigating the processes for providing incentives forland use change by landholders. Approximately 130 people are currently involved andapplications from a further 223 landholders are being considered.

In investigating incentives for land use change, it was important to recognise the social andeconomic barriers and impediments to achieving land use change at the small and medium sizedcatchment scales. Landholder surveys were undertaken in the catchments being investigatedthrough the TARGET Project to identify these barriers and impediments. Further surveys are nowalso being undertaken on a whole of catchment scale to determine if there are differences betweenthe different catchment scales.

The preliminary results of the surveys have been utilised to develop new and innovativeinvestment strategies for the second year of the project. These incentives, which will be trialedwith the cooperation of landholders, will include a tender based approach, variable cost sharingratios based on environment values and investing in longer term results over a five year period.

The socio-economic results will be incorporated along with biophysical data into a catchment basedregional information system. This will allow assessments to be made on the impact of land usechange on biophysical attributes such as water quantity and quality, and on social and economicaspects such as the viability of landholders in undertaking the change.

The results from the TARGET Project will have major implications on the policy required at theCommonwealth, State and catchment levels for the delivery of land use change throughinstruments such as the Catchment Blueprints.


Improving Our Knowledge


Accurate information about salinity andcatchment processes is essential for developingeffective solutions. The focus of the past yearhas been on quantifying the relative benefits ofvarious management options, so that decisionscan be made about which actions the communityand the Government want to pursue.

Promoting salinity research

• A major action of the NSW Salinity Strategywas the establishment of a Salinity Researchand Development Coordinating Committee tocoordinate and provide advice on salinityresearch and development.

• The Committee produced A StrategicFramework for Salinity Research andDevelopment in NSW in February 2002. TheFramework identifies the key questions thatneed to be answered for effective salinitymanagement in NSW and criteria that could beused to evaluate the potential for researchproposals to answer those research questions.

• The Strategic Framework will be a valuabletool to coordinate and prioritise researchactivities.

• Together with an inventory of existingresearch, the Strategic Framework is beingdistributed to Rural Industry Research andDevelopment Corporations, Universities,Catchment Management Boards and otherResearch and Development providers andpurchasers.

• It is also being used nationally to informnational research priorities for natural resourcemanagement generally.

• The framework and inventory is available tothe community athttp://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/13076 orthrough CANRI (Community Access to NaturalResource Inventory) athttp://www.canri.nsw.gov.au.

• The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) forPlant Based Solutions to Dryland Salinity wasestablished in 2001, in a partnershiparrangement between all State and FederalGovernments and industry. Research isfocusing on the use of perennial plant basedfarming systems and the social and economicimpacts of changed farming practices.

• NSW Agriculture is a major participant in theCRC, contributing $13.4 million in research,education and extension work. During the lastyear, NSW Agriculture contributed theequivalent of 11.8 full time staff (with a valueof $2.86 million) for a range of research and

extension activities. The CRC’s NSW base islocated at Wagga Wagga.

• The CRC has contributed to projects that areinvestigating high water use farming systems,farm level economic assessment of salinitymanagement systems, use of native perennialpastures in agriculture, and integrating woodyand herbaceous perennials with annualcropping systems.

• Further collaborative research is undernegotiation with major funding bodies, NSWAgriculture and the CRC, for field evaluationand selection of new pasture plants and forgrazing systems on saline land.

• Research from the CRC is being passed on toland holders through the Salt Action Teams.Salt Action Teams are also participating in jointresearch activities with the CRC, such as thedevelopment of the Little River research sitenear Wellington.

Salinity information

• The NSW Government has allocated $3.8million per annum for four years for thedevelopment of salinity information, decisionsupport tools and scientific knowledgeprograms. Led by the Department of Land andWater Conservation, the purpose of theseprograms is to provide strategic informationand the types of decision making support toolsneeded by land holders.

• Information needs can be categorised by thefollowing themes:

– identifying the extent and impacts of salinitynow and in the future;

– identifying appropriate management optionsto deal with salinity;

– how to implement appropriate salinitymanagement on the ground; and

– how to address the socio-economic impactsresulting from land use change.

• The Government is identifying opportunitiesfor joint research projects to deliver on salinitytargets and outcomes. CatchmentManagement Boards are also identifying theirsalinity research and development needs todeliver on their Catchment Blueprints.

Data collection

• Data quality assurance and managementstandards are being developed to improveconfidence in the data. Work has commencedon a scoping study to implement the qualityassurance process for managing salinity data.



• Improved business systems are being developedto improve access to vegetation clearinginformation and enable property based onlineprocessing of applications.

Information products

New salinity information products are beingdeveloped which will allow a greater certainty inplanning and implementing solutions to salinityin the landscape.

• The latest satellite and remote sensingtechnologies are being used to develop salinitymapping.

• Maps have been completed for an area ofapproximately 2 million hectares. Initialmapping of dryland salinity outbreaks fromaerial photographs has been completed for theNorthern Tablelands and the Central Westregion.

• Salinity outbreak maps are being prepared inthe Barwon, Murray, Hunter and SydneySouth Coast regions, where rising groundwateris the cause of outbreaks. These maps will bedelivered progressively through to 2005.

Data analysis and decision support tools

• A computer-based Strategic LandscapeInvestment Tool is being developed to helpidentify the best mix of management actionsand land use changes to achieve salinitycontrol and biodiversity targets. The Tool willenable the evaluation of costs and benefits ofactions such as revegetation and saltinterception schemes, so that the most cost-effective investment opportunities can bedetermined.

• Targets Tool Software has been developed andtrialed in the Murray and Murrumbidgeeregions to identify management actions toachieve natural resource management targets.A draft user manual has been completed andworkshops are underway to support regions indeveloping implementation plans for theCatchment Blueprints.

• Salt balance modelling is underway in 43catchments. These analyses will measure thepathways of water and salt movement from thecatchments and identify catchments whereland use change will have the greatest impactson stream saltloads.

Dissemination

Knowledge about salinity will be made widelyavailable in a variety of use-friendly forms, sothat the whole community is able to respond tothe salinity challenge.

• Linkages to the Community Access to NaturalResources Information (CANRI) Program arebeing established. Inclusion of salinity dataand salinity products in the CANRI programwill ensure that they are integrated with othernatural resource datasets and are easilyaccessible to the community via the CANRIweb site.

Land Use Options Simulator

Integrated modelling - combining spatialinformation with models of processes -offers the best opportunity to predict thebehaviour of a catchment under differentconditions. For example, the impact ofvarious land use changes or tree plantingscenarios on run off and stream salinity canbe examined to choose the most sustainablemix of land uses.

The Department of Land and WaterConservation is developing decision supporttools to determine the effects of land usechange on run off and salt load export at theproperty scale, salinity impacts at the end ofcatchment and end of valley scale andgroundwater response times. Thebiophysical components will link toeconomic modules to quantify the economicimpacts of land use change.

A prototype of the Land Use OptionsSimulator was developed in late 2001 andpopulated with CATSALT data forMandagery Creek in the Central West regionas a proof-of-concept. The prototype hasbeen demonstrated at Albury, Wagga Waggaand Armidale. Positive feedback has beenreceived. The Simulator will be trialed withlandholders in August/September 2002.

This project also provides the resources toundertake a preliminary assessment of theimpact of land use change on salt and waterpathways for the 35 catchments identified aspriority catchments by the EnvironmentalServices Scheme.

Benchmarking biodiversity values

• The National Parks and Wildlife Service, incollaboration with State Forests, is developingan accountable and transparent means formeasuring biodiversity, including gains inbiodiversity from proposed actions such asvegetation management or revegetation forsalinity control.

• A draft framework for scoring biodiversity hasbeen completed and planning for field testing



has commenced, with some data already collected.

• Three teams are undertaking fieldwork in theMurrumbidgee, Lachlan and Macquariecatchments. Fieldwork will extend to theMurray catchment in Spring. The project willbe completed in June 2003.

• NSW and the Commonwealth have agreed tofund a project under the National Action Planto develop a toolkit to enable a rapidassessment of the biodiversity benefits that arelikely to accrue from protection of remnantvegetation or revegetation. This project willprovide the information and process necessaryto implement many of the targets in the NSWCatchment Blueprints.

Major research projects

• Landholders in the Billabong Creek andKyeamba Valley are working with researchersin CSIRO and the Holbrook Landcare Group towork out the best plantation species that willhave the greatest salinity impact.

• Extensive clearing and grazing has resulted inthe loss of many summer native plants that areinstrumental in reducing groundwater rechargeand dryland salinity. Researchers are nowworking to develop new native grass cultivarsthat are salt tolerant.

• NSW Agriculture has established two researchsites in the Namoi and Macquarie catchments.The research sites are investigating the

hydrological impacts of native pastures,perennial pastures, crops and trees. Thisinformation will be used to ‘redesign’ catchmentsin order to reduce deep drainage.

• Scientists from NSW Agriculture have heldmeetings in Orange, Tamworth and WaggaWagga to determine experimental designs forfarms to demonstrate the use of salt-solutionfarming. Priority areas for these farms arebeing determined.

• Work has commenced on the development offarming system models for catchment in theMid Macquarie. These models will helpdetermine the profitability of perennial plantspecies and identify priority areas of researchfor the Cooperative Research Centre for PlantBased Solutions to Dryland Salinity.

• An extensive review of the profitability offarming practices that may have benefits inreducing salinity has been completed as part ofa national Grains Research and DevelopmentCorporation project. The final report is due inNovember 2002.

• NSW Agriculture is undertaking research todevelop a framework for consideration of thelong term socio-economic impacts associatedwith changes in land management to achieveimproved salinity outcomes. Information forthe farm and catchment level models is beingcollected through research and communitynetworks that were established over the pastyear.

Heartlands – a Riverina partnership

The Heartlands Pilot Project is providing critical research to guide landscape change andimplementation of Catchment Blueprints.

Heartlands will provide the scientific knowledge to guide both the nature and location of actionssuch as increasing vegetation cover to address salinity and biodiversity.

Investigations in NSW focus on the Billabong Creek catchment (Murray Catchment ManagementBoard) and Kyeamba Valley (Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Board).

Heartlands combines a research program directly with the implementation of on-ground workssuch as tree planting, protection of remnant vegetation, establishment of perennial pastures anderosion protection measures.

The Heartlands team will measure the effectiveness of revegetation options to ensure their successand support local communities in implementing improved management of their farms andcatchments.

Two farm forestry species trials have also been established for the Billabong Creek catchment. Thefirst sites for stream monitoring in the catchment have been selected and equipment installationhas commenced. A socio-economic study, reporting on social values, attitudes and likely responsesto landscape change, was completed in September 2001. A further report on factors that influencedecisions about farming practices and enterprise change is due in September 2002.

In Kyeamba Valley, eleven sites for on-ground works have been selected to trial native vegetationregeneration at the paddock scale. Increased native vegetation cover, density and vegetationhealth will directly reduce groundwater recharge and salinity discharge and provide biodiversitybenefits.



Creating Business Opportunities

Salt is a natural resource, which can provide acommercial return for salt affected land andwater. The NSW Government is assisting thedevelopment of businesses which makeproductive use of this resource.

• Examples of marketable by-products of saltinclude:

– Fertilisers and high value salt such as tablesalt;

– Materials for manufacture of magnesiummetal and alloys;

– Lightweight, high-strength plaster boardsand building products; and

– Compounds used in water and waste watertreatment.

The NSW Government is helping to develop thepotential of saline-based industries throughbusiness development, information programsand research.

By promoting saline-based industry, theGovernment is helping to direct private capitaltowards the cost of addressing salinity. It is also away of returning the benefits of industry growthand innovation, such as employment, to regionalareas.

Salinity Business Development Program

The Salinity Business Development Program wasestablished in 2001 to encourage businesses totake advantage of opportunities arising fromproductive uses of salt affected land and water.

• Eleven new technologies have been exhibitedin the Australian Technology Showcase. Theyinclude:

– three saline soil mapping methods;

– two innovations to remove salt from water;

– a product to seal pipes that leak salty water;and

– two products made from ground motor tyresto treat salt affected land.

• Up to 280 people have attended a series ofsalinity business opportunity forums that havehighlighted salinity technologies. Forums havebeen held in Deniliquin, Sydney, Paterson,Dubbo and Tamworth.

• A web site has been developed to promotesalinity based business opportunities. The website is designed to be a comprehensive supporttool for those seeking to both identify anddevelop salinity-related business opportunities.Its address ishttp://www.salinitybiz.nsw.gov.au

Saltbush Trial - Suntop

In 1992, 28,000 old man saltbush plants(Atriplex numularia) were established on aseverely affected saline site to determinehow effective this species could be inreducing salinity. At this time, it was one ofthe largest salinity saltbush plantings inNSW.

Ten years on, the groundwater level hasdropped and other more useful grazingplants have been able to colonise the site.

The site still has saline water discharging tothe site and the saltbush readily “mine thisfree water” to grow.

The area has become both a valuable grazingresource and a fodder reserve duringdrought. The area has routinely been grazedthree times per year at high stocking rates(50 sheep per hectare).

The area is used for salinity grazing researchto determine the length of time and stocknumbers applied to a saltbush stand. Thisprovides information for other saltbushgrazing enterprises throughout the region.

The area is routinely used as ademonstration site for local and visitingfarmer groups (about 350 last year). The sitehas influenced many farmers in the CentralWest to plant similar stands for salinitycontrol.

In the last six months, the site has alsobecome the focus of a salinity educationpackage developed for school students to useas an aid in salinity studies. This package isCD based and is being made available forlarge numbers of schools who will visit thesite physically or visit it by use of visualtraining material.

New enterprises

• Native grasses play an important role in bothrecharge areas and in salt affected land. Thegrasses grow all year round, persisting whenother pasture species are dormant or have diedoff.

• Using native grasses in areas where soils areshallow and infertile, and where currently usedspecies persist poorly, helps arrest problemsincluding soil erosion and acidification. Theseperennial grasses use water during the warmersummer months, reducing groundwaterrecharge and helping reduce salinity.



• Growers in Holbrook and Tamworth havesown a range of varieties for seed harvesting.

• Seed production guidelines for a number ofnative species have been produced and areavailable on fromhttp://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/veg/nativeseed.html

• Discussions have been undertaken with anumber of major pastoral houses regarding thegrowing of old man saltbush for livestockproduction. Saltbush lowers saline water tablesand, if skilfully managed, is a highly productivestock feed.

• A Wagga Wagga based business is proposing toproduce and market a new salt tolerant turfcultivar. There appears to be a growing marketfor this product as rising water tables in urbanareas impact on parks, gardens and golfcourses.

• State Forests has established about 50 two-hectare sites throughout the 500 to 700mmrainfall zone in NSW. Saltgrow hybrids wereused in selected locations as part of these trialsand they are proving to be very effective, witha high rate of successful establishment andrapid growth rates.

• The NSW Government is working with ArthurYates & Co Ltd to assess the extent to whichSaltgrow can be used in larger scale treeplanting programs in the dryland salinity area.

Using saline aquaculture to offset thecosts of salinity control

The NSW Government, through the NSWAquaculture Initiative, has funded a milliondollar project in partnership with MurrayIrrigation Limited to develop the InlandSaline Aquaculture Research Centre.

The Centre is located on the banks of thelargest saline groundwater interceptionscheme in Australia, near Wakool, NSW. Itwas opened in May 2002.

The Centre is using saline water from theinterception scheme to grow snapper andmulloway. Other species, such as prawnsand salt tolerant freshwater fish like silverperch, also have potential for culture usingsaline groundwater.

Results from the project suggest thataquaculture ponds could be constructedalongside interception schemes, providing anopportunity for scheme operators to selltheir salt water to offset costs.

If aquaculture was incorporated into theplanning for new groundwater interceptionschemes, the aquaculture ponds couldsupply a large proportion of the surface areaneeded for evaporation.

Removal and marketing of salts from saline groundwater

The Department of State and Regional Development has provided funds through its RegionalBusiness Development Scheme to SunSalt Larmon Pty Ltd to extract salts from an evaporationpond at Mourquong, near Buronga.

The evaporation pond is a government salt interception scheme, designed to stop salt water fromentering the Murray. This project has the potential to increase the life of the interception schemeby several decades.

This is NSW’s first business venture to harvest salts from inland saline water. The project willcreate 12 full time jobs.

Established markets for the salt are in stock feed manufacture, foodstuffs, the gourmet foodindustry, abattoirs, the chemical industry, swimming pools and metal recycling. Market locationsinclude Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Goulburn, Dubbo, Mudgee, Harden and the Riverina.Additional markets are being developed.

SunSalt Larmon is now gearing up to produce magnesium sulfate from the saline water atMourquong. There is a domestic market for this chemical as a fertiliser and as a supplement inanimal feeds. It is currently imported from USA and China.

CSIRO scientists have worked closely with SunSalt Larmon to develop an efficient method ofextracting magnesium sulfate from saline water.



Productive partnerships

• In May 2002, the Minister for MineralResources and Fisheries opened the InlandCentre for Saline Aquaculture Research andDevelopment in south western NSW. TheCentre is a successful partnership betweenNSW Fisheries, Murray Irrigation Ltd, theDepartment of State and RegionalDevelopment and the Department of Land andWater Conservation.

• The Centre is investigating opportunities fornew salt water fisheries using groundwaterpumped from the Wakool/Tullakool Sub-Surface Drainage System.

• The Department of State and RegionalDevelopment, NSW Fisheries and Moree PlainsShire Council are investigating the potential foran aquaculture business venture to utilisesaline water effluent from hot water spaslocated in Moree.

• NSW Fisheries has trialed Silver Perch in spawater transported to their research centre inGrafton. Researchers have reached apreliminary conclusion that this species is likelyto grow successfully in effluent spa water.

Plantation forestry for salinity benefits

• A major research site has been set up near PineRidge in the Liverpool Plains, to benchmarksalinity control and carbon sequestration in lowrainfall areas.

• Tree water use, transpiration rates and soilmoisture are being measured to assist inquantifying the effectiveness of plantationforestry in reducing recharge. A further sitenear Murrumbateman has also beeninstrumented for the monitoring of tree wateruse.

• Eucalyptus trees have been harvested fromDeniliquin and Pine Ridge to determine wateruse and to estimate carbon sequestration.

A trial plantation was established in theGunnedah area under the NSW SalinityStrategy.

Over 200 hectares of hardwood forest hasbeen planted. Early survival of the trees wasgood and some exceptional growth rateshave been recorded. Completion of theremainder of the plantings was postponeddue to unsuitable, dry conditions in Autumn2002. Depending on satisfactory rainfall,another 200 hectares will be planted byAutumn 2003.

The aims of the trial are to:

– help determine the most appropriateways of establishing and managing treesin low rainfall areas to reduce salinity;and

– stimulate markets for non-traditionalwood products and for environmentalbenefits including carbon sequestrationand biodiversity enhancement as well assalinity control.

The areas selected for plantations are incritical recharge areas, across twelve privateproperties that are used predominantly forpasture and cropping. Each land owner hascompleted a Forestry Right Agreement andTransfer to secure the establishment of theplantation.

The NSW Government is now proposing to plantanother 33,800 hectares of forest. This would bethe biggest program of its type in Australia,costing up to $100 million. Funds are beingsought from the Commonwealth under theNational Action Plan to match the NSWGovernment contribution.

These trees would prevent about 11,300 tonnesof salt from rising to the surface and enteringrivers each year. They'd effectively remove 20million tonnes of carbon dioxide from theatmosphere over the next two decades.

Commercial extraction of salt from under salt affected urban centres.

The Department of State and Regional Development, Wagga Wagga Council and Dubbo Councilare testing an innovative approach to addressing urban salinity. Funding has also been receivedfrom the Commonwealth Government.

The project is trialing technologies to harvest salts from pumped groundwater and to produce“clean water”. It is also investigating markets for these products and assessing the degree to whichthe profits derived from sales offset the costs of providing the environmental service. A range ofbusiness models are being examined to put into practise this method of addressing urban salinity.

A final report on the project will be released in October 2002.


Smarter Regulation


Regulatory controls help to ensure that salinityproblems are not made worse through the loss ofnative vegetation, inappropriate land usepractices or poor urban planning decisions.

A sound regulatory framework can also provideincentives for land use practices that deliverenvironmental benefits.

Salinity impacts in clearing assessments

• To help farmers with the fight against salinity,the Department of Land and WaterConservation has drafted new guidelines forassessing the salinity impacts of a clearingapplication using a risk assessmentmethodology. This will help to better quantifythe impacts from individual applications.

Review of exemptions under NativeVegetation Conservation Act 1997

• A revised system of exemptions under theNative Vegetation Conservation Act will givefarmers greater certainty about what they canclear. Consultation and negotiation with keystakeholders is continuing.

• The Private Native Forestry Reference Group,established earlier this year, is finalising itsrecommendations on a revised private nativeforestry exemption. A revised system ofexemptions would provide greater flexibilityand simplicity for farmers when undertakingroutine agricultural activities, and at the sametime provide for better outcomes for ourlandscape.

Plantations Code

• In December 2001, the Plantations Code underthe Plantations and Reafforestation Act 1999 wasintroduced to streamline the process forfarmers investing in planted forests.

• The new Act has replaced the need for morethan 10 licences and permits previouslyrequired for a plantation. The new single codenow allows for the establishment of plantationsfor purely environmental purposes, to addressland degradation and salinity, and streamlinethe establishment of markets forenvironmental services.



Facts On Salinity

• Salt occurs naturally in the Australianlandscape.

• Salinity refers to the presence of excess salt insoil or water. It can lead to vegetation loss,weed invasion, soil structure decline, soilerosion, damage to infrastructure and loss ofwater quality.

• Although NSW has only five percent of theland currently affected by dryland salinity inAustralia, it has almost 50 percent of thepotentially affected land.

• Estimations of the area of land currentlyaffected by dryland salinity in NSW vary120,000 and 174,000 hectares.

• If no remediating actions are taken, it isestimated that up to 20,000 hectares could belost every year as a result of salinity and/orwaterlogging.

• Based on recent studies in the UpperMacquarie Catchment and the Murray-DarlingBasin Salinity Audit, the total annual cost ofdryland salinity to NSW is estimated at $24million each year.

• These costs will increase significantly in thefuture. Murray-Darling Basin Salinity Auditpredictions of two million hectares of salinity-affected land by 2050 would lead to an annualcost of $400 million for the Basin alone.

• On-farm salinity and rising watertables haveresulted in lost production, salinisation andsiltation of dams, and damage to buildings,access tracks, fences and irrigation systems.

• Off-farm (including urban areas) salinity andrising watertables have caused damage toroads, buildings, water, gas and sewerage pipes,concrete structures and recreation areas.

• It is believed that high watertables affect about34 percent of State roads and 21 percent ofnational highways in south-western NSW.Repair costs are estimated at $9 million peryear.

• Increasing salt concentrations in streams andrivers has a significant impact on a wide rangeof established uses, including decline in itssuitability for drinking by humans andlivestock. Costs for water treatment generallyincrease with increasing salinity.

• Without intervention, water quality in many ofour inland rivers will markedly decline overthe coming years. For example, within 20years, the Macquarie, Namoi and Bogan Riverswill exceed the 800 EC threshold for desirabledrinking water.


Glossary


Carbon sequestration The removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere by plants, soils or technological measures.

Electrical conductivity (EC) The most widely used and convenient method of measuring the salinity of water is by electrical conductivity. One unit of measure of electrical conductivity is ‘micro-Siemens per centimetre’. The shorthand expression for this is the ‘electrical conductivity unit’, ‘EC unit’ or just ‘EC’.

End of valley salinity target A ‘big picture’ target or goal that is an overall indication of our desired salinity conditions and also how much salt we are aiming for at the end of major catchments.

Environmental Services Benefits to the environment, such as:

• reducing the mobilisation of salt;

• reducing the export of products from acid sulfate soils;

• reducing soil loss;

• improving water quality;

• reducing greenhouse gases; and

• enhancing biodiversity.

Environmental Services Investment Fund (ESIF)Developed to finance the management actions necessary to manage salinity and other environmental issues, which have high public good environmental services benefits, and for which commercial options are not available.

Lgov NSW Previously known as the Local Government and Shires Associations.

National Action Plan The National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.

Natural Heritage Trust A joint Commonwealth and State Government grants program that funds community projects to improve sustainable agriculture and environmental management.

Priority salinity hazard landscapeAn area that has been identified as needing initial attention for salinity management, due to a variety of biophysical, social and economic factors.

Recharge The portion of rainfall or river flow that percolates down through thesoil and rock formations to reach the groundwater system.

Salinity The presence of salt in the land surface, in soil or rocks, or dissolved in water in our rivers or groundwater. The NSW Salinity Strategy categorises salinity as irrigation, dryland, urban and industrial. Salinity types differ according to how and when the salt has been mobilised and what the impacts are.

Salt interception scheme Usually works comprising a system of pumps and drainage that reduce the level of the groundwater by pumping it into evaporation basins or elsewhere, thereby intercepting salt before it enters a river or reaches the soil surface.

Salt load The amount of salt carried in water flow in rivers, groundwater or offthe soil surface, in a given time period.

Salt scald A bare patch of earth where the surface soil has been removed by erosion or damaged by salinity, making it hard to revegetate. Salt may form crystals on the surface.

Watertable The level below which the ground is saturated with water.

Waterlogging Where the surface soil is saturated with water from rising groundwater or surface run-off collecting in low areas.

Within valley target A water or land-based target within a catchment, that expresses the salinity level to aim for at a location or for an area.


Annex 2: Queensland Implementation Report


Basin SalinityManagementStrategyAnnualReport

2001/2002

Queensland Murray-Darling Basin

This annex has been derived fromthe following report,‘Basin Salinity ManagementStrategy, Annual Report2001/02–Queensland MurrayDarling Basin’,produced by:Queensland Department ofNatural Resources and Mines.



A. Queensland Murray-Darling Basin Summary

Major milestones and achievements for2001-02

Major milestones and achievements for 2001-02centre on information and knowledge,engagement of the community, capacity buildingand developing the science and monitoringnetworks to underpin the development andimplementation of strategies to minimise salinityrisk and protect regional assets and values.Milestones and achievements included:

• Ongoing communication program raisingcommunity awareness of the salinity, the BasinSalinity Management Strategy and the NationalAction Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.

• Development and implementation of regionalsalinity communication plan

• Training for agency, Landcare and CatchmentManagement staff in salinity processes,recognition and risk assessment

• Development of plans at the regional, sub-catchment and property scale to addresssalinity

• Consultation and information collection andcollation towards the development of RegionalVegetation Management Plans and catchmentWater Resource Plans

• Mapping of 30 groundwater flow systems andinvestigation of their attributes

• Research and investigation of deep drainage,irrigation water use efficiency, and salt loads inrainfall, regolith and unconfined and semi-confined aquifers

• Use of airborne geophysical techniques toinvestigate salt loads and other landscapeproperties in the lower Balonne and Mooniecatchments

• Upgrade and expansion of the salinitymonitoring network including installation oftime series electrical conductivity monitoringequipment at end-of-valley monitoring sitesand on tributaries in the Border Riverscatchment and expansion of shallowgroundwater monitoring network

• Initiation of salinity modelling framework todefine 1975-2000 stream salinity/flowrelationships and to assess and predict salinityrisk and impacts

• Development of 1:250,000 scale salinity hazardmap

Major milestones planned for 2002-03

In 2002-03 the direction set in 2001-02 will bemaintained with a stronger emphasis on thedevelopment and implementation of regionalstrategies to minimise salinity. Strategicdirections will include:

• Development of regional natural resourcemanagement plans and investment plans andtheir accreditation under both the NationalAction Plan for Salinity and Water Quality andthe National Heritage Trust program

• Development of and initiation of PriorityAction Projects by Regional Natural ResourceManagement Groups.

• Development of salinity targets

• Continued implementation of regional salinitycommunication plan

• Publication of case studies demonstratingapproaches that landholders in the QueenslandMurray-Darling Basin are using to minimisesalinity risk.

• Public consultation on draft RegionalVegetation Management Plans

• Public consultation on draft catchment WaterResource Plans

• Public release and communication of SalinityHazard Map for Queensland Murray-DarlingBasin

• Completion of airborne geophysicalinvestigation in lower Balonne and publicationof final reports

• Continuation of research and extension ofirrigation water use efficiency

• Rollout of risk assessment tool and and its useto assist in development of locally relevantstrategies and actions to minimise salinity risk

• Completion of installation of regionalgroundwater monitoring network

• Completion of salinity monitoring framework,integrating agency and community monitoring

• Publication of major reports on groundwaterflow systems, deep drainage, salinitymonitoring framework and assessment ofsalinity risk to regional values and assets.

• Establishment of 1975-2000 salinity/flowrelationships for major Queensland catchments

• Further development of integrated salinitymodelling framework

• Rolling annual review of Border Riverscatchment



Major milestones planned for 2003-04

The direction set in 2002-03 will be maintainedin 2003-04 but the main activity will be theimplementation of regional natural resourcemanagement plans and strategies. The majoremphases will be:

• Finalisation of Salinity Targets

• Implementation of accredited Regional NaturalResource Management Plans

• Completion of water use efficiency and deepdrainage research programs

• Implementation of integrated salinitymodelling framework

• Rolling annual review of Moonie catchment

• Easy access to salinity monitoring, research andtechnical information through a variety ofmedia including the Internet, CD-ROM’s,public reports and access to technical experts.

Progress towards the rolling 5 year reviewand audit for valleys

Queensland has not yet initiated any rollingsalinity reviews and audits of its river valleys butit has been systematically collecting and collatinginformation to support these reviews and audits.

New South Wales and Queensland have agreedthat the Border Rivers catchment will be auditedin 2002-2003. The audit will focus on the processof benchmarking 1975-2000 salinity/flowrelationships and the current understanding ofsalinity condition and risk in the catchment.

Queensland proposes the following timetable forthe other rolling 5 year reviews and audits.

2003-2004 – Moonie catchment – this catchmentwas not included in the 1999 Basin SalinityAudit because of lack of information. Sufficientdata will be available to assess salinity risk in thecatchment.

2004-2005 – Warrego and Paroo catchments –these catchments should be done togetherbecause both catchments are covered by the oneWater Resource Plan and there is less land useand vegetation change driving salinity risk thanin higher rainfall catchments in the QMDB.

2005-2006 – Condamine-Balonne catchment –the audit of this catchment will be the mostcomplex because of its level of land and waterdevelopment, size and diverse range ofstakeholders.



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B. Detailed Regional Report


Progress report on all works conducted duringthe financial year, based on the 9 interventionthemes of the BSMS:

1. Developing capacity to implement theStrategy

Regional Natural Resource ManagementPlans and Investment Plans

The Queensland Murray-Darling Committeeand the Condamine Alliance are the approvedregional natural resource management bodiesestablished under the National Action Plan forSalinity and Water Quality to providecommunity leadership in natural resourcemanagement in the Queensland Murray-DarlingBasin. The Queensland and CommonwealthGovernments will provide foundational fundingthrough the National Action Plan for Salinity andWater Quality to the two regional bodies todevelop plans to address salinity. Both theCondamine Alliance and the QueenslandMurray-Darling Committee have commenceddevelopment of plans. Proposed timelines forcompletion of regional natural resourcemanagement plans and strategies are mid-2003.These plans will set the targets, directions,priorities and strategies for addressing salinityrisk.

Regional Vegetation Management Plans

The Vegetation Management Act (VMA -1999) andthe Land Act (1994) are the key pieces oflegislation for the management of nativevegetation in Queensland. The VegetationManagement Act applies to freehold tenures, theLand Act applies to state lands including leaseholdland. Implementation of the VegetationManagement Act commenced in September 2000.

The Vegetation Management Act requires thecreation of Regional Vegetation ManagementCommittees (RVMC) to develop RegionalVegetation Management Plans (RVMP). Thereare four RVMP's currently in developmentrelevant to the Queensland section of theMurray-Darling Basin. They are Mulga LandsBioregional Plan, the New England TablelandsBioregional Plan, the Southern Brigalow BeltBioregional Plan and the South East QueenslandBioregional Plan. These plans cover theQueensland section of the Murray- Darling Basinand extend to its east and west.

The planning process in these bioregions hasinvolved a community contact phase prior to theformulation of draft RVMP’s. This phaseconcluded in July and is to be followed by aseries of Regional Vegetation ManagementCommittee meetings to agree on plan

components. RVMP's are expected to be in draftform in mid-November 2002 for consideration ofthe Minister and release for public submissions.The timeline for finalisation of the RegionalVegetation Management Plans is mid-2003.

The four Catchment Management Associationsand the two Regional Bodies (QueenslandMurray-Darling Committee (QMDC) andCondamine Alliance) are partners in thedevelopment of these bioregional vegetationmanagement plans. Key aspects of vegetationmanagement strategies developed by therespective Regional Vegetation ManagementCommittees will significantly guide thedevelopment of the Regional and Catchmentinvestment strategies.

Until the Regional Vegetation Management Plansare finalised and approved, management ofremnant native vegetation is managed throughthe Statewide Vegetation Management Code. Akey feature of the Code is the salinityPerformance Requirement (PR5) which requiresthat applicants demonstrate that clearing ofremnant native vegetation does not increasesalinity risk. Vegetation management officersassessing applications for remnant nativevegetation clearing have received accreditedtraining in salinity risk assessment. Permits forclearing remnant vegetation are valid for twoyears after date of approval.

The Bilateral Agreement between theCommonwealth and Queensland in relation tothe National Action Plan for Salinity and WaterQuality recognises the RVMP process as theprimary delivery mechanism for sustainablenative vegetation management.

Catchment Water Planning

The Water Act 2000 is the key piece of legislationfor the management of both groundwater andsurface water resources in Queensland.

Draft Water Resource Plans were prepared forthe Queensland part of the Border RiversCatchment, the Moonie River Catchment and forthe Warrego, Paroo and Nebine Catchments. Thedraft Water Resource Plan for the Condamine-Balonne Catchment was under review followingrelease of an earlier draft. Further analysis ofinformation on environmental stream health isbeing considered in the preparation of the nextdraft of the Condamine-Balonne Water ResourcePlan.

Water Resource Plans, once finalised after publicconsultation in 2002-2003, will provide thelegislative basis for water resource management.The approved Water Resource Plans will provide



Queensland’s stream flow baseline developmentconditions for monitoring salinity-flowrelationships at end-of-valley salinity target sites.

Detailed operating rules for water sharing in acatchment will be determined in a ResourceOperation Plans which must be prepared afterthe catchment water resource plan has beenpassed as subordinate legislation to the WaterResources Act 2000.

Local action plans

A number of Landcare groups in the Condamine,Moonie and Border Rivers catchment have beenaddressing salinity through local action plans.Actions have included installation of piezometernetworks and development of strategies whichidentify actions to minimise salinity. A feature ofthese groups has been their openness to newideas. Landcare groups actively addressingsalinity include Nindigully, Murilla, Brigalow-Jimbour Floodplains Group, Myall Creek, CrowsNest, Linthorpe Creek, Condamine Headwaters,Inglewood, and St George. Implementation oflocal action plans will be accelerated when theregional natural resource management strategiesare implemented.

Land and Water Management Planning

The MDBC 2001 project Working towards wateruse efficient irrigation management systems in theQMDB, managed by the National Centre forEngineering in Agriculture, is developing theskills of agricultural consultants and their clientsto develop land and water management plansthat meet Queensland government standards forsuch plans. Twenty seven plans are underdevelopment. These plans place a high emphasison water use efficiency and minimisation of deepdrainage. Plans are being developed in theCondamine-Balonne and Border Riverscatchments. High emphasis has been placed ontraining of consultants to work with clients todevelop plans to the required standards. Landand water management plans are required underthe Water Resources Act for new allocations ofwater and where water is traded.

Salinity Communication Plan

The Salinity Communication Plan developed forthe Queensland Murray-Darling Basin hasprovided the direction for the development anddelivery of training, information and extensionprograms. In 2001-2002 formal salinity trainingwas delivered to agency, Landcare andCatchment Management staff in the BorderRivers and Condamine-Balonne catchment.Advanced training in risk assessment and localstrategy development to minimise salinity will be

given in 2002-03 prior to the rollout of the riskassessment and strategy development tool.

While the communication emphasis in 2001-2002 was on understanding salinity processesand impacts, the emphasis in 2002-03 will beminimisation of salinity risks by improving land,water and vegetation management practices.

A variety of methods have been used successfullyin 2001-02 to implement the salinitycommunication plan. These include the use ofprint media, radio and television, internet,published papers, fact sheets, reports andparticipation. Community participation hasincluded membership of steering committees,strategic and action planning teams, involvementin monitoring activities, field days, forums andmeetings.

The success of this approach is measured by thechange in community attitudes from thinkingthat salinity was not an issue in Queensland tothe recognition that salinity risk is real and nowis the time to address it.

2. Identifying values and assets at risk

The Department of Natural Resources and Minesis presently collating information and developingthe methodology to identify values and assets atrisk. Significant progress has been madeincluding:

(a) Preparation of 1:250,000 scale SalinityHazard Map for the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin. The salinity hazard map showsthe potential for expression of salinity if saltstores are mobilised. The salinity hazardmapping methodology used in Queenslandhas been nationally reviewed by independentscientists from CSIRO, AFFA, NLWRA andother-State agencies and endorsed as a soundbasis for representing those parts of theQueensland Murray-Darling Basin which arerelatively most sensitive to land use change,and thus with the greatest potential withinthe Queensland Murray-Darling Basin forsuffering an impact from salinity.

(b) Preparation of Groundwater Flows Systemmapping for the Queensland Murray-DarlingBasin. Groundwater flow systems areclassified into local, intermediate and regional

(c) Mapping of land use and productivity at1:100,000 scale. This mapping draws uponremnant vegetation and woody vegetationmapping, valuations data, irrigationinfrastructure mapping, cadastral mappingand Australian Bureau of Statistics localgovernment economic data.



(d) Ongoing mapping of remnant vegetationcover and woody vegetation cover change at1:100,000 scale.

(e) Collation of information on urban andindustrial water supplies and sources andwaste water disposal.

(f) Ongoing collation of information on pointsource generators of salt including urban andindustrial areas and intensive livestockindustries.

(g) The Environmental Protection Agency hascompleted biodiversity assessment of thenative vegetation communities and faunacommunities in the New England TablelandBioregion and is presently completingbiodiversity assessments in the SouthernBrigalow Belt Bioregion. This information isthen put into a GIS-based biodiversityplanning tool which summarises all availablebiodiversity information for remnantvegetation within a bioregion, using acombination of GIS data and expert opinion.

(h) An initial benchmark survey has beenconducted of the condition and values ofnon-riverine wetlands; 18 in the Warrego, 29in the Paroo, 49 in the Condamine, 25 in theBorder Rivers and 36 in the Balonnecatchments. Wetland attributes are capturedon a data base and an interactive CD-ROM isbeing developed to give easy access towetland information.

(i) The MDBC funded Sustainable Rivers Auditand NR&M’s biomonitoring program areproviding baseline information on riverinehealth, assets and values, including salinitylevels at monitoring sites.

(j) Spatial information on irrigationinfrastructure in the Condamine and lowerBorder Rivers catchments has been capturedas part of the MDBC Basin Irrigation andSalinity Mapping. Comparable data is yet tobe captured for other parts of the QueenslandMurray-Darling Basin, notably the lowerBalonne and Granite Belt.

(k) Ongoing discussions are being held betweenMain Roads Department and the Departmentof Natural Resources and Mines ondeveloping a common approach to assessingsalinity risk for main road infrastructure.

A report will be prepared in 2002-2003 on valuable assets at risk from salinity.

3. Setting salinity targets

The Queensland Government has committed toworking with the two Regional Natural ResourceManagement Bodies in the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin, the Queensland Murray-DarlingCommittee and the Condamine Alliance insetting salinity targets. End-of-valley salinitytargets for the Border Rivers, Moonie,Condamine-Balonne , Warrego and Paroocatchments are to be set before 31 March 2004in accordance with Clause 8(4) of the proposedSchedule C to the Murray-Darling BasinAgreement.

NR&M and DLWC are collaboratively reviewingthe 1999 Basin Salinity Audit for the Border Riverscatchment. The review includes modelling ofstream salinity/flow relationships in thecatchment and estimation of salt mobilisationrates in the catchment. This review will underpinsetting of salinity targets in the catchmentincluding the end-of-valley target at Mungindi.

Progress towards finalising targets andmonitoring regimes

No salinity targets have yet been set forQueensland catchments. The QueenslandMurray-Darling Committee and the CondamineAlliance are in the process of developing theirNatural Resource Management Plans andInvestment Plans, which are target based inaccordance with the Guidelines For Developing ARegional Natural Resource Management Plan InQueensland. Targets and monitoring aremandatory key accountability features of theseplans.

Report on end-of-valley TargetsMeasured flow and EC at end-of-valley

Time series electrical conductivity monitoringequipment was installed at all nominated end-of-valley monitoring sites as well as at Farnbro onthe Dumaresq River, Booba Sands on MacintyreBrook and the Weir River at Talwood in theBorder Rivers catchment. Time series electricalconductivity monitoring equipment haspreviously be installed at ambient streammonitoring stations at Wyenbah at the head ofthe Culgoa River, Broadwater Creek in theSevern Catchment and at 16 sites in theCondamine catchment.

The Department of Land and WaterConservation operates the Border Rivers end-of-valley monitoring site at Mungundi, theCondamine-Balonne end-of-valley monitoringsites at New Angledool on the Narran River andBrenda on the Culgoa River, as well as the



Warrego end-of-valley monitoring sites atBarrigun on the Warrego River and Turra onCuttaburra Creek. Queensland operates theother nominated end-of-valley monitoring sites.Except for Mungindi, salinity records are eventbased, usually recorded on lower flows, whichgives an overestimate of electrical conductivity. Itis not statistically valid to interpret the 5 yearrunning average for those sites wheremonitoring has been event based until the recentinstallation of time series electrical conductivitymonitoring equipment. In some cases, there arevery limited recordings in the last five yearsbecause monitoring coincided with extended dryperiods and no stream flows.

No salinity/flow relations have yet beendeveloped for end-of-valley monitoring sites. Themethodology for deriving these relationships isbeing developed as a major element of theMDBC commissioned project Development ofhydrologic models for the assessment of current andnew salinity regimes for the Murray-Darling BasinTributary Rivers in Queensland.

Summarised below in Table 2 are event-basedelectrical conductivity records for end-of-valleysalinity monitoring sites or from the nearestupstream monitoring sites where the record istoo short or incomplete.

Report on within-valley targets

No within valley targets have yet been set forQueensland catchments. The QueenslandMurray-Darling Committee and the CondamineAlliance are in the process of developing theirNatural Resource Management Plans andInvestment Plans, which are target based inaccordance with Queensland andCommonwealth Guidelines For Developing ARegional Natural Resource Management Plan InQueensland.

Both organisations have indicated that they willbe setting within catchment stream salinityconcentration targets, groundwater targets andtargets for management actions to minimisesalinity risk, in accordance with Queensland andCommonwealth guidelines for developingregional natural resource management plans andinvestment plans. Catchment flow sharingtargets and vegetation targets will be consistentwith targets developed through the WaterResource Planning program and the RegionalVegetation Management Planning process.

4. Managing trade-offs with theavailable within-valley options

As part of the process of developing regionalNatural Resource Management Plans andInvestment Plans, benefit-cost analysis will beused to determine priority actions within valleysto minimise salinity. Natural Resources andMines is developing a salinity risk assessmentand on-ground strategy development tool toassist in identifying strategies to effectivelyminimise salinity risk, from the catchment scaledown to a property level.

5. Implementing salinity and catchmentmanagement plans

Both the Condamine Alliance and theQueensland Murray-Darling Committee aredeveloping Regional Natural ResourceManagement Plans and Investment Plans. TheQueensland Murray-Darling Basin has had oneround of public consultation on its InvestmentPlan. Both organisations are aiming forfinalisation and accreditation of their RegionalNatural Resource Management Strategies andInvestment Plans by mid-2003.

The Border Rivers, Condamine, and Maranoa-Balonne Catchment Management Associationsand the South West Natural ResourceManagement Group have reviewed their naturalresource management plans and incorporatedstrategies to minimise salinity.

Allocation and uptake of salinity disposalentitlements

Queensland is not participating in any actionswhich require the allocation and uptake ofsalinity disposal entitlements. Queensland hasindicated that it will not participate in any jointsalinity and drainage works at least to 2008. Thisis set out in Clause 13 of the proposed newSchedule C to the Murray-Darling BasinAgreement.

6. Redesigning farming systems

There are a number of research and investigationinitiatives focussed on redesigning farmingsystems. These include rural water use efficiency,deep drainage investigations and information,Landmark, quantifying salt in rainfall, anddevelopment of strategies to minimise adverseimpacts of nutrients and pesticides. These aresummarised below.

Rural water use efficiency

The irrigated cotton and grains industry, dairyingand horticultural industry are participating inthe Queensland Government’s Rural Water Use



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Efficiency program in the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin. The Department of PrimaryIndustries is running the project with fundingfrom the Department of Natural Resources andMines

Results from farm scale trials in the cottonindustry, the largest single user of water inQueensland Murray-Darling Basin, showed thepotential for water use efficiency against fourperformance indicators in 2001-2002.

1. Crop Water Use Efficiency (CWUE), is ameasure of how well plants convert water itused in evapotranspiration to yield and iscalculated as bales per megalitre AverageCWUE for the trial sites over the 2001/02season was 1.31 Bales/ML. CWUEimproved by 0.17 Bales/ML.

2. Irrigation Water Use Efficiency is a measureof production related to applied water and iscalculated as bales per megalitre of irrigationwater and effective rain. The 2001/02seasonal average across the trial sites was1.25 Bales/ML.Irrigation Water UseEfficiency improved by 0.12 Bales/ML.

3. Irrigation Efficiency is a measure of theproportion of water delivered to the farmthat was utilised in evapotranspiration. Thetrial sites averaged 58% for the 2001/02season (i.e. 42% of water diverted forirrigation has been lost asevaporation/seepage in storage ordistribution).

4. Economic Water Use Efficiency is calculatedas gross income per megalitre of irrigationwater. The average for the RWUEI trial sitesfor the 2001/02 season was $470/ML.

The trials also highlighted that evaporation andseepage mitigation strategies also presentopportunities. Trial results have shown thatevaporation and seepage losses could be 8 ML/haand 13 ML/ha respectively.

Investigation of deep drainage

Deep drainage was investigated underrepresentative land uses across the QueenslandMurray-Darling Basin. This involved soilsampling down to 5 metres and chloride profileanalysis of:

• The same soils under different land use andmanagement practices with known land usehistory; and

• Re-sampling soils at the same site where theland use and management has remainedsimilar between sampling.

The sampled soils have been chemicallyanalysed to determine the chloride concentrationdown the profile and results are still beingassessed using the SODICS model. This workprovides quantitative information on deepdrainage for the climate, soil, and landmanagement conditions in the QueenslandMurray-Darling Basin. This project is jointlyfunded by the Grains Research and DevelopmentCorporation and the MDBC 2001 projectManaging dryland salinity in the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin.

Deep drainage calculator

The Departments of Natural Resources andMines (Qld), Land and Water Conservation(NSW) and Natural Resources and Environment(Vic) have collaboratively developed a prototypedeep drainage calculator called How Leaky. Thiswill enable landholders to evaluate deepdrainage under a range of different landmanagement options for their own soil andclimate conditions. How Leaky is planned forpublic release in 2002-2003.

Landmark

Landmark, a MDBC funded project, isinvestigating and will identify current bestpractice systems for key broadacre dryland landuses in the Condamine catchment. The projecthas mapped land use and current practices inbroadacre cereal, grain legume and oil seedcropping area. Information has also been collatedon soils, topography and climate and this is beinganalysed to estimate erosion, production andwater balance. Social and economic analysis isbeing conducted on the implications of adoptingcurrent best practice systems.

Strategies to minimise offsite impacts ofnutrients and pesticides

• The Grains Research and DevelopmentCorporation has funded the Department ofNatural Resources and Mines to investigate thefate of nutrients and pesticides in broadacredryland cropping systems and to developstrategies to minimise detrimental impacts.Nested catchments in the CondamineCatchment have been established and new sitesare to be established in the Maranoa. This workwill help to quantify salt mobilisation in wash-off and drainage and builds upon previouspesticide projects and run-off and drainagestudies.



Quantifying atmospheric salt

The Department of Natural Resources and Minesand the Bureau of Meteorology arecollaboratively measuring and analysing thechemical composition of salt in rainfall across theQueensland Murray-Darling Basin. Preliminaryanalysis confirms that atmospheric salt loadsdecrease from east to west across the catchment.Also atmospheric salt loads are highly variablefrom one rainfall event to the next. This work isimportant to determine the rate of saltaccumulation in the catchment. Salt massbalance analysis indicates that atmospheric salt isthe largest salt source in the catchment and thecatchment is still accumulating salt.

Investigation of unconfined and semi-confined aquifers and regolith

Natural Resources and Mines are investigatingand characterising unconfined and semi-confined aquifers and overlying regolith acrossthe Border Rivers, Moonie, Condamine-Balonneand Warrego catchments. In 2001-2002, 155investigation bores were constructed with theregolith sampled at metre intervals.Groundwater and regolith samples werechemically analysed. Preliminary results confirmhigh salinity levels in the regolith andgroundwater, particularly where confiningsedimentary formations were deposited in amarine environment. High salinity levels werefound in the aquifers below the Border Riversfloodplains, in lower parts of the Mooniecatchment and around the margins of theBalonne floodplain where groundwater aquifersare in contact with the Griman Creek Formationwhich is of marine origin. Further investigationsare to be conducted in the lower Warrego,Macintyre Brook and western Condaminecatchments, areas of moderately high to highsalinity hazard. The chemical properties ofgroundwater in unconfined and semi-confinedaquifers is to be analysed to determine thechemical signature for different groundwaterflow systems. This investigation is funded fromthe MDBC 2001 project Managing dryland salinityin the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin.

Airborne geophysical investigation in thelower Balonne

Airborne geophysical investigations commencedin 2001 over an area of 1.1 million hectares inthe lower Balonne and Moonie catchments. TheDepartment of Natural Resources and Mines, theBureau of Rural Sciences and the CRC LandscapeEnvironments and Mineral Exploration are theproject partners. The aerial component of theproject involved collection of remotely sensed

data sets comprising electromagnetics(conductance and salt stores), radiometrics(surface soils and erosional processes), magnetics(geological structures) and laser altimetry(topography). Preliminary calibration of theelectromagnetic data and development ofconceptual models has been completed usinginformation from 10 new bores and existinggeological, geophysical and bore information. Anadditional 30 bores and 8 full cores are to bedrilled and analysed to quantify regolith waterand salt stores and structures such as palaeo-channels which influence the movement andstorage of groundwater. Calibration also involveslaboratory analysis which will differentiate andquantify the factors influencing electromagneticsignals including variations in alluvial material,moisture, ions and salt content.

Preliminary analysis of the radiometric datashows a good predictive ability of surfaceinfiltration characteristics. This information willbe used to refine and model the drainage andrecharge characteristics of land uses in the area.

Interpretation and calibration of airbornegeophysical data will provide improveddelineation of topography, geological structuresand subsurface controls on aquifers and saltstores and quantify salt stores. A communityreference group oversees the project and ensuresthat the interpretation of airborne geophysicaldata contributes to local knowledge anddevelopment of locally relevant monitoringprograms and strategies.The project is expectedto be completed in the first half of 2003.

7. Targeting reforestation and vegetationmanagement

153,800 hectares of woody vegetation wascleared in the QMDB in 2000-2001 includingremnant, regrowth and non-native vegetation.The relative catchment clearing rates were 3700hectares in the Border Rivers, 3800 hectares inthe Moonie River, 104,200 hectares in theCondamine Balonne, 39,800 hectares in theWarrego River and 2200 hectares in the Paroocatchment. Woody vegetation was replaced by148,800 hectares of pasture, 2900 hectares ofcrop and 2000 hectares of infrastructure. Nofigures are available for 2001-2002. Thevegetation change figures were based on analysisof 1999, 2000 and 2001 Landsat TM imagery.The change figures are reduced to annual rates ofchange. The salinity impact of this vegetationclearing and change in land use has not beenassessed.

Comparatively small amounts of revegetationand fencing of remnants have occurred in 2000-



2001 and 2001-2002, mainly of riparian areas inthe Condamine-Balonne and Border Riverscatchments. The salinity impact of this work hasnot been assessed

8. Constructing salt interception works

Queensland does not plan to construct any saltinterception works. Minister for NaturalResources and Mines has advised the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council thatQueensland will be minimising salinity risk inthe Queensland Murray-Darling Basin byimproved land, water and vegetationmanagement.

9. Ensuring Basin wide accountability,monitoring, evaluating, and reporting

Modelling

Queensland is presently developing an integratedmodelling framework which links land,groundwater and surface water models.Presently process models are being usedseparately but are to be integrated in 2002-2003under the MDBC funded project Development ofhydrologic models for the assessment of current andnew salinity regimes for the Murray-Darling BasinTributary Rivers in Queensland.

The modelling emphasis in 2001-2002 was to:

1. Develop salinity-flow relationships in IQQMfor the Border Rivers catchment. TheDepartment of Land and WaterConservation is leading the modelling andhas had to contend with integration ofmodel input data from Queensland and NewSouth Wales and a relative paucity of event-based salinity data. Natural Resources andMines are using a similar approach to modelsalinity/flow relationships in theCondamine-Balonne, Moonie and Warrego-Paroo catchments. The bulk of this work willbe done in 2002-2003.

2. Collate and improve data layers necessaryfor modelling including:

– Soil attributes and properties

– Water balance (rainfall, runoff, deepdrainage, evapotranspiration)

– Water usage for a range of differentvegetation types

– rooting depth for a range of differentvegetation types

– Topography

– Groundwater depth, extent and quality

– Stream water flow and salinity

– Rainfall and evaporation records

– Salinity sites

– Regolith properties

– Land use and management

3. Calibrate and test models at the point scaleincluding:

– APSIM and GRASP which have beencalibrated across the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin and used to estimate deepdrainage under a range of land use, soilsand rainfall conditions. Results from thismodelling quantify conceptual modelsthat deep drainage is directly related to soildepth, soil permeability, rooting depth,surface cover, slope, rainfall and irrigation.

– MODFLOW and FLOWTUBE which werecompared on a small catchment and gavesimilar results, but MODFLOW wasassessed as the more useful model ifsufficient data was available to calibrate it.

– Visual MODFLOW which was used todevelop a static groundwater model for theMoonie Catchment. This model was usedto refine the drilling program in thatcatchment.

– IQQM flow models that have beendeveloped for all major catchments in theQueensland Murray-Darling Basin tounderpin Queensland’s current waterresource planning processes. Thecalibration nodes used in the catchmentIQQM models are also stream salinitymonitoring nodes.

Monitoring

The monitoring emphasis in 2001-2002 was oncollecting data on salinity occurrence ingroundwater, surface water and on surfaceexpression of salinity.

• Groundwater monitoring

155 additional monitoring bores were installedin unconfined and semi-confined aquifers,predominantly in lower areas of eachGroundwater Flow System, with a bias tothose areas with a moderate to high salinityhazard. The semi-confined and unconfinedgroundwater monitoring network nowcomprises 717 bores. Summary informationfrom these bores is summarised in the tablebelow.

Landcare groups in the north-eastern, centraland southern Condamine Catchment haveinstalled piezometers. The Nindigully Landcare



Group has also installed piezometers in theMoonie Catchment. These piezometers are notincluded in the table but will be added whenpiezometer data and records are recorded on theNatural Resources and Mines groundwaterdatabase.

• Surface Water Monitoring

Time series electrical conductivity monitoringequipment was installed at all nominated end-of-valley monitoring sites as well as at Farnbro onthe Dumaresq River, Booba Sands on MacintyreBrook and Weir River at Talwood. Time serieselectrical conductivity monitoring equipment haspreviously be installed at ambient streammonitoring stations at Wyenbah at the head ofthe Culgoa River, Broadwater Creek in theSevern Catchment and at 16 sites in theCondamine catchment. Regional monitoringinformation is summarised in Section 3 of thisreport.

Community natural resource monitoring,especially surface water quality monitoring andto a lesser extent groundwater monitoring hasexpanded throughout the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin. Waterwatch programs are activein the Border Rivers, Warrego and Condamine-Balonne Catchments. Twenty two communitygroups have established and monitored 84stream monitoring sites through the Condamine-Balonne Water Committee’s Water Webs project.Data captured has included ambient monitoringof tributary creeks, sampling of flow events inthe major river channels and the effects of on-

ground works on water quality. This data hasbeen entered into the Department of NaturalResources and Mines Hydsys surface waterdatabase. It fills gaps in existing ambientmonitoring networks, allowing monitoring at ascale not feasible for government agencies.

Landcare groups have installed and aremonitoring piezometers in the Condamine-Balonne, Border Rivers and Moonie catchments.These sub-catchment monitoring networks areinstalled mainly in local groundwater flowsystems and complement the regionalgroundwater monitoring network maintained byNatural Resources and Mines.

In 2002-2003, an integrated monitoringframework will be developed incorporatingcommunity and agency monitoring. Theelements of the framework include:

• Data collection including standards andprotocols covering groundwater, surface water,wetlands, salinity occurrences, impacts onvalues and assets and works and measures toaddress salinity. NR&M’s ambient streamsalinity monitoring network involves 32 sites,of which 26 where time series electricalconductivity monitoring equipment has beeninstalled.

• Data storage – groundwater data is stored onthe NR&M groundwater data base, surfacewater data on NR&M’s HYDSYS data base andsalinity occurrence on the NR&M surfacesalinity spatial database. 177 salinity sites arelisted on the salinity spatial database.

Table 3: Unconfined and semi-confined regional groundwater monitoring networkCatchment No. bores Comments

Condamine 531 171 with water levels < 10m. Salinity ranges from less than 200 ECin parts of the Condamine alluvium to over 10,000 EC belowbrigalow clay sheets in the western part of the catchment. Long-term trend data

Balonne 63 12 with water levels < 10m. Salinity exceeds 5,000 EC with themajority of bores having readings > 10,000 EC. Little trend data.

Maranoa 14 0 with water level < 10m. Salinity is mainly in the range 5,000 to10,000 EC. Little trend data

Severn 21 15 with water levels < 10m. Salinity is less than 1500 EC in Graniteareas but range 3000-4000 EC in Texas Beds. Limited trend data

Macintyre/Weir 39 7 with water levels < -10m. EC ranges from 14,000 to 45,000 infloodplain alluvium in contact with marine sedimentary formation.Trend data restricted to irrigation area.

Macintyre Brook 6 4 with water levels < 10m. Salinity in range of 3000-4000 EC. Moredrilling to be done.

Moonie 23 6 with water levels < 10m. No trend data

Warrego 7 1 with water levels < 10m. No trend data but older bores to be re-measured.



Geophysical data including electrical logs arestored on NR&M’s Geophysical data base. Datastorage systems will be developed to trackimpacts and works and measures.

• Data assessment and interpretation – protocolsare to be developed for data analysis andimpact assessment – this assessment will needto be closely linked to modelling frameworks

• Reporting – reporting formats will bedeveloped to enable efficient reporting.


Annex 3: South Australian Implementation Report


Basin SalinityManagementStrategy Annual ReportSouth Australia2001–2002

Prepared for South AustralianGovernment

byMurray-Darling DivisionDepartment of Water, Land andBiodiversity Conservation

September 2002

Report DWLBC BSMS01



This annex has been derived from the following publication,Murray-Darling Division 2002. “Basin Salinity Management Strategy AnnualReport: South Australia 2001/02”. South Australia. Department of Water, Landand Biodiversity Conservation. Report, DWLBC BSMS01,produced by:

Murray-Darling Division

Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation

25 Grenfell Street Adelaide

GPO Box 2834, Adelaide SA 5001

Telephone National (08) 8463 6895

International +61 8 8463 6895

Fax National (08) 8463 6890

International +61 8 8463 6890

Website www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au


Contents


CONTENTS 71

STATE SUMMARY 2001/02 73

Major Milestones and achievements for 2001/02 73

Major Milestones planned for 2002/03 73

Major Milestones planned for 2003/04 74

End-of-valley ‘summary’ report card 74

Progress Towards Rolling 5 Year Review and Audits 74

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ACCOUNTABILITY 1988-2001 74

PREDICTING FUTURE DRYLAND SALT LOADS TO THE RIVER MURRAY 74

Finalising End-of Valley Targets 75

DETAILED REGIONAL REPORT 76

Developing capacity to implement the Strategy 76

BUILDING CAPACITY 76

POLICY DIRECTIONS 76

River Murray Water Allocation Plan 76

Options Discussion Paper 76

River Murray Act 77

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY SUPPORT 77

Identifying values and assets at risk 78

DRYLAND SALINITY RISK 78

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SALT MAPPING AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT PROJECT 78

PREDICTING THE IMPACTS OF LAND AND WATER MANAGEMENT ON FLOODPLAIN HEALTH 78

Setting salinity targets 80

RUN OF RIVER SURVEY 80

Implementing salinity and catchment management plans 80

INRM PLAN 80

RIVER MURRAY CATCHMENT WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 80

Redesigning farming systems 80

DELIVERING IMPROVED WATER USE EFFICIENCY ACROSS THE MDB 80

ON-GROUND SUPPORT TO ACHIEVE IRRIGATION EFFICIENCY IN THE SA MDB 82

Targeting reforestation and vegetation management 82

REVEGETATION PROGRAM 82

Constructing salt interception works 83

REGIONAL DISPOSAL STRATEGY 83

SALT AS A RESOURCE 83

Ensuring Basin wide accountability, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting 83

COORDINATING MONITORING AND EVALUATION IN THE SAMDB 85

RMCWMB MONITORING & REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 85

PARS 85

IRRIGATION SIMPACT 85

REFERENCES 87



List of FiguresFigure 1: SA MDB and the RMCWMB Boundary 77

Figure 2: SAMDB Monitoring and Target Sites 79

Figure 3: Areas Affected by Dryland Salinity 81

Figure 4: Areas Covered by the Salt Mapping Project 83

Figure 5: Raw Data for Angas Bremer Area 83

Figure 6: Run of River Survey for 2001 85

Figure 7: Information Flow for the WUE Project 86

Figure 8: Regional Disposal Strategy Study Area 88


State Summary 2001/02


South Australia is pleased to submit this report tothe Murray-Darling Basin Commission, as thefirst instalment of annual reporting under thenew Basin Salinity Management Strategy. Thisreport represents a new process of reporting onstate accountability of significant actions thatimpact on salinity within South Australia, toreport on end-of-valley targets, and to report onthe effect of significant in-valley actions thatimpact on in River salinity.

South Australia has one major catchment withinthe Murray-Darling Basin as represented inFigure 1. This report has been submitted inconjunction with the River Murray CatchmentWater Management Board, also represented inFigure 1, however in future, there may be anopportunity to report on subregions such as theRiverland, Lower Murray, Lower Lakes, Malleeand the Eastern Hills. The current NaturalResource Management Review occurring inSouth Australia will influence the determinationof these areas for future natural resourcemanagement.

There have been a number of major milestonesand achievements completed in the 2001/02financial year, which are listed as a brief

summary below. Each of these is considered inmore detail in the accompanying text.

Major Milestones and achievements for 2001/02

• Establishment of a new Salinity Team withinMurray-Darling Division, Department ofWater, Land and Biodiversity Conservation(DWLBC)

• Introduction of the Water Allocation Plan forthe River Murray Catchment WaterManagement Board (RMCWMB)

• Assessment of salinity impacts from permanentwater trade between 1988 to 2001

• The last remaining irrigation water supplychannels and overflow basins were removed aspart of Loxton Irrigation District rehabilitation,with channels replaced by pipelines.

Major Milestones planned for 2002/03

• Proclamation of the River Murray Act, withconsequential amendments to 19 other Acts, allaimed at improving the health of the RiverMurray in South

• Consultation and implementation of the

Figure 1: SA MDB and the RMCWMB Boundary



Options Paper requiring irrigator accountabilitythrough the WAP

• Loxton rehabilitation scheme complete,yielding an estimated 10 EC benefit at Morgan

• Detailed planning and completion of theapproval process for the Bookpurnong andLoxton Salt Interception Scheme

Major Milestones planned for 2003/04

• construction of the State component of theBookpurnong Salt Interception Scheme

• 1st July 2003 irrigator accountability forsalinity impacts will be legally defined, withimplementation under way

End-of-valley ‘summary’ report card

In future South Australia will submit a reportcard reporting on the following issues:

• Assessed baseline conditions (as at 1 January2000) for end-of-valley salinity, salt load andflow regimes

• Expected ‘legacy of history’ impacts on end-of-valley salinity, salt load and flow for 2015,2050 and 2100

• Agreed end-of-valley salinity and salt loadtargets, and,

• Assessed effects of significant in-valley actionsundertaken to date, including effects ofcatchment management plans on end-of-valleysalinity, salt load and flow conditions for thecurrent year, and at 2015, 2050 and 2100

Progress Towards Rolling 5 Year Review andAudits

South Australia has been involved in progressingtwo major items in association with the SalinityRegisters. The reporting on irrigation salinityimpacts from permanent water trade between1988-2001, and the review of the MalleeGroundwater processes are two major pieces ofwork completed this year.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ACCOUNTABILITY1988-2001

As part of the sign off on the 1988 Salinity andDrainage Strategy (S&D Strategy), SouthAustralia agreed to “bring its commitment to theS&D Strategy into balance within 2 years”,particularly considering the actions that result indebits related to drainage from new irrigationdevelopment between 1988 and 2001 and tochanged wetland management practices.

To identify these salinity debits and credits theSA Government has facilitated a comprehensiveand transparent assessment of all theaccountable activities undertaken during this

period. The purpose of this audit was to confirmthat the approach taken at the inception of theS&D Strategy has ensured that the originalcommitment to ‘salinity neutrality” has beenachieved.

The assessment was divided into a number ofprojects designed to identify the salinity debitsand credits from all accountable actions over therelevant period and to test the assumptions usedin assessing these impacts. Where practical theseprojects were assigned to groups and consultantsnot directly associated with the licensing orapproval processes for accountable activities. Inaddition, where possible, a conservativeapproach was applied in claiming credits and theoverall position therefore overstates the salinityaccountability for this period.

Accountability for the Salinity Impacts of WaterTrade was presented to the Commission Meeting65, September 2002. The decision register of themeeting notes that the Commission:

Agreed that the SA Accountability is 4.8 ECdebit to be noted in the proposed explanatorycolumn associated with Register A;

Agreed to postpone to no later than July 2004the attribution of salinity debits for SA onRegister A of the new Schedule C, arising fromaccountable actions since 1988

Endorsed the BSMS Implementation WorkingGroup’s decision that it directs an independenttechnical review of the estimated impacts of theoffsetting actions undertaken by SA since 1988

Endorsed South Australia’s proposal to pursuezoning to avoid high salinity impacts, and leviesto deal with remaining salinity impacts in a moreupfront way.

BSMSIWG will oversee the technical review ofthe salinity impacts of permanent water trade inthe 2002/03 year, and South Australia iscurrently implementing a tracking system forwater trade salinity assessment, which willfacilitate future reporting requirements.

PREDICTING FUTURE DRYLAND SALTLOADS TO THE RIVER MURRAY

Significant work has been completed ongroundwater models for the western MurrayBasin in South Australia to predict the increasein groundwater inflows and salt loads to theRiver Murray as a result of land clearing in theMallee (Barnett etal 2002). The models werecalibrated against current water level contoursand observed water level rises in observationwells to model the inflows to the River Murray.

In addition, modelling of various rechargereduction strategies to reduce saline groundwater



inflows were considered with indications thatcontinuous revegetation closer to the river wasmore effective than changes to existing farmingsystems over large areas. It was also noted thatrecharge reduction actions further than 20kilometres from the river will have no impact onriver salinity for hundreds of years.

Finalising End-of Valley Targets

South Australia has the Murray-Darling Basintarget site of Morgan, as the primary End-of-Valley target site. As agreed in the BSMS, theBasin salinity target has been set as less than 800EC for 95% of the time at Morgan until 2015,which covers the length of the Strategy. Thistarget has been adopted by SA in the RMSS asthe primary goal of the strategy.

Two monitoring sites were planned in the RMSS,one at the South Australian Border and one atMurray Bridge as shown in Figure 2. A newsalinity recording station at the South AustralianBorder will be established in July 2002 tomonitor salinity of River Murray Water enteringSouth Australia. It will be set up to meet

standards agreed to by End-of-ValleyHydrographic Review Committee and has acontinuous salinity logger.

Flow management is a critical component ofmanaging salinity within South Australia. Flowmeasurements are taken at gauging stationGS426200, immediately below Lock 7 and iscorrected for water flow down the Mullarooanabranch system. The gauging stationGS426200 is very good for measuring low flowRiver levels and is used to determine SA flowentitlements, however it is not as successful atmeasuring high flows due to the width of thefloodplain surrounding the River at this point.

Salt loads will be determined by combininginformation from these two monitoring sites,and compared to the baseline conditions oncethey are determined by the BSMS BaselineConditions Technical Subcommittee just recentlyestablished by the MDBC. This will provide thebasis for monitoring End-of-Valley targets intothe future. South Australia is currently finalisingits End-of-Valley target for completion in March2003 as agreed in the BSMS.

Figure 2: SAMDB Monitoring and Target Sites



Detailed Regional Report

South Australia has one major catchment withinthe Murray-Darling Basin, and as such reportingon a regional basis as defined in other states isdifficult. In future BSMS Annual Reports, SouthAustralia may report on subregions such as theRiverland, Lower Murray, Lower Lakes, Mallee,and Eastern Hills.

For the purposes of this report however, theregional overview will be presented for thewhole catchment as represented by the RiverMurray Catchment Water Management Board(the Board) boundary (Figure 1).

Developing capacity to implement theStrategy

South Australia and its partners have investedsignificantly in salinity over the past 12 months.This has been realised in three major areas –building capacity for policy development andproject implementation, delivering key policyinitiatives, and investing in community support.

BUILDING CAPACITY

Over the past 12 months represented by the2001-02 financial year, there has been asignificant investment in establishing a salinitybased policy team within the Murray-DarlingDivision, to take on the core responsibility ofdelivering the targets set not only in the BasinSalinity Management Strategy, but also theSouth Australian River Murray Salinity Strategy.

Since January 2002, the division has employedtwo policy officers, three project managers, and ateam leader. These positions are funded throughthe National Action for Salinity and WaterQuality Plan and the State. In addition theBoard has employed a Senior Project Officer toimplement the Salinity, Water Use and WaterQuality program areas of the draft CatchmentWater Management Plan and support thecatchment community.

POLICY DIRECTIONS

There are three major policy initiatives beingimplemented or developed over the next twelvemonths that will give South Australia acomprehensive framework for managing,assessing and reporting on salinity in SouthAustralia

• The River Murray Water Allocation Planintroduced on 1 July 2002

• Options Discussion Paper to be release forpublic consultation before December 2002

• The River Murray Act to be tabled inParliament before the end of 2002

River Murray Water Allocation Plan

The Minister for the River Murray adopted theWater Allocation Plan for the River Murray PrescribedWatercourse (River Murray WAP) on 1 July 2002.This plan provides a sound legal basis for irrigatorsalinity accountability, in line with the SA RiverMurray Salinity Strategy.

The River Murray WAP includes the followingprovisions:

21. From 30 June 2003, water initially allocatedafter 1 January 1988 shall only be taken and usedfor irrigation where the use will not detrimentallyaffect, either directly or indirectly:

i) the quality of water in the River MurrayPrescribed Watercourse, including increases insalinity, nutrients, turbidity, and chemical orbiological contaminants;

ii) the biodiversity status or habitat value offloodplains, or wetlands of conservation significance.

22. Despite Principle 21, water allocated after 1 January 1988 may be taken and used forirrigation notwithstanding that such use maydetrimentally affect, by increasing salinity:

i) the quality of water in the River MurrayPrescribed Watercourse; or

All transfer applications for a taking allocationfor irrigation purposes after 1 July 2002 arebeing assessed according to an agreed protocol,which uses the Rapid Assessment Toolmethodology and the spatial datasets from theIrrigation SIMPACT model. A database is beingmaintained that registers salinity credits anddebits for each trade as it is approved. The policyinstruments that are now being put in place inSouth Australia provide a greater degree ofirrigator accountability than currently in place inother jurisdictions.

To facilitate community acceptance of thisprocess and allow discussion about how salinityshould be dealt with, the Minister for the RiverMurray has called for the preparation and publicdistribution of a discussion paper on options tobe made available for irrigation salinityaccountability. This paper is currently beingdeveloped.

Options Discussion Paper

The discussion paper will explore all options forsalinity offsets described in the SA River MurraySalinity Strategy, such as: zoning to direct thelocation of future irrigation development,investment in salt interception or drainageworks, revegetation, relocation to lower impactsites, reducing drainage volumes or purchase of



State or community generated credits. The paperwill address the option of individual action andcooperative action by groups of irrigators.

The discussion paper will be released in the lastquarter of 2002. It is anticipated that the keyprovisions for irrigator salinity accountability willbe in place before 1 July 2003. The existingsalinity prevention obligation procedures will bereplaced by explicit, up front salinity mitigationobligations linked to water licences.

River Murray Act

The Minister for the River Murray is developinga River Murray Act to give the South AustralianGovernment clear powers over the way in whichthe River is used and to control planning,irrigation practices, pollution and rehabilitationprograms.

The River Murray Act is proposed to give theMinister strong referral powers on any actionthat requires approval under any other relevantAct that may impact on the River Murray. TheMinister can direct refusal or impose conditionsas part of this referral. It is also proposed that theMinister can issue River Murray Protectionorders to enforce a general duty not to harm theRiver.

It is proposed that the Minister’s powers toimpose conditions on activity approvals mayinclude requiring a financial bond to be paid to

offset future likely adverse impacts on the River(for example, salinity impacts). A River MurrayBill will be tabled in the SA Parliament beforethe end of 2002 and is expected to be debatedearly in 2003.

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Key State and Commonwealth Partners inconjunction with the Board contributedsignificant funding into capacity building for localcommunity groups. This investment was directedtowards the employment of Local ActionPlanning officers to support the communitydevelop and implement their Local Action Plansthat address the natural resource managementissues of their local region.

The Partners also invested into L&WMP’s withinthe SA MDB. This investment matched withCommonwealth NHT funding enabled thecommunity to develop and implement Land andWater Management Plans that addressed theirrigation, drainage and salinity issues in theirareas.

A regionally based Salinity Response Team iscurrently being established which will employ anumber of specialists such as a hydrogeologist,wetlands ecologist, and project coordinator,specifically to assist local catchment communitiesto complete and deliver their Land and WaterManagement Plans. The team will provide a

Figure 3: Areas Affected by Dryland Salinity



critical link between key stakeholders includingcommunity, state agencies, and the Board.

Identifying values and assets at risk

A number of initiatives are in place to determinethose values and assets at risk of salinity. Theseinclude past and future works identifyingexisting threats as well as future threats toindustry, community and the environment.

Adelaide and its surrounding regional centres aredependent on the River Murray for watersupply, particularly in drought, and the predictedincreases in salinity threaten that supply. Inaddition, irrigation development along the RiverMurray is also put at risk if salinities are allowedto increase unchecked into the future.

DRYLAND SALINITY RISK

As part of the initial assessment of drylandsalinity risk, Primary Industries and ResourcesSouth Australia (PIRSA) completed some riskmapping of those areas affected by drylandsalinity as shown in Figure 3.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SALT MAPPINGAND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT PROJECT

This program has been established to providegeophysical data for 5 regions and interpret thisdata with respect to salinity management. Threeof those areas are within the SAMDB andinclude the Riverland, Angas-Bremer Plains andBremer Hills, as shown in Figure 4. Theinformation gathered through this project willassist salinity management by identifying thosesub-surface features related to salinity processes.Each area will have a different focus as outlinedbelow:

• Riverland - Irrigation planning and siting ofrecharge reduction strategies in Mallee to

minimise impacts on River Murray water qualityand salinisation of the floodplain

• Angas-Bremer Plain - Groundwatermanagement to avoid waterlogging

• Bremer Hills - Land management to controlstream salinity.

Achievements for 2001-2002 include theappointment of the preferred supplier FURGO,and flying commenced with initial raw datasupplied (see Figure 5). Contracts have alsobeen put in place for the interpretation of thedata by the State, and a communication programhas commenced with factsheets and publicityprograms in the regions delivered.

Expected achievements in 2002-2003 willinclude completion of flying, processing of thegeophysical data, completion of the associatedfield program, and incorporation of newinformation into models, such as IrrigationSIMPACT, predicting salinity impacts. Finalreports will be completed in 2003-2004 with anevaluation of the program and integration of theproducts with INRM plans for the region.

The program is funded under the NAP priorityprogram and is managed by DWLBC. The workis being jointly conducted by the state through aconsortium involving DWLBC, CSIRO, DEH andRural Solutions SA and the Commonwealththrough a partnership involving BRS and CRC-LEME.

PREDICTING THE IMPACTS OF LANDAND WATER MANAGEMENT ONFLOODPLAIN HEALTH

The Board in partnership with DWLBC, DEH andCSIRO have commenced a project which willassess current and predicted future degradationof the River Murray floodplain from land and

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Figure 4: Areas Covered by the Salt Mapping Project

Figure 5: Raw Data for Angas Bremer Area



water management. Combining new data ongroundwater inflows, groundwater and soilsalinity, and floodplain vegetation health, apredictive model will be developed to enable theassessment of impacts of management on salinityinflows into the floodplain and resultingvegetation health.

Once this is known scenarios can be run to assessthe impact of various management options, aswell as to identify protection zones and or riskzones (Newsletter Volume 1, No.1, August2002).

This project is critical to supporting policydevelopment for floodplain protection fromsalinity impacts and in developing managementoptions for environmental flows that havesalinity acceptable outcomes.

Setting salinity targets

RUN OF RIVER SURVEY

The Run of River survey is an important toolbeing used in South Australia to determinesalinity ‘hot spots’ which assist in prioritisingactions for river protection. Performed annually,the survey measures in stream river salinityevery kilometre of the river, and will beconducted annually when possible, but is subjectto low flows. The data is then used to detect saltaccessions from irrigation and dryland sourcesand produces a number of products including themap shown in Figure 6.

In 2001 the area between Lock 1 and Wellingtonwas also surveyed but given the minimalincreases in salinity through this reach it will besurveyed less frequently. The 2002 survey hasalso been completed taking three weeks tocomplete during June and July. It concentratedon the area between Lock 7 and Lock 1 and hasyet to be collated into map form.

Implementing salinity and catchmentmanagement plans

There are a number of plans at different stageswithin the SAMDB. A brief summary of thestatus of the key plans is included below.

INRM PLAN

A draft Natural Resource Management Plan forthe SAMDB has been developed in consultationwith key stakeholders including State agencies,Regional LGAs and Statutory Authorities. ThisPlan has been through an intensive period ofiterative comment and assessment as part of theState / Commonwealth framework for NRM PlanAccreditation.

The proposal for 2002/03 is that in principle

approval will be given to release the plan forpublic consultation. It is proposed this will occurin October with a six week period for publiccomment. The INRM Group is proposing to gainMinisterial Approval and accreditation by lateDecember 2002 or early January 2003.

RIVER MURRAY CATCHMENT WATERMANAGEMENT PLAN

The River Murray Catchment WaterManagement Plan (Catchment Plan) is a strategicplan and the parent of all the Board’s waterplans. The Plan will identify the goals, principlesand strategies for integrated catchment watermanagement.

The Catchment Plan will also include anassessment of water resources in the catchment,the threats that these resources face, and theopportunities for their sustainable development.The Plan will be implemented through initiativesof the Board and partnerships with thecommunity, industry groups and local, Federaland State government.

This plan is expected to be finalised during2002/2003. Completion was delayed with therevision of the Board’s boundary and the need toincorporate actions to address issues within thenew catchment areas and developing linkages tothe National Action Plan for Salinity and WaterQuality and the River Murray Salinity Strategy.

Redesigning farming systems

There a many research projects and on-groundworks occurring within South Australia whichwill assist in redesigning farming systems,particularly from the perspective of improvedsalinity impact management. This section aimsto provide an overview of a few major projectswhich are critical, particularly to improvedirrigation efficiency which is a key driver insalinity impacts on the River Murray.

DELIVERING IMPROVED WATER USEEFFICIENCY ACROSS THE MDB

The Board, in partnership with the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, DWLBC, DEH andPIRSA continued work on the “DeliveringImproved Water Use Efficiency across theMurray-Darling Basin” project. This is a tri-Stateproject for the development of tools to monitorand report water use efficiency (WUE) forirrigated horticulture in districts with pressurisedwater delivery systems.

This project will provide standard methods formonitoring, recording, and reporting on WUEfrom on farm scale through to districts. Basicproperty information is recorded spatially and



Figure 6: Run of River Survey for 2001



used as input into the Farm Level WaterManagement Module, or amalgamated toprovide an overall indication of WUE for adistrict. A brief overview of this process is shownin Figure 7. The tools being developed in thisproject are an integral part of the delivery ofimproved WUE in irrigation areas along theRiver Murray in SA.

ON-GROUND SUPPORT TO ACHIEVEIRRIGATION EFFICIENCY IN THE SA MDB

The Board, in partnership with the RiverineLocal Action Planning Associations, CentralIrrigation Trust and the Renmark IrrigationTrust, also continued to implement the On-Ground Support to Achieve Irrigation Efficiency in theSA MDB project.

This project employs Irrigation Field Officers todeliver irrigation management courses,scheduling demonstration sites, the installationof monitoring wells and floating flags (seephoto), and on-farm support for irrigator withthe aim to improve water use efficiency andassist irrigators in meeting targets set by the WAPand the Catchment Plan.

Targeting reforestation and vegetationmanagement

REVEGETATION PROGRAM

During 2001/02 the Board invested funds intoLocal Action Planning groups to undertakedevolved grant programs for revegetation. Thesedevolved grant programs are targeted at theprotection of remnant vegetation and the re-

establishment of perennial vegetation that willachieve multiple benefits.

The draft CWMP includes action targeted at theprotection of remnant vegetation and targetedre-establishment of perennial vegetation toachieve multiple benefits. Funding will continueto be invested in this action during 2002/03. Thedraft CWMP also contains a Community Grantsprogram for land management and biodiversityactions.

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Figure 7: Information Flow for the WUE Project



Constructing salt interception works

South Australia is investing significant time andresources into supporting the investigations forthe Joint Works Salt Interception Program inconjunction with SA Water and the Murray-Darling Basin Commission. In addition, SouthAustralia is investigating State components offuture salt interception schemes, particularlyLoxton and Bookpurnong, where irrigators areable to deal with their future impacts on site.

REGIONAL DISPOSAL STRATEGY

A critical part of future South Australian SISconstruction is consideration of disposal options.The Regional Disposal Strategy projectcommenced in 2002 and is determining whetheradditional disposal capacity is required undervarious scenarios of expanding irrigationdevelopment and new salt interceptionconstruction over the next 50 years. The projectstudy area is between Morgan in South Australiathrough to Lock 10 in Victoria/New South Wales(as shown in Figure 8) and includes impactsfrom both sides of the River.

A project manager was appointed in February2002 as part of the salinity team in DWLBC, andAustralian Water Environments (AWE) wereappointed as preferred consultants in July 2002.

The project aims to coordinate and prioritiseprojects that will have significant EC reduction inRiver, and deliver a coordinated approach toengineering options for salinity managementthat benefits South Australia. Outcomes of theproject will be finalised in March 2003 and willinform policy development and implementation.

The need for new disposal basin capacity will bedetermined which will lead to environmentalimpact assessment and development approval.

SALT AS A RESOURCE

The South Australian “Salt as a Resource group”has conducted a series of desktop studies toprovide the MDBC and its partner governmentswith the strategic guidance necessary tomaximise the benefits of any further targetedresearch into alternative uses of salt.

It was considered that aquaculture had thegreatest potential for South Australia, so DWLBChave developed a project brief focusing onproviding an overview on Saline Aquiculture. Abiomass study will follow the aquaculturedesktop study given the apparent similarities,and a minerals study is being undertaken byCSIRO in partnership with the MDBC.

To progress the aquaculture investigations, aworkshop is to be organised by DWLBC inpartnership with MDBC to be attended byrelevant stakeholders from the partnergovernments in order to identify areas for futuretargeted research.

Ensuring Basin wide accountability,monitoring, evaluating, and reporting

South Australia is currently assessingrequirements for ongoing salinity monitoringand evaluation. However there are a number ofprojects and initiatives under way which willultimately come together to provide acomprehensive monitoring program for theSAMDB.

© P

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Figure 8: Regional Disposal Strategy Study Area



COORDINATING MONITORING ANDEVALUATION IN THE SAMDB

In recognition of this emerging need, DWLBC inconjunction with the Board has submitted afunding proposal to NAP to enable initialcoordination of monitoring and evaluation. Thisproject will provide a coordinator to assess anddetermine reporting requirement, identify gaps,and establish a framework for integratedmonitoring and evaluation in the future.

The Monitoring and Evaluation project willsupport four main areas:

• Identify base line data requirements to ensureprogress against agreed targets can bemeasured in the future, and there is recognisedcommitment to ongoing collection of data

• Facilitate the evaluation of plans in meetingthe outcomes identified, by supporting thegeneration of indicator reporting in a consistentand repeatable manner

• Encourage adaptive management by providingindicator reports back to empower and informthe community, generate knowledge andunderstanding, and enable effective decisionmaking

• Assist in risk assessment and priority setting forthe catchment to facilitate the best use offunding and resource commitments, and thedevelopment of relevant policy based oncurrent knowledge

This project will support State of the CatchmentReporting, the River Murray Salinity Strategy,Basin Salinity Strategy Reporting requirements,and Local Action Plan reporting, and provide thebasis for the development of ongoing programsboth within DWLBC and the Board.

It will utilise and build on existing tools withinthe SAMDB, in particular the PerformanceAssessment and Reporting System (PARS) whichhas been established to report on catchmenthealth in the SAMDB.

RMCWMB MONITORING & REPORTINGREQUIREMENTS

The Board has a number of requirements formonitoring and reporting. It must:

• Assess the extent to which it has succeeded inimplementing its Plan; and

• Assess the extent to which implementation ofits plan has succeeded in achieving the Board’sgoals; and

• Monitor the quality and quantity of the waterin its water resources and the health of the

ecosystems that depend on the water.

To do this the Board will focus on three mainareas including monitoring, performanceevaluation and reporting.

In partnership with State Government agenciesand other organisations, the Board willundertake a review of monitoring networks toidentify gaps, roles and responsibilities. Aparticular action identified in the draft CWMP isinvestigations into establishing long-termcontinuous flow, salinity and turbidity meters.

Evaluation of the Board’s performance will beconducted against performance targets andindicators. The monitoring program will need tocollect data to support the performance targetsand indicators. The indicators will be deliveredthrough the PARS project.

The Board will produce 3 reports, supported bythe Catchment Health Database and the ProjectsDatabase. The reports include:

• A report of Catchment Water Resources (1streport due in 2005);

• Progress and Achievements (Annually)

• Annual Review (Sect 97 of Water ResourcesAct) and Annual Report (Sect 75 of WR Act)

PARS

Performance Assessment Reporting System(PARS) is a suite of 20 indicators designed togenerate an overall view of catchment health forthe SA MDB. The PARS indicators are requiredby the Lower Murray INRM Group to meetmany of their monitoring and evaluationresponsibilities under the NAP fundingenvironment. The PARS indicators serve asimilar role for the RMCMWB. The 20 indicatorscover irrigation, dryland farming, bores, riverhealth, pests, endangered species, vegetation andeducation.

The first complete year of data collation isunderway with the 20 indicators are to undergoa review as to suitability, technical soundnessand viability in early 2003. A State of Catchmentreport is due in February 2003, which will assistthe Board in meeting its reporting requirements.The prospect of a web-based presence is to bescoped and possibly expanded in the 2003/2004year. PARS was funded jointly through NHT 1and State Government contributions. The aboveactivities are dependent on continued fundingwhich is being sought through the NAP.

IRRIGATION SIMPACT

Irrigation SIMPACT is a GIS-based tool developedby DEH in conjunction with DWLBC which:



• quantifies salinity impacts of potentialirrigation development in highland areasutilising type curves (representing therelationship between irrigation, aquiferproperties and salt load) developed in Watkinsand Waclawik (1996).

• enhances the ability to compare impacts at aregional scale by producing a riverwideperspective on where irrigation developmentwill have higher and lower impacts

• collates a series of relevant spatial datasets,identified their strengths and weaknesses, andhighlights areas of improvement.

Irrigation SIMPACT is being refined in 2002/2003in conjunction with the Airborne Geophysicswork being conducted under the NAP forSalinity and Water Quality. It aims to build onthe previous version by incorporating morerobust mathematics and updated input data,including:

• improved hydrogeological models ofunsaturated zone processes

• improved hydrogeological models for aquiferresponses to recharge published in Knight,Gilfedder and Walker (2002)

• improved knowledge of the naturalenvironment, including new clay and geologyinformation associated with the NAP airborneAEM surveys

Incorporation of new equations (Knight et. al2002) will enhance the capabilities of theSIMPACT model by allowing inputs of variables,such as drainage flux, to be handled much moreeffectively than the type curves allow. Byutilising the expanded knowledge base gainedvia the AEM surveys, and the improvedhydrogeological models, an assessment tool forthe evaluation of various salinity managementoptions will be established.

SIMPACT is currently being used to assess watertrade into South Australia. Preliminary resultsfrom permanent trade in 2001-02 are currentlybeing assessed. The location of licences tradingwater along the River Murray in SA have beenmapped.

Combined with other projects, such as PredictingImpacts of Land and Water Management onFloodplain Health, this work has the potential tobring together the assessment of irrigationsalinity impacts into an integrated landscapemodel for the catchment.


References


Barnett, S., Yan, W., Watkins, N.L. Woods, J.A.and Hyde, K.A., 2002. Murray-Darling BasinSalinity Audit – groundwater modelling to predictfuture dryland salt loads to the River Murray in SouthAustralia. South Australia. Department forWater, Land and Biodiversity Conservation,Report DWR 2001/017

Knight J.H, M. Gilfedder, and G.R. Walker(2002) Effect of recharge change on baseflow and saltloads to rivers - A unit response approach inProceedings of International Association ofHydrogeologists, May 2002, Darwin [published onCD]

Watkins, N.C. and V.G. Waclawik (1996) RiverMurray Water Resource Management Assessment OfSalt Load Impacts And Drainage Hazard For NewIrrigation Development Along The River Murray InSouth Australia, Department of Mines andEnergy SA, Report Book 96/17.


Annex 4: Victorian Implementation Report


DEPARTMENT OF

SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT

Murray-DarlingBasin SalinityManagementStrategyVictoria’s 2001/2002 Annual Report



This annex has been derived from the following publication,Victoria’s 2001/2002 Annual Report on implementing the Basin SalinityManagement Strategy (BSMS).

Find more information about Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) on the internet at www.nre.vic.gov.auor contact the Customer Service Centre by telephoning 136 186.

ISBN 1 74106 394 9



24 January 2003



Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 94

1 Introduction 99

2 Mallee 100

2.1 Irrigation Sector 100

2.2 Dryland Sector 102

3 North Central 104



3.3 Overall SDE Register and Uptake 113

4 Goulburn-Broken 114



5 North-East 118

6 Wimmera 119

7 References 120

Appendix A Contact Information 122

Appendix B Additional Information on Goulburn-Broken SDE Uptake and Targets 123

Appendix C Wimmera Background Information 125



Executive Summary

This Annual Report documents theimplementation of the Basin SalinityManagement Strategy (BSMS) 2001/2015 inVictoria for the period 1 July 2001 to 30 June2002.

This is the first Annual Report under the newSchedule C to the Murray-Darling BasinAgreement. In previous years Victoria reportedannually on its up-take of salt credits. ThisAnnual Report is more comprehensive and alsodescribes the land management and regionaldevelopment benefits from utilising the saltcredits, and the implementation of drylandsalinity management.

Statement of ComplianceTables 1-1 and 1-2 describe Victoria’s salt creditstatus and compliance with the BSMS.

Victoria continues to comply with the BSMS forits River Murray salinity impacts. As at 30 June2002 Victoria has a total of 18.40 EC of saltcredits (equivalent EC) of which 17.5 EC hasbeen allocated to the Catchment ManagementAuthorities (CMAs) to implement their salinitymanagement plans. The remaining 0.9 EC ofequivalent salt credits is reserved by theDepartment of Sustainability and Environmentto ensure on-going compliance and for saltdisposal opportunities as they arise.

Of the 17.5 EC of salt credits allocated, 12.62 EChave been utilised. The remaining 4.88 EC arebeing held by the CMAs to provide for plannedimplementation of their salinity managementplans.

Planned implementation and a conservativeapproach to accounting for salinity impacts is a feature of Victoria’s approach to salinitymanagement. No action that increases salt intothe River Murray is allowed to proceed inVictoria, unless it has been off-set by a salt creditregardless of the timing of the salinity impact. To this end, in August 2001 the VictorianGovernment formally allocated the following saltdisposal entitlements to the CMAs:

• 3.0 EC (3.53 equivalent EC) Mallee CMA forfuture development;

• 1.5 EC (1.56 equivalent EC) Goulburn-Broken CMA for drainage; and

• 0.5 EC (0.57 equivalent EC) North CentralCMA for the Woorinen supply.

Key HighlightsNew Mallee Salinity Zoning

A key highlight of the year has been the formalsupport by the Victorian Government andsubsequent adoption, of revised and more

detailed Mallee salinity zones and water tradingrules developed by the Mallee CMA. The newsalinity zones have also been supported by theMDBC.

The new rules will ensure that development willproceed in an orderly fashion in those areaswhich have only a very small River Murraysalinity impact. Developers will continue to berequired to pay up-front the capital cost of thesalt credit. Development will not be allowed toproceed unless there are available salt credits.

The new rules and salinity zones will furtherensure that Victoria continues to remainaccountable for its new irrigation development.

Implementation of Salinity Management

During 2001/2002 Victoria utilised an additional0.72 EC of Salinity Disposal Entitlement (SDE).This enabled:

• 1,200 hectares of high value and sustainableirrigation development;

• Salinity protection to 1,810 hectares of dairyand horticultural enterprises; and

• 2,420 hectares of improved surface watermanagement to dairy enterprises.

In the dryland, works and measures wereimplemented to protect 2,000 hectares ofremnant vegetation, and over 17,000 hectareswere planted to deep rooted pastures and trees tocontrol recharge.

The impact of the dryland salinity managementin offsetting future increases in River Murraysalinity due to dryland salting is unclear. Thiswill be the focus of Victoria’s research andinvestigation, and modelling work in the drylandover the next few years. This is described inmore detail in the ‘End of Valley Target’ sectionbelow.

End of Valley Targets

Victoria is required to finalise its end-of-valleytargets by March 2004 and processes are in trainto meet this deadline.

Victoria will finalise its targets by the CMAsdeveloping second generation salinitymanagement plans. The final targets will reflectactivities necessary to protect ‘regional’ valuesand assets from salinity, which the Governmentand community agree are priority and which canbe protected within economic, environmental,and social parameters. Additional salinitymanagement to further protect the River Murrayfrom future salinity will be negotiated giving dueconsideration to economic, environmental,social, and cost sharing issues.



To finalise targets, the initial focus will be ondeveloping modelling and technical tools whichcan quantify the work programs and activitiesnecessary to protect the values and assets fromsalinity. The tools will also need to be able toassess the impact work programs and activitieswill have at agreed valley river sites.

In the interim, Victoria will continue toimplement its dryland salinity managementplans and will report annually on thisimplementation. However, for the time being itis unclear what impact this will have on futureRiver Murray salinity.

This Annual Report was prepared by theVictorian Salt Disposal and InvestigationsWorking Group. The Goulburn-Broken, NorthCentral and Mallee CMAs, the Goulburn-Murrayand Sunraysia Rural Water Authorities, and NREworked in partnership to provide theinformation. The consulting firm Sinclair KnightMerz were engaged to compile the information.



Table 1-1 Victorian Salinity Disposal Entitlement (SDE) Uptake Status

Catchment Sub-catchment / SMP area SDE actions

North-Central Kerang-Swan Hill Woorinen Irrigation Pipeline

Lake Charm flushingTile Drainage

Tragowel Plains Tile DrainageDeepening of Calivil Creek

Boort West of Loddon Surface Drainage, Wandella Creek catchment

Surface Drainage, Loddon River catchment

Lake flushingConnection of Appin forest to Wandella Creek floodway

Torrumbarry East of Loddon Koondrook-Murrabit surface drainageGunbower Island drainage

Campaspe West Groundwater Disposal PumpsTile DrainageDiversion Pipeline from Campaspe to Bamawm drainage system

Mallee Nangiloc-Colignan Nangiloc-North Surface DrainageNangiloc Surface DrainageColignan Surface DrainageColignan South Surface DrainageBrowns Surface DrainageKulkyne Surface Drainage

Nyah to the SA Border Water transfers

Boundary Bend Drainage WorksBumbang Drainage SchemeTol Tol Drainage Scheme

SunRISE 21 Psyche Bend Drainage Diversion

Goulburn-Broken Shepparton Irrigation Primary DrainsCommunity DrainsPrivate Groundwater Pumps

Public Groundwater PumpsTile Drains in horticultural areas

Total



Government Uptake Total SDE SDE Status Allocation of SDEs Uptake Balance

of SDEs in 2001/02 to date

EC at Morgan

Under construction, expected to be 0.50 - - 0.50operational in 2002/03

Implemented 0.47 - 0.47 -

No tile drains constructed 0.44 - - 0.44

Kerang-Swan Hill Sub-total 1.41 - 0.47 0.94

528km constructed 1.5 - 1.10 0.26

Implemented - 0.14

Tragowel Plains Sub-total 1.50 - 1.24 0.26

No construction to date 0.07 - - 0.07

30.8km of proposed 42km of surface 0.01 - 0.01 -drains constructed, drained area of 546 ha

Partial implementation 0.01 - - 0.01

Not implemented due to inadequate 0.02 - - 0.02hydraulic gradient

Boort West of Loddon Sub-total 0.11 - 0.01 0.10

No construction to date 0.10 - - 0.10

No construction to date - -

Torrumbarry East of Loddon Sub-total 0.10 - - 0.10

11 pumps installed (3 installed prior to 1988) 0.50 <0.07 0.41 0.09

167 ha drained (of proposed 433 ha)

Completed - credits yet to be quantified - -

Campaspe West Sub-total 0.50 <0.07 0.41 0.09

North-Central Sub-total 3.62 0.07 2.13 1.49

Constructed 1.69 - 1.59 0.10

Constructed -

Constructed -

Constructed -

Constructed -

Constructed -

Nangiloc-Colignan Sub-total 1.69 - 1.59 0.10

57,000 ML of water trade into region since 4.81 0.67 4.86 -0.05start of implementation, 9,035 ML in 2001/02

Completed - credits yet to be recognised - -



Nyah to the SA Border Sub-total 4.81 0.67 4.86 -0.05

New allocation 0.55 - - 0.55

SunRISE 21 Sub-total 0.55 - - 0.55

Mallee Sub-total 7.05 0.67 6.45 0.60

146km + 25km (est) built before July 1991 4.9 0.03 0.37 2.38

491 + 33km (est) built before July 1991 0.01 0.10

201 new + 69 upgrades + 19 horticulture 2.38protection pumps (12 low capacity horticulture -0.32 0.69protection pumps built before July 1991)

32 0.26 1.20

16ha 0.00 0.16

Shepparton Irrigation Sub-total 4.90 -0.02 2.52 2.38

Goulburn-Broken Sub-total 4.90 -0.02 2.52 2.38

15.57 0.72 11.10 4.47

1.50

0.10

0.50<0.07 0.41

1.59 0.10

-0.05

2.38

0.10

0.09

0.26

1.69

4.81

4.90



Table 1-2 Victorian Salt Credit Balance Sheet

Current Scheme (Register A) Salinity CreditsEquivalent EC (see S&DS

Register for further details)

Credits from Joint Woolpunda Interception Scheme 7.16Schemes

Improved Buronga and Mildura/ 0.71Merbein I.S.

New Operating Rules for Barr Ck pumps1.26

Waikerie Interception Scheme 2.40

Mallee Cliffs Salt Interception Scheme 3.01

Joint Scheme Credit Sub-total 14.54

Debits from Joint Increased Riparian Flow in the -0.11Schemes Lower Darling

Changed Internal Operation of the -0.81Menindee Lakes

Joint Scheme Debit Sub-total -0.92

Credits from State Salt Barr Creek Catchment Management Plan4.02Interception Schemes Psyche Bend Lagoon 0.75

State Scheme Credit Sub-total 4.77

Total SDE Allocation 18.40

Government Allocation of SDEs 17.50

Unallocated SDEs 0.90

Information last updated as at 30 June 2002, using July 2002 Provisional Register information.Salt Credits allocated refer to the SDEs described in Table 1.1 adjusted to reflect equivalent EC:North Central 4.1 equivalent EC allocated.Mallee 8.3 equivalent EC allocated.Goulburn-Broken 5.1 equivalent EC allocated.



1 Introduction

In previous years, Victoria has prepared anAnnual Report on the implementation of theSalinity and Drainage Strategy. The BasinSalinity Management Strategy (BSMS) replacesthe previous Salinity and Drainage Strategy, andwas developed by the Murray-Darling BasinMinisterial Council in response to futureincreases in salinity from dryland agriculturalareas in the Basin (MDBMC, 2001).

This annual report documents Victoria’saccountability and compliance under the newStrategy.

Input to the report has been provided by theCatchment Management Authorities (CMAs) viathe Plan coordinators listed in Appendix A. Inparticular, the CMAs were asked to provide thefollowing information for their respectiveregions:

• Government allocation of Salinity DisposalEntitlements (SDEs);

• Works implemented in the period July 2001to June 2002;

• Uptake of SDEs in the period July 2001 toJune 2002;

• Benefits of implementation;• Progressive total of works implemented since

start of implementation;• Progressive uptake of SDEs since start of

implementation;• Total benefits since start of implementation;• Monitoring and assessment programs; • Management issues; and• Dryland salinity management activities

completed in 2001/02, and planned targetsfor 2002/03.

The above information is presented byCatchment Management regions within theMurray-Darling Basin, with submissionspresented for the Mallee, North Central,Goulburn-Broken and North East regions. TheWimmera region was not approached to providea submission, however this region will beincluded in subsequent annual reporting.



2 Mallee

The Mallee CMA covers approximately 4.3million ha of north-west Victoria. Agriculturallanduse in the Mallee region utilises over 60% ofthe land, mostly for the production of drylandcrops and livestock. Irrigated horticulturecomprising of citrus, vine, nuts and vegetablesoccurs adjacent to the River Murray for much ofits length.

Irrigated areas in the Mallee region include theirrigation districts of Merbein, First MilduraIrrigation Trust (FMIT), Red Cliffs, Robinvale,and Nyah. Water Authorities are responsible forthe district water supply and drainage. Privatediverters account for 202,000 ML of water – this is equivalent to 50% of total diversiondownstream of Nyah. A Waterway ManagementDistrict has been established to manage drainagefrom private diverters in Nangiloc-Colignan.

Values at riskSalinity places at risk land resources, biodiversity,water quality and community infrastructurewithin the Mallee. These values are discussedbelow.

Land Resources

A preliminary water balance for the Malleesuggests that an additional 200,000 ha maybecome salt affected before the groundwatersystem reaches equilibrium. The timeframe forgroundwater equilibrium has not yet beendetermined. The market value of agriculturalland in the central Mallee is around $600 per ha,indicating that the value of land threatened bysalinisation is approximately $120 million1.

Biodiversity

The Mallee consists of diverse land systems andvegetation types. The temporal and spatialimpacts of salinisation are not fully understood,although it is considered unlikely that theimpacts will be evenly distributed throughoutthe region. The areas most at threat will have alow topographic elevation in the landscape. Ingeneral terms, the areas most at risk can besummarised as:

• the plains in the Central West Mallee(centred on Manangatang);

• the major discharge sites at Lake Tyrell, PinkLakes and the Raak Plains;

• the River Murray floodplain; and • the lower reaches of the Wimmera River.

A better understanding of the environmentalvalues most at risk in each of these areas isrequired. It is important to note that there aremany sites of very high conservation value in

those areas. For example, there are more than 13 wetlands of national or internationalsignificance in the Mallee which are consideredthreatened by salinisation.

Water Quality

Over the next 50-100 years the salinity of theRiver Murray is expected to increasesignificantly. Current estimates of the total netimpact of native vegetation clearing andirrigation are up to 70 EC at Morgan (SKM,1999).

Community Infrastructure

Parts of the townships of Ouyen, Manangatangand Underbool and the City of Mildura arepotentially threatened by salting. The cost of thepotential damage has not been quantified.

2.1 Irrigation Sector

There are three Salinity Management Plans(SMPs) for the Mallee CMA region covering themajor irrigation areas. These SMPs are:

• Sunraysia SMP;• Nangiloc-Colignan SMP; and• Nyah to the South Australian Border SMP.

A Second Generation SMP is currently beingdrafted for the Mallee region which will integratethe above 3 plans, the dryland salinitymanagement plan, and the nutrientmanagement plan.

Government Allocation of SalinityDisposal EntitlementsThe Victorian government has allocated thefollowing SDEs via the Salinity Planning Processin the Mallee region:

• The Nangiloc-Colignan SMP was allocated0.5 EC to allow for the estimated additionalimpact of drainage disposal to the RiverMurray.

• The Nyah to SA Border SMP was allocated2.4 EC to cover the initial impact of watertrade into the region.

• SunRISE 21 generated 0.55 EC through saltmitigation works at Psyche Bend Lagoon.

In 2000, the Mallee CMA requested that theVictorian Government allocate the followingSDEs to the Mallee:

• An additional 0.6 EC to cover the greaterthan expected impact of drainage fromNangiloc-Colignan.

• An additional 2.4 EC to cover the impact ofwater trade into the area covered by Nyah tothe SA Border.

1 Values estimated as part of work in progress of Second Generation Salinity and Water Quality Management Plan, MalleeCMA



Progressive Uptake of Salinity DisposalEntitlements since start of ImplementationSince the start of implementation, the totaluptake of SDEs in the Mallee region has been6.45 EC. This includes 1.59 EC for Nangiloc-Colignan drainage, and 4.86 EC for water trade.This has been partially offset by the generation of0.6 SDEs at Psyche Bend Lagoon.

Uptake of Salinity DisposalEntitlements in 2001/02Water trade into the Mallee was the only activityrequiring SDEs during 2001/02. Net water tradeinto the Mallee during the period July 2001 toJune 2002 was 9,035 ML. This is estimated tohave increased the river salinity by 0.67 EC atMorgan. Water trade within and into the Malleesince 1993/94 is shown in Table 2-1.

Water-trading rules within the Mallee regionwere revised during 2001/02. The new tradingrules change the system of accounting for theriver salinity impacts of water trade. In theinterests of consistency, this year's figures arebeing reported in line with the accountingsystem that was in place at the start of theperiod. The impact of trade to date will bereappraised using the new accounting system,and revised figures will be included in nextyear's annual report.

The MDBC, in agreeing to support themethodology on which the changes to theMallee salinity impact zones is based, has askedthat:

• new development to date be audited for itssalinity impacts;

• additional monitoring of the revised salinityimpact zones be established; and

• the results of the proposed methodology beverified against some strategic numericmodelling.

Works Implemented in 2001/02Works have been completed over the 2001/02period that have reduced salt inflows to the river.To date these have not yet been submitted forentry on the Commission MDBC register. Theseare in the process of being formally evaluatedbefore being submitted for entry.

These works include:

• improvements in irrigation efficiency overthe past 10-years resulting in a reduction of the average drainage rates for the Mallee region from a long-term average of 1.73 ML/ha/yr to 0.86 ML/ha/yr;

• there is potential to reduce impacts by afurther 6 EC as a result of the drying of Basin12 at Red Cliffs (SKM, 2002);

• proposed changes to the operating rules forLamberts Swamp in Merbein may haveproduced savings of 2.3 EC (SKM & AWE,2002a), given that the new rules have beeneffectively in operation for some years; and

• the decommissioning of drainage bores atBoundary Bend and Bumbang are thought tohave reduced river salinity by 0.1 EC.

Benefits of ImplementationThe benefits of the works implemented in2001/02 include protection for part of the Malleeirrigation area due to improved irrigationefficiency.

Progressive Total of WorksImplemented Since Start ofImplementationTotal works completed since start ofimplementation in addition to works completedthis period include:

• Nangiloc-Colignan:- completion of ten group drainage

schemes;- construction of an additional drainage

outfall draining 40 ha in the NangilocNorth drainage area; and

Origin of Water Trade of Water Within & Into the Mallee [ML]1993/94 to 2000/01 2001/02

Total Permanent Trade within Mallee* 78,313 18,327

Net Trade of water into Mallee** 37,500 9,035

* Most trade is to areas of similar or lower Salinity Impact Zone, no SDE allocation is triggered** Trade into Mallee triggers a salinity levy and SDE allocation

Table 2-1 Volume of water transferred in the Mallee Region



- diversion of drainage in the ColignanSouth Group drainage area from theRiver to the Colignan Basins.

• Nyah to the SA Border:- construction of the Boundary Bend

drainage scheme; and- initial construction of the Bumbang

scheme.• Sunraysia:

- Psyche Bend Lagoon drainage diversionscheme.

In addition, the Lake Hawthorn DrainageDiversion Scheme and the Mildura-MerbeinGroundwater Interception Scheme wereconstructed in Sunraysia before theimplementation of the Murray Darling BasinSalinity and Drainage Strategy (1988).

Total Benefits Since Start ofImplementationFive thousand hectares of high value horticulturehas been protected from waterlogging andsalinisation as a result of the Nangiloc-Colignandrainage scheme.

The amount of new development within theregion since 1993/94 is approximately 5,000 ha.New development is estimated to have a farm-gate gross margin of between $18,000 to $30,000per ha. Therefore, 5,000 ha would generateannual gross margins of $90-150 million.

Monitoring and Assessment ProgramsThe Mallee Regional Catchment Strategy and theMallee SMPs are currently being renewed.

The following significant studies have beenconducted to verify the SDEs being used in theRegion:

• Mallee Irrigation SMP Mandatory MonitoringProgram – Triennial Report for Irrigation

Drainage and Groundwater MonitoringPrograms (SKM, 2002);

• Lamberts Swamp Investigation Stage 1 (SKM,2002b) and Stage 2;

• Proposed Revision to Assessment MethodUsed for the EC Impact of Water Trade(SKM, 2001);

• Sunraysia Drainage Strategy (SKM, 2002c);and

• Integration and Optimisation of SaltInterception in the Sunraysia Region (SKM &AWE, 2002a).

Management IssuesNo management issues have been identified.

2.2 Dryland SectorThe Mallee dryland SMP was released in 1998with the primary objective of tackling salinitywith an intermediate to long-term outlook. Thekey programs and issues in the Mallee drylandSMP include:

• pipelining stock and domestic water supply;• sealing groundwater bores in the Duddo

Limestone;• increased use of rainfall with perennial

pastures;• protection of native vegetation;• reclaiming sand dunes;• managing discharge by fencing and

revegetating discharge areas; and• research, education, monitoring and

fallowing.

Dryland Activities for 2001/02The activities completed under the dryland SMPare detailed in Table 2-2.

Salinity Management Activity HectaresRecharge Management

Native vegetation protected 1,263

High density tree establishment -

Low density tree establishment 33

Perennial pasture establishment 4,700 (including lucerne establishment)

Improved cropping practices 42,000

Discharge Management

Native vegetation re-establishment 150

Salt tolerant pastures establishment 80

Engineering works (eg groundwater pumping) 0

Table 2-2 Mallee Dryland Activities for 2001/02




Native vegetation protected 800

High density tree establishment -

Low density tree establishment 100

Perennial pasture establishment 4,500(including lucerne establishment)

Improved cropping practices 30,000


Native vegetation re-establishment -

Salt tolerant pastures establishment 100Engineering works (eg. groundwater pumping) 1

Targets for 2002/03The targets set for the next period within theMallee dryland region are detailed in Table 2-3.

Table 2-3 Mallee Dryland Targets for 2001/02



3 North Central


The new Loddon Murray Land and WaterManagement Strategy integrates the fourexisting salinity management plans in theLoddon catchment. Future annual reporting onSDE management issues will be made at theLoddon Murray level.

The Loddon Murray Land and WaterManagement Strategy is the second generationSMP and is an action plan under the RegionalCatchment Strategy (RCS) for the North Centralregion.

The four salinity and land and watermanagement plans that precede the strategy are:

• Torrumbarry East of Loddon Land and WaterManagement Strategy;

• Tragowel Plains SMP;

• Kerang-Swan Hill SMP; and

• Boort West of Loddon Land and WaterManagement Strategy.

Each of the above areas, as well as the CampaspeWest and the Barr Creek Drainage DiversionScheme, are reported separately in the followingpages.

Kerang-Swan Hill

The Kerang-Swan Hill SMP covers all of theirrigated land west of the Loddon River, which isfed from the Torrumbarry Irrigation System andits interspersed dryland areas along the Loddon,Avoca and Murray River floodplains in NorthCentral Victoria.

The draft SMP was released in 1992 and theVictorian State Government response to the planwas received in 1993. The SMP includes theflushing of Lake Charm and a proposedcommunity surface drainage program servicingan area of 26,420 ha with approximately 135 kmof community drains.

Government Allocation of SalinityDisposal EntitlementsA total SDE of 1.41 EC has been allocated to thisSMP. An initial SDE of 0.44 EC was assignedwhen this SMP was added to the MDBC Salinityand Drainage Strategy Register in August 1993.This credit enabled the commencement of theproposed surface drainage program (servicing10,720 ha).

An additional SDE of 0.47 EC was added in 1995to allow Lake Charm flushing.

In February 2001, the Woorinen Pipeline Projectwas allocated 0.5 EC by the VictorianGovernment. This uptake is expected to beutilised for the commencement of the 2003/04irrigation season.

Uptake of Salinity DisposalEntitlements in 2001/02No further uptake of SDEs occurred in thisperiod.

Progressive Uptake of Salinity DisposalEntitlements Since Start ofImplementationThe uptake of SDEs is 0.47 EC for Lake Charmflushing. This figure was estimated using salt loadimpact studies and REALM modelling of theKerang Lakes system, based on data from 1975to 1985. Table 3-1 details the progressive uptakeof SDEs in the Kerang-Swan Hill area.

Pyramid Creek Groundwater InterceptionScheme

Pyramid Creek is a major irrigation carrier thathas been identified as a large point source of saltinto the River Murray. Highly salinegroundwater flows into the creek as a result ofremodelling undertaken in 1968/69. TheVictorian Government, under the auspice andrecommendation of the North Central CMA, andthe MDBC have jointly funded investigations to

Activity Uptake of Salt Disposal Credits (EC)Total to 2000/01 2001/02 Progress Total to 2001/02

Kerang - Swan HillSurface WaterManagement - - -

Lake Charm flushing 0.47 - 0.47

Woorinen Pipeline Project - - -

Total 0.47 - 0.47

Note: The SDE for the Pyramid Creek Groundwater Interception Scheme is yet to be allocated.

Table 3-1 Progressive Uptake of Salinity Disposal Entitlements – Kerang-Swan Hill



ascertain the potential for a salt interceptionscheme at Pyramid Creek.

The investigations have been successfullycompleted and have identified thatapproximately 25,000 tonnes of salt enter thecreek annually, with 80% entering in the upper12.3km (SKM, 2001a). Interception of thesesaline inflows is expected to provide a reductionin salinity of 4.6 EC in the River Murray atMorgan (SKM, 2001b), and a reduction in themean salinities in the Ramsar-listed KerangLakes of up to 20% of current levels (SKM,2002d).

The MDBC has since agreed to implement aPyramid Creek Groundwater InterceptionScheme (PCGIS) as a joint salt interceptionscheme under Schedule C of the Murray-DarlingBasin Agreement. The MDBC are currentlycarrying out further detailed investigations andnegotiations with third parties to manage the saltthat is intercepted and to share costs.

The proposal consists of three separatecomponents: interception works, salt harvestingponds and salt processing facilities. Privateoperators are expected to undertake the day-to-day process management of the ponds. Theseprivate operators will also construct and operatea salt processing facility on-site.

Church’s Cut

Church's Cut, a deep, private channel that isused to draw irrigation supplies from PyramidCreek, has been identified as a major pointsource of salt contributing 0.55 EC of the total4.64 EC impact of saline inflows to PyramidCreek (SKM, 2001b). The Pyramid CreekGroundwater Interception Scheme will notintercept all of the saline groundwater inflows toChurch’s Cut.

The benefits attributable to the interceptionscheme and the infilling of Church’s Cut hasbeen assessed to be:

PCGIS 4.34 EC(as the Scheme will reduce the impact ofChurch’s Cut)Church’s Cut 0.30 EC

(Source: SKM, 2002e)

It has been agreed that Victoria can infillChurch’s Cut as a State salt interception scheme.This will be completed in 2002/03 and will earnVictoria salt credits of 0.30 EC.

Works Implemented in 2001/02Construction of the Woorinen Pipeline Projectcommenced in 2001/02 and will continue this

year. The pipeline is expected to becomeoperational during 2002/03.

The Lake Charm Outfall did not operate during2001/02. The outfall operates according todocumented operating criteria, which were notactivated during the year.

Progressive Total of WorksImplemented since start ofImplementationThe Lake Charm flushing program has beensuccessfully completed and is an importantcomponent of the Kerang-Swan Hill waterquality program. The water quality program alsoidentified salt interception at Pyramid Creek asimportant to improving local water quality. Asdescribed above investigations have beensuccessfully completed and the MDBC hasagreed to construct the scheme as a joint saltinterception scheme.

To-date no community surface drains have beenconstructed in the Kerang-Swan Hill area. Awhole of Loddon-Murray Surface WaterManagement Strategy is currently beingfinalised, and will identify how best toimplement surface water management in thearea with due consideration to economic,environmental, and social imperatives. This mayinclude constructed systems like communitydrains and non-engineering options like re-usesystems.

Benefits of ImplementationNo works were implemented in 2001/02, as theconstruction of the Woorinen Pipeline Projecthas not been completed. As such, no benefitshave been assigned to this period.

Total Benefits since start ofImplementationBenefits resulting from works implemented thusfar are the benefits to the water quality of LakeCharm as a result of the Lake Charm flushingprogram.

Monitoring and Assessment ProgramsA comprehensive flow and salinity monitoringprogram has been established to determine theimpacts of flushing Lake Charm on other waterbodies. Monitoring occurs at various points inthe Kerang Lakes system, and in the RiverMurray at Torrumbarry and Swan Hill. Whenthe pumps are in operation, flows upstream anddownstream of Lake Charm, in the LoddonRiver, Murray River and Little Murray River, arecontinuously monitored and assessed. The effectsof flushing flows on Lake Charm are also



monitored. The information obtained frommonitoring is then utilised by stakeholders forthe operation and review of Lake Charm pumps.

An extensive network of groundwaterobservation bores monitor groundwater levelsand salinities in the Kerang-Swan Hill area.

The proposed drainage works are currently beingreviewed as part of the Loddon-Murray SurfaceWater Management Strategy.

Operating rules for the Woorinen PipelineProject will be documented. The salt disposalallocation is required to allow existing irrigationwater to flow through several of the Ramsarwetlands within the Kerang Lakes system.

A five-yearly review of the plan was completedand incorporated into the new Loddon MurrayLand and Water Management Strategy.

Management IssuesAnnual costs of SDEs for the operation of theLake Charm pumps are currently borne by thelocal community, via local Governmentmunicipalities and Torrumbarry irrigators. Whenimplemented, Torrumbarry irrigators will meetthe annual salt disposal costs for the WoorinenPipeline Project.

Tragowel Plains

The Tragowel Plains area covers the Pyramid HillIrrigation Area south of Kerang. The areastretches from the Waranga Western MainChannel in the south to the Macorna Channel inthe north, and from the Loddon River in thewest to beyond Pyramid Hill in the east.

Prior to the development of a SMP for the area,the Tragowel Plains were generally associatedwith poor surface drainage, causing prolongedperiods of surface water ponding and increasedaccessions to the water table. The preferredmanagement option detailed in the 1989 DraftSMP was to extend the drainage services in thearea and to improve the existing naturaldrainage lines. The key natural drainage outfallsfrom the area emanate from five main drainagelines:

• Bullock Creek;• Pyramid Drains 1 and 2;• Nine Mile Creek; and• Calivil Creek.

The Plan also examined improvements in landmanagement practices and efficiencyimprovements in the irrigation supply system.

Government Allocation of SalinityDisposal EntitlementsA SDE of 1.5 EC has been allocated for theTragowel Plains drainage program. SDEs werefirst allocated in June 1990.


Progressive Uptake of Salinity DisposalEntitlements since start ofImplementationThe drainage network of 528 km is estimated tohave taken up approximately 1.1 EC (0.00213EC per kilometre of drain) based on workundertaken by HydroTechnology (1994). Thedeepening of Calivil Creek is estimated to havean impact of 0.14 EC, therefore the currentimpact of the plan is estimated to be 1.24 EC.

Works Implemented in 2001/02No works have been implemented in this period.

Benefits of ImplementationThere are no benefits resulting from the 2001/02period as no works have been implemented.

Progressive Total of WorksImplemented since start ofImplementationA total of 528 km of community and regionaldrains have been constructed. Deepening of asection of Calivil Creek has also beenundertaken.

Total Benefits since start ofImplementationThe plan has been very successful in improvingsurface water management, retiring salinisedland from irrigation, and concentrating inputsonto the most productive soils. It is consideredthat the plan implementation has been a majorfactor in the reduction of depth to watertableacross the region. Prior to implementation 83%of the Tragowel Plains had a depth to watertableof less than 1m. In 1999 this percentage haddropped to 31% (SKM, 2000).

Monitoring and Assessment ProgramsMonitoring of flow and salinity entering andleaving the area occurs under both the TragowelPlains SMP and the Torrumbarry East of LoddonSMP.



All surface water monitoring is currently being undertaken by Goulburn-Murray Water(G-MW) in the Tragowel Plains area.

Assessment using the modelling results does notexplicitly account for changes in catchmentmanagement that have occurred in the TragowelPlains area. Activity in the region has included:

• some changes in land use from mixed toannual crops;

• irrigation removed from C and D class soils;• increased water use efficiency;• use of microspray and laser grading;• increased reuse;• transfer of water entitlement; and• reduced outfalls.

The impact of these actions are likely to havecontributed to decreases in drain flows and saltloads, as has been observed in the recorded data.

The proposed drainage works are currently beingreviewed as part of the Loddon-Murray SurfaceWater Management Strategy. A five-yearlyreview of the plan was completed andincorporated into the new Loddon Murray Landand Water Management Strategy.

Management IssuesThe direct beneficiaries do not currently meet theannual cost of salt disposal credits for theimplementation of community surface drainageschemes. These schemes were implemented bythe Bullock Creek Irrigation Trust (BCIT) and arenow managed by the North Central CMA.

Boort West of Loddon

The area covered by the Boort West of Loddon(BWOL) SMP is located in the Loddon Rivercatchment in North-Central Victoria. The totalplan area covers 89,000 ha and includes over28,000 ha of irrigation that has been rapidlyincreasing in recent years (SKM, 2001c). Theirrigation area is supplied from the WarangaWestern Channel and drains to the River Murrayvia the Kerang Lakes and the Loddon River.

The draft SMP was released in 1994 and theVictorian State Government response to the planwas received in 1995.

Government Allocation of SalinityDisposal EntitlementsGovernment allocation of SDEs is 0.11 EC. Thisallocation consists of:

• 0.07 EC for proposed irrigation surfacedrainage in the Wandella Creek catchment;

• 0.01 EC for proposed irrigation surfacedrainage in the Loddon River catchment;

• 0.01 EC for lake flushing; and • 0.02 EC for the connection of the Appin

Forest to the Wandella Creek floodway.


Progressive Uptake of Salinity CreditsSince Start of ImplementationMinimal uptake of SDEs has occurred at thisstage (<0.01 EC).

The full SDE of 0.11 EC has been allocated to thedrainage program under the BWOL SMP. Anadditional 0.5 EC salinity impact is expected dueto implementation of the water quality program.Thus the future salinity impact of the SMP ispredicted to be 0.61 EC.



Progressive Total of WorksImplemented Since Start ofImplementationNo drains have been constructed in the WandellaCreek catchment to date. Due to the potentialsalt load impacts on Wandella Forest anddownstream water users, an interim embargo ondrain construction in the Wandella Creekcatchment was put in place as part of the StateGovernment response to the SMP. The StateGovernment has, in principle, lifted the embargosubject to the outcomes of the Loddon-MurraySurface Water Management Strategy for thecatchment, which is currently being prepared.

Approximately 30.8 km of the proposed 42 kmof community surface drains in the Loddon Rivercatchment within the BWOL SMP area havebeen constructed to date, corresponding to anarea drained of 546 ha.

The lake flushing program for the region, whichaccounts for 0.01 EC on the Register, has onlybeen partially implemented and operating rulesare still being refined. Three lakes have had theirfull supply levels reduced.

The connection of Appin Forest to the WandellaCreek floodway, which accounts for 0.02 EC onthe Register, has not been undertaken due to an



inadequate hydraulic gradient between the forestand the creek. Further options for the flushing ofthe forest are being considered.

Total Benefits since start ofImplementationBenefits resulting from works implemented todate include drainage of 546 ha in the LoddonRiver catchment.

Monitoring and Assessment ProgramsWhen the Loddon River is in flood, flows fromthe river currently enter Wandella Creekthrough Venables Creek and Wandella Creek atGannon’s Weir. Both of these major inputs tothe system are adequately monitored. Flows andsalinities from Wandella Creek to the KerangLakes are recorded at Fairley.

Flow and salinity monitoring occurs at variouspoints in the Kerang Lakes system and are alsomonitored in the River Murray at Torrumbarryand Swan Hill.

An extensive network of groundwaterobservation bores monitor groundwater levelsand salinities in the Boort West of Loddon area.



Management IssuesNo uptake of SDEs has occurred.

Torrumbarry East of LoddonThe Torrumbarry East of Loddon (TEOL) areacovers 130,000 ha between the Murray andLoddon Rivers. Major environmental issues inthe area include land salinisation, due to near-surface, highly saline watertables, and highnutrient levels in waterways.

The TEOL plan supersedes the Barr CreekCatchment Management Plan and has developedfrom a salt interception plan to a full Land andWater Management Strategy. This strategyincludes the use of farm, environment, social,nutrient management and drainage programs.The drainage program involves the proposeddrainage of Gunbower Island and theKoondrook-Murrabit areas.

Government Allocation of SalinityDisposal EntitlementsAn interim SDE of 0.1 EC was allocated to thedrainage program of the SMP in 1996.

The TEOL SMP originally requested a SDE of 0.5EC for Koondrook-Murrabit community surfacedrainage and 0.02 EC for drainage on GunbowerIsland.


Progressive Uptake of Salinity CreditsSince Start of ImplementationNo SDEs have been utilised at this stage.

The Koondrook-Murrabit drainage scheme,when implemented, is predicted to have asalinity impact of 0.5 EC.



Progressive Total of WorksImplemented Since Start ofImplementationNone of the proposed drains in the Koondrook-Murrabit area have been constructed to date. Nodrains have been constructed on GunbowerIsland.

Total Benefits Since Start ofImplementationThere are no benefits to report to date as none ofthe proposed works have been implemented.

Monitoring and Assessment ProgramsContinuous flow and salinity monitoring of BarrCreek is undertaken at Schwenkes Road andCapels Crossing, and of the major tributarydrains of Barr Creek up to July 2002.



A review of drainage flows is currently beingundertaken for the Barr Creek Catchment, somepreliminary findings are:

• Trends analysed using GAM (GeneralizedAdditive Model) indicate that even afteraccounting for variations in climateconditions, drainage flow volumes havedropped by 42,000 ML/yr since 1987,



attributable at least in part to the Barr CreekCatchment Management Plan.

• The reduction in flows is at least partlyattributable to the irrigation reuse effort andfresh water reduction programs made in thecatchment. However, part of the reductionsmay also be attributable to theimplementation of other water reforms, suchas transferable water entitlements.

• The salt load in BarrCreek has reduced byapproximately 70,000 tonnes per year. Thisappears to be linked to a drop in the shallowgroundwater system levels.

Management Issues

No uptake of SDEs has occurred to date.

Barr Creek Drainage Diversion SchemeBarr Creek is recognised as the largest single-point source of salt inflow to the River Murrayfrom Victoria (SKM, 2000a). The Barr CreekDrainage Diversion Scheme was constructed in1968 prior to the introduction of the Salinity andDrainage Register. The scheme consists of a 224 ML/day pump station on Barr Creek, a 1.5km concrete pipeline, 12.2 km of open channeland four evaporation basins – Lakes Tutchewop,William, Little and Kelly, all of which areterminal lakes.

River Salinity Benefit

A revised SDE of 3.59 EC is assigned to thedrainage scheme due to the adoption of the 1991scheme operation rules (MDBC, 1999).Additional credits of 1.62 EC have been obtaineddue to the adoption of the refined ‘1999 rules’,and another 0.74 EC will be obtained once theBarr Creek weir is replaced at a raised level andthe salinity threshold for pumping is increased to4,500 EC (MDBC, 1999).

The revised operation rules for Barr Creek,devised in 1999, are shown in Table 3-2.

On 14 March 2000, the MDBC resolved to takeover the responsibility for the Barr Creek – LakeTutchewop Scheme, to operate the scheme tothe ‘1999 rules’ and build the weir. As such, the5.95 EC reduction in River Murray salinityattributable to the scheme (since the start of theMDBC Salinity and Drainage Strategy (1988)) isjointly held by the MDBC and Victoria.

Barr Creek Weir

It is proposed to construct a new weir upstreamof the existing weir, located approximately 100m downstream of the pump station. This weirwill have a level 1.8 m higher than the existingweir, and will allow an additional 5,500 tonnes

No. Type Condition Rule1 Basic pumping If the Barr Creek salinity at pump Pump all of creek

rule based on site is greater than the salinity flow up to maximumsalinity trigger trigger defined by the following: rate of 218 ML/d

Available ThresholdAirspace (ML) Salinity (EC)1,500 15,0002,500 10,0004,000 6,0006,000 4,0007,000 4,00010,000 4,00012,000 4,000

2 Loddon flood Loddon at Kerang is greater than No pumping900 ML/d

3 Murray Flood Murray at Torrumbarry is greater No pumpingthan 20,000 ML/d

4 Receding Murray Murray flow at Torrumbarry Pump at rate ofFlow Weir has just fallen below 218 ML/d for 5 days.

12,000 ML/d Close Fish Point Weir on days 4 & 5

5 Airspace If evaporation basin airspace No pumping (exceptis less than 1,500 ML during as provided by Rule 1 June to November, 500 ML or Rule 4)in April and 1,000 ML in May.

Source: MDBC (1999)

Table 3-2 Revised Operation of Barr Creek Drainage Diversion Scheme – ‘1999 Rules’



of salt (on top of the present 50,000 tonnes) tobe diverted annually to the disposal basins. Allinvestigations and approvals have beencompleted, including a referral under theEnvironment Protection and BiodiversityConservation Act 1999. Construction should becompleted during 2002/03.

Scheme Operation

The 1999 operating rules were adopted on 28 March 2001.

The operation of the scheme since theintroduction of the 1999 rules, and over the2001/02 season, is shown in Table 3-3.

Scheme Performance

The amount of salt diverted is a function of theoperational availability, the performance of thepumps and the salinity of the intercepteddrainage water in Barr Creek. The Barr Creekpumps diverted 64,504 tonnes of salt from 1st April 2001 to 30th June 2002, which was54% of the salt load that would have beenpumped according to the pump operation rules(1999 rules). The scheme salt load diversionperformance over this period was similar to thelong-term performance over 1987 to 2001 (59%)and 1991 to 2001 (53%). Scheme performancefigures from April 2001 to June 2002 are shownin Table 3-4.

Monitoring and Assessment Programs

Monitoring of the drainage diversion schemeconsists primarily of flow and salinitymonitoring, which is required for day to dayoperation of the pumps and for subsequentevaluation of scheme performance. Surfacewater monitoring to guide the pump operationconsists of:

• flow and salinity monitoring at:

- Barr Creek at Capel’s Crossing;

- Loddon River at Kerang Weir;

- River Murray below Torrumbarry Weir;

- River Murray at Koondrook Spillway; and

- Little Murray Weir.

• daily salinity monitoring at the pump sitewhen pumps are in operation; and

• weekly water level monitoring in the fourevaporation basins.

Monitoring of groundwater levels around thebasins takes place at monthly and quarterlyintervals.

The annual operation and performance of theinterception scheme is regularly reviewed. Thelatest scheme review was completed in October2001 (SKM, 2001d).

The River Murray salinity impact of the schemewas last assessed in 1999 (MDBC, 1999).

Campaspe West

The Campaspe West SMP Area covers part of the Campaspe Irrigation District west of theCampaspe River and a smaller part of theRochester Irrigation Area south of the WarangaWestern Main Channel. The Campaspe WestPlan covers an area of approximately 5,648 ha of which approximately 3,700 ha is irrigation(SKM, 2000a). The plan area is one of the mostsignificant dairy regions in Victoria, howeversalinity and high watertables have adverselyaffected productivity.

The draft Campaspe West SMP was released in1992 to address the problems of salinisation andhigh watertables. The Victorian StateGovernment response to the plan was receivedin 1993.

The significant components of the plan thatwould impact on the River Murray are theconstruction of 11 groundwater pumps andproposed tile drainage program protecting 433 ha of land.

Table 3-3 Scheme Operation

April 2001 – June 2002 July 2001 – June 2002Actual time pumps operated 90% 85%versus the target (determinedby 1999 rules)

Percentage of Barr Creek flow 50% 47%diverted to the disposal basins

Percentage of Barr Creek salt 54% 51%load diverted to the disposal basins



Government Allocation of SalinityDisposal EntitlementsA SDE of 0.50 EC was assigned when this SMPwas added to the MDBC Salinity and DrainageStrategy Register in August 1993.

Uptake of Salinity DisposalEntitlements in 2001/02Uptake of SDEs in 2001/02 was for the partialcompletion of works expected to have a totalimpact of 0.07 EC.

Progressive Uptake of Salinity DisposalEntitlements Since Start ofImplementationA salinity impact review was completed in March2001 and calculated the salinity impact ofcompleted works to be 0.34 EC at Morgan (SKM, 2001e). This review also estimated thatthe additional planned works of onegroundwater pump and one additional drainwere expected to increase the scheme impactfrom 0.34 EC to 0.41 EC. Since this review wasundertaken, the additional groundwater pumphas been constructed, and so the uptake of SDEsis estimated to be less than 0.41 EC.

Works Implemented in 2001/02The 2001 review indicated that salinity creditsare still available and so planned works wereable to proceed in 2001/02. One groundwaterpump was constructed and the construction of adiversion pipeline carrying tile drainage waterand pumped groundwater from the Campaspe tothe Bamawm drainage system was completed.No drainage works have been implemented inthis period.

Benefits of Implementation

Benefits resulting from works implemented inthe 2001/02 period include diversion of surfacedrainage water and pumped groundwater thatpreviously outfell to the Campaspe River,thereby reducing the salt load.

Progressive Total of WorksImplemented Since Start ofImplementationThe groundwater pump plan has been fullyimplemented with 11 groundwater pumpsinstalled, whilst the tile drainage plan is near40% implemented with drainage of 167 hainstalled.

Table 3-4 Scheme Performance Indicators – April 2001 to June 2002

Volume Diverted Salt Load Diverted Average(ML) (tonnes) Salinity

Month Diverted(EC)

Target* Actual Actual vs. Target* Actual Actual vs. ActualTarget % Target %

Apr-01 1812 2168 48% 4714 5630 52% 4336May-01 2092 2272 77% 7066 7558 80% 5629Jun-01 1003 686 68% 8461 5427 66% 14060Jul-01 746 545 73% 9084 6609 71% 20296

Aug-01 1096 719 66% 10290 5516 66% 15648Sep-01 854 832 54% 3455 4709 57% 6743Oct-01 190 325 9% 605 978 9% 5307

Nov-01 1204 877 37% 4166 3043 39% 5767Dec-01 1317 832 36% 4009 2555 38% 5074Jan-02 1570 949 35% 4036 2464 34% 4285Feb-02 1644 1555 63% 3876 4020 67% 3929Mar-02 1534 1550 60% 3548 3602 58% 3855Apr-02 2079 1944 72% 5326 5016 70% 4270

May-02 1080 1066 41% 2952 3011 38% 4555Jun-02 572 593 104% 4476 4366 81% 13042

TOTAL (Apr-01 to 18,793 16,913 50% 87,798 64,504 54% 7,786Jun-02)

*Target salt load diversion according to 1999 pump operation rules.



Total Benefits Since Start ofImplementationThe implementation of works involving surfacewater drainage and groundwater pumping hasresulted in drainage benefits to greater than 167 ha of land.

Monitoring and Assessment ProgramsA number of monitoring programs are currentlybeing used in the Campaspe West Plan Area:

• groundwater pump meters are recorded atthe start and end of each irrigation seasonand groundwater salinity is measuredannually;

• a short period of tile drain data is available;and

• surface drainage flows and salinities aremeasured at most drainage outfalls from theCampaspe West area.

As previously stated a salinity impact review ofthis plan was finalised in 2001 (SKM, 2001e).

Management IssuesThe constructed diversion pipeline can dispose ofdrainage water into the Waranga WesternChannel as well as the Bamawm drainagesystem. Further work is required to investigatethe strategic disposal to the River Murray duringthe winter months, enabling the most efficientutilisation of the available 0.5 EC Credits.

3.2 Dryland SectorWithin the North Central CMA there are fourdryland areas which include the Avoca, Avon-Richardson, Loddon and Campaspe regions. Theregion’s four SMPs are currently being reviewedwith a view to preparing an integrated secondgeneration plan for the region.

Dryland Activities for 2001/02Activities completed under the four DrylandSMPs are presented in Table 3-5.

Targets for 2002/03The North Central CMA’s approach to managingsalinity has changed from setting arbitrary orsubjective annual targets for on-ground worksand then attempting to reach these targets byimposing particular activities on farmers. Thenew approach is to work with communities thathave capacity for a ‘changed farming system’ inareas of the region where this type of system willenable us to achieve our regional goals.

To further ensure that the recommendedpractices will achieve the project area’s goals, theNorth Central Dryland Technical Support Groupdevelops and integrates project area conceptualmodels (salinity, biodiversity and water quality)to identify synergies and areas for potentialtrade-off. This work is further under-pinned bymodelling. The information is developed withthe project managers and communityrepresentatives from the steering committee. The


Native vegetation protected 461

High density tree establishment 1,114

Low density tree establishment -

Perennial pasture establishment 4,170

Lucerne establishment 5,780

Improved cropping practices Cropping rotations andpractices have improved over time, however it is

difficult to quantify progress on an annual per hectare basis




Engineering works (eg groundwater pumping) 5 groundwater pumpingfeasibility assessments

Table 3-5 North Central Dryland Activities for 2001/02



outcome is project area guidelines for on-groundworks that are based on the following principles:

• recognise integration with other NaturalResource Management objectives;

• technically sound;• cost-effective;• implemented simultaneously on a paddock

by paddock basis;• recognise that there is no single option to

overcome salinity; and• incorporate social acceptability.

The objective of the guidelines is to balance theregion’s salinity, water quality and biodiversity

goals with the farmers’ enterprise goals. Thefocus of landscape planning is on the farm andpaddock scale, where each paddock represents apiece in a project area. The provision of costsharing is dependent upon the development ofintegrated farm plans (or at minimum, paddockplans) linked to these guidelines.

3.3 Overall SDE Register &UptakeThe overall SDEs allocated to the North Centralregion, and uptake of these SDEs, are detailed inTable 3-6.

Table 3-6 NCCMA Salinity Disposal Entitlement Register and Uptake

Activity/Plan Area Government Allocation Uptake of SDE (EC)Initial Additional Feb-2001 Total Current Predicted

Allocation Allocation Allocation Usage UsageEnvironmentProgram - - - - - 0.50

Flooding Program - - - - - 0.10

Water QualityProgram

Lake Charm Outfall - 0.47 - 0.47 0.47 0.47

17/2 ChannelUpgrade - - - - - 0.51

Alternative supplies - - - - - 3.16

Boort - - - - - 0.50

Reedy Lake Bypass - - - - - -

Loddon Syphon - - - - - 0.61

Pyramid Ck G.I.S. - - - - - -

Woorinen - - 0.50 0.50 - 0.50

Loddon MurraySurface Water Mgt

Tragowel Plains 1.50 - - 1.50 1.25 1.50

Torrumbarry Eastof Loddon 0.10 - - 0.1 - 0.52

Boort West of Loddon 0.11 - - 0.11 - 0.25

Kerang-Swan Hill 0.44 - - 0.44 - 0.50

Campaspe WestDrainage 0.50 - - 0.50 0.41 0.50

TOTAL 2.65 0.47 0.50 3.62 2.13 9.62



4 Goulburn-Broken

The Shepparton Irrigation Region (SIR) is ahighly productive irrigation development locatedin the northern Victorian Riverine Plains. Theregion covers approximately 500,000 ha andproduces $2,600 million in output each year(SKM, 2000a).

Salinisation is a major threat to the region as aresult of high watertable levels. The SIR Landand Water Salinity Management Plan wasestablished in 1989 to manage the salinity ofland and water resources in the region.

The majority of the SIR forms part of theGoulburn-Broken catchment, whilstapproximately one sixth of the region is locatedin the North Central Catchment.


Government Allocation of SalinityDisposal EntitlementsA SDE of 3.4 EC was allocated in June 1990,with an additional entitlement of 1.5 ECallocated in August 2001, therefore the total SDEallocated to date is 4.9 EC. The Plan area has anominal long-term allocation of 10.8 EC.

Uptake of Salinity DisposalEntitlements in 2001/02The total uptake of SDE for the period betweenJuly 2001 to June 2002 was a net decrease of0.017 EC. The uptake of SDEs for each type ofworks implemented is shown in Table 4-1.

Primary Surface Water ManagementSchemes

The 0.027 EC uptake of SDE was calculatedbased on an impact of 0.0022 EC per km ofdrain. A primary drain only appears on the assetregister when it has been handed over to G-MW.Salt credits are added to these completed works.The figure used in the yearly works reports is anequivalent figure.

Surface water management scheme SDEs are

currently being estimated using the relationshipsbetween drain length and SDEs used when theDraft SMP was prepared in 1989. The saltdisposal impact due to the revised surfacedrainage strategy was estimated in the reportEvaluation of the Economics of Drainage Projects(Jacob & Hallows, 1994). In this report the totalimpact of the surface drainage program wasestimated to be 0.15 EC, which is much less thatthe 2.65 EC impact estimated for the 1989Strategy. A National Action Plan for Salinity andWater Quality (NAP) project is currently usingthe most recent monitoring data to determineand analyse salt yields from drained catchments.The basis for assessment of the effects of all newSIR Plan drains will be reviewed as part of thisproject, and this may result in changes in thecurrent estimates.

Community Surface Water ManagementSchemes

The 0.014 EC uptake of SDEs has been calculatedassuming an impact of 2.4 x 10-6 EC per hectareof land drained (equivalent to 0.00024 EC perkilometre of drain constructed at an average of100 ha drained per kilometre of drain).

As for the primary surface water managementschemes, SDEs for community surface watermanagement schemes are being estimated usingthe relationships between drain length and SDEthat were used in the 1989 preparation of theDraft SMP.

Public Groundwater Pumps

The 0.262 EC uptake of SDE has been calculatedassuming that 75% of the groundwater pumped‘in season’ is re-used and all the ‘out of season’pumping (if river flow conditions are sufficientfor disposal to occur) reaches the Murray River.

The SDE impact of the public pump program hasbeen estimated using:

• actual flow rate and groundwater salinity foreach pump;

Works Implemented Uptake of SDE in 2001/2002 (EC at Morgan) 2001/2002Primary Surface Water Management Schemes 0.027

Community Surface Water Management Schemes 0.014

Public Groundwater Pumps* 0.262

Private Groundwater Pumps* -0.320

Total -0.017

* Note: These are potential values, not actual (see descriptions below regarding calculation assumptions).

Table 4-1 Uptake of Salt Disposal Entitlements 2001/02



• estimated proportion of pumpedgroundwater that reaches the river; and

• impact factor of 1 EC at Morgan for every6,000 tonne/year of salt disposed to theRiver.

Private Groundwater Pumps

The -0.32 EC uptake of SDEs are allocated toprivate groundwater pumps that have beeninstalled or upgraded with Plan assistance and toother private pumps where owners have agreedto consistently pump for irrigation use and todispose on instruction when conditions arefavourable. A disposal salt load for each eligiblepump is calculated based on the estimatedirrigation salt load imports within the area ofinfluence of the pump. All of the groundwaterpumped ‘out of season’ (if disposal is permitted)is assumed to reach the Murray River, and thesalt disposal credit is estimated using an impactfactor of 1 EC at Morgan for every 6,500tonnes/year of salt disposed to the river. Thisimpact reflects the timing of the disposal duringmoderate to high flow rates in the Murray River.

The substantial reduction in commitment forprivate groundwater pumps this year is due toreview of disposal agreements that has been inprogress for a number of years, and to a morestrict definition of sites with a current allocation.Many private pumpers who previously hadcommitted to interim salt disposal agreements nolonger had permission to dispose.

Progressive Uptake of Salinity DisposalEntitlements Since Start of Implementation

The progressive uptake of SDE in the SIR is 2.52EC, as shown in Table 4-2.

A detailed description of SDEs, uptakes andrevised plan targets for the SIR are presented inAppendix B.

Works Implemented in 2001/02The following works were implemented betweenJuly 2001 and June 2002:

• 12.2 km of primary drains;

• 12 km of community drains;

• 11 private groundwater pumps (5 new and 6upgrades); and

• 6 public groundwater pumps.

A reduction in irrigation drainage outfalling tothe river has been achieved due to improvedfarm water management and drain managementplans. The impact of this reduction in salt load tothe river has not yet been assessed in terms ofSDE.

Benefits of ImplementationThe benefits of the works implemented in2001/02 include:

• protection for an estimated additional 2,420ha from the surface water managementprogram; and

Activity Uptake of Salt Disposal Credits (EC)Pre 1991 Total to 2001/02 Total to

2000/01 Progress 2001/02Primary Drains 0.055 0.340 0.027 0.367

Community SurfaceDrains 0.008 0.089 0.014 0.103

Public GroundwaterPumps - 0.942 0.262 1.204

Private GroundwaterPumps - 1.010 -0.320 0.689

Horticultural SubsurfaceDrainage 0.030 0.155 0.000 0.155

Total 0.093 2.536 -0.017 2.52

Note: There was no disposal opportunity for private or public groundwater pumps during the 2001 winter-spring period.During the 2001/02 irrigation season, public pumps operated to the normal schedule and approximately 25% of the pumpedgroundwater would have reached the Murray River. Therefore of the potential 1.893 EC disposal none occurred from privatepumps and very little from public pumps.

Table 4-2 Progressive Uptake of Salinity Disposal Entitlements - SIR



• protection for an estimated additional 1,810ha due to the sub-surface program.

Progressive Total of WorksImplemented Since Start ofImplementationWorks implemented between July 1991 andJune 2002:

• 146.3 km of primary surface drains• 491 km of community surface drains• 201 new & 69 upgraded private groundwater

pumps• 32 Public groundwater pumps• 16 ha of tile drains in horticultural areas• 19 private horticulture protection pumps

Works implemented prior to July 1991:

• 25 km of primary surface drains (estimated)• 33 km of community surface drains

(estimated)• 12 horticultural groundwater pumps

Total Benefits since start ofImplementationThe total benefits of works implemented sincestart of Implementation include:

• protection of 35,242 ha under thegroundwater program; and

• protection to 49,850 ha under the surfacewater program.

Monitoring and Assessment ProgramsThe following reviews are being undertaken:

• SIR Catchment Strategy, including a reviewof the salt disposal assumptions; and

• salinity impacts of SIR works, (jointlyreviewed by the MDBC).

A review of the surface and sub-surfaceprograms has been undertaken to assess theamount of work completed. Some of theprogressive totals have changed due toinconsistent methods of reporting in the past.

Management IssuesNo management issues have been identified.

4.2 Dryland SectorWithin the Goulburn-Broken CMA there are two dryland regions – the Upper Goulburn,comprising approximately 10,500 km2 and the Mid Goulburn-Broken, comprisingapproximately 8,500 km2. The Upper Goulburnregion is the source of 80% of the total waterand 80% of the total salt load for the entirecatchment.

Salinity Management Activity Upper Goulburn (ha) Mid-Goulburn Broken (ha)

Recharge Management

Native vegetation protected 141.5 138

High density tree establishment 152.1 212

Low density tree establishment 2 60

Perennial pasture establishment 195 162

Lucerne establishment - 60

Improved cropping practices 3 field days 4 field days1 newsletter 2 newsletters


Native vegetation 127 71re-establishment

Salt tolerant pastures - -establishment

Engineering works 49 ha of land reclaimed -(eg groundwater pumping)

Sites monitored for salinity 73 296and salt load (no.)

Environmental sites 2 1monitored (no.)

Table 4-3 Goulburn-Broken Dryland Activities for 2001/02



Dryland Activities for 2001/02The following Table 4-3 summarises activities inthe dryland parts of the Goulburn Brokencatchment from July 2001 to June 2002. Worksare described for both the Upper Goulburn andMid Goulburn-Broken Catchment areas.

Other Key AchievementsKey achievements, which are in addition tothose presented in Table 7-1, include:

• the GB Dryland SMP was reviewed as a sub-strategy to the Regional Catchment Strategy;

• a major investigation of salt movement in theSouth West Goulburn commenced using NAPfunds;

• major NAP for Salinity & Water QualityProject underway – ‘Engineering Options inGB Dryland’; and

• a South West Goulburn Geophysics Reviewwas undertaken to identify possiblegeological fractures that may be suitable forgroundwater pumping.

Targets for 2002/03Targets for 2002/03 were not available at thetime of reporting.



5 North-East

The North East CMA region covers an areaof 1.96 million ha. The major catchments withinthe North East region are the Ovens, Kiewa,Mitta and the Upper Murray basins.

Unlike the Mallee, North-Central and Goulburn-Broken areas, the North East region does nothave irrigation districts or surface drains thatsignificantly impact on the salinity of the RiverMurray, thus only the dryland activities areoutlined below.

Dryland Activities for 2001/02Activities completed as part of the North East CMA Salinity Strategy are presented inTable 5-1.

During the period from July 2001 to June 2002 atotal of 3,243 ha of priority remnant vegetation

was protected through programs other than the Salinity Strategy, such as Bush Tender andCare of Remnants Incentive Scheme. A further590.5 ha of revegetation was established throughthe integrated vegetation program, which willlead to salinity, water quality and biodiversitybenefits.

Between July 2001 and June 2002 three issuesof the irrigation newsletter ‘NESSI’ (North EastSalinity Strategy Implementation) wereproduced and circulated.

Targets for 2002/03Targets set by the CMA for the period July 2002to June 2003 are presented in Table 5-2.


Native vegetation protected *

High density tree establishment 123.5*


Perennial pasture establishment 20

Lucerne establishment 189.5

Improved cropping practices -



Salt tolerant pastures establishment 0.7

Engineering works (e.g. groundwater pumping) -

* Note: This relates specifically to the salinity program (additional details below).

Table 5-1 North East Dryland Activities for 2001/02

Salinity Management Activity Hectares

Recharge Management

Native vegetation protected -

High density tree establishment 85


Perennial pasture establishment 40

Lucerne establishment 180

Improved cropping practices -




Engineering works (e.g. groundwater pumping) 20

Table 5-2 North East Dryland Targets for 2002/03



6 Wimmera

This annual report does not include informationfor the Wimmera region in the 2001/02 period.It is expected that information for this region willbe included in subsequent annual reports for theBasin Salinity Management Strategy.

Appendix C provides information regarding theWimmera SMP (the design of the secondgeneration SMP is currently in progress) andother relevant programs implemented by theWimmera CMA.



7 References

Hydrotechnology (1994) Estimation of RegionalSalt Loads in the Tragowel Plains, report preparedfor TPSMPISC.

Jacob, P.H. & Hallows, P. J. (1994) Evaluation ofthe Economics of Drainage Projects.

North-Central Catchment ManagementAuthority (2002) Murray Darling Basin SalinityManagement Strategy – Annual Report 2001/2002,prepared by Natural Resources Kerang,Goulburn-Murray Water, for the North-CentralCatchment Management Authority.

Mallee CMA (2002) Website:www.malleecma.vic.gov.au, updated 2002.

Murray Darling Basin Commission (1999) Reviewof Barr Creek Pumping Rules, Technical Report99/5, Murray Darling Basin Commission.

Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council (2001)Basin Salinity Management Strategy 2001-2015,MDBMC.

Sinclair Knight Merz (1999) Predictions of theUltimate Salt Load from Victorian DrylandCatchments to the Murray River, Final reportprepared for the Department of NaturalResources & Environment.

Sinclair Knight Merz (2000) Report on theGroundwater Situation in the Northern IrrigationRegion Salinity Management Plan Areas, 1990-2000.Prepared for Goulburn-Murray Water.

Sinclair Knight Merz (2000a) Review of the MDBCSalinity & Drainage Register (Final). Prepared forthe Murray Darling Basin Commission.

Sinclair Knight Merz (2001) Mallee Region SaltImpacts of Water Trade – A Proposed Method forAccounting for the EC Impacts of Water Trade in theVictorian Mallee, Final 1, Report prepared for theDepartment of Natural Resources &Environment.

Sinclair Knight Merz (2001a) Pyramid CreekGroundwater Scheme Investigation – Salt LoadCalculation, Consultants report prepared forGoulburn-Murray Water & Murray DarlingBasin Commission.

Sinclair Knight Merz (2001b) Pyramid CreekGroundwater Interception Scheme Investigation –Refinement of Expected Benefits & Scheme OperationRequirements, Consultants report prepared forGoulburn-Murray Water.

Sinclair Knight Merz (2001c) West of Loddon RiverIrrigation Development Study, Phase 1, Draft A,Consultants report prepared for Goulburn-Murray Water.

Sinclair Knight Merz (2001d) Barr Creek DrainageDiversion Scheme Review: Review of Scheme OperationJuly 2000 to March 2001 (Draft A), Consultantsreport prepared for Goulburn-Murray Water.

Sinclair Knight Merz (2001e) Campaspe WestSalinity Management Plan: Review of Salt DisposalImpacts, Consultants report prepared forGoulburn-Murray Water.

Sinclair Knight Merz (2002) Mallee IrrigationSalinity Management Plan MandatoryMonitoring Program – Triennial Report forIrrigation Drainage and Groundwater MonitoringPrograms Draft A. Prepared for the MalleeIrrigation Environment ImplementationCommittee (MIEIC).

Sinclair Knight Merz & Australian WaterEnvironments (2002a) Integration andOptimisation of Salt Interception in the SunraysiaRegion – Draft Final Report, Prepared for theDepartment of Land and Water Conservation.

Sinclair Knight Merz (2002b) Lambert’s SwampInvestigation – Future Management Options, Final 2,Report prepared for Sunraysia Rural WaterAuthority.

Sinclair Knight Merz (2002c) Sunraysia DrainageStrategy, Volume 1 – The Strategy. Prepared for theMildura Rural City Council.



Sinclair Knight Merz (2002d) Pyramid CreekGroundwater Interception Scheme – Desktop review ofimpacts on Pyramid Creek and the Kerang Lakes,Consultants report prepared for Goulburn-Murray Water.

Sinclair Knight Merz (2002e) Pyramid CreekGroundwater Interception Scheme Investigation –Impact of Scheme on Groundwater Inflow to Church’sCut, Final Draft 2, Consultants report preparedfor Goulburn-Murray Water.

Wimmera Catchment Management Authority(2000) Website: www.wca.vic.gov.au, updatedJuly 2000.



Appendix A

Region Sector Contact

Irrigation Ian BallantyneMallee CMA

Mallee* Ph. (03) 5022 4377

Dryland Jo LattaDNRE, Ouyen

(03) 5092 1322

Irrigation Paul SaundersGoulburn-Murray Water,

KerangNorth Central Ph. (03) 5451 0108

Dryland Neil SmithDNRE, Bendigo(03) 5430 4591

Irrigation Ken SampsonDNRE, Tatura ISIA

Goulburn-Broken Ph. (03) 5833 5360

Dryland Mark CotterDNRE, Benalla(03) 5761 1656

Dryland Peter OckendenNorth East DNRE, Wangaratta

(03) 5720 1774

* Mallee submission provided by Tim Cummins (Tim Cummins & Associates)

Contact Information



Appendix B

Shepparton Irrigation Region Salt Disposal Report 2001/02

Revised Plan Target2001/02 Year 30Actual 2002/03 2009/10 2020

SDEs Allocated by GovernmentRegional arterial surface drainage 0.350 1.000 1.500Community surface drains 0.250 1.000 1.300Public groundwater pumps 1.650 3.690 8.900Private groundwater pumps 2.250 3.070 6.400Horticultural Program 0.400 0.360 0.400Total Entitlements 4.900 9.120 18.500

SDEs CommittedWorks prior to June 1991Lockington Surface Drains 0.010Rodney Surface Drains 0.043Tongala Surface Drains 0.002Community Surface Drains 0.008Horticultural Program 0.030Sub Total: 0.093

Previous Plan WorksG-MW Surface DrainsMurray Valley IA 0.027Central Goulburn IA 0.250Rochester IA 0.009Community Surface Drains 0.081Public Groundwater PumpsMurray Valley IA 0.181Central Goulburn IA 0.705Rochester IA 0.056Horticultural Program 0.125Private Pump Winter SDA 1.010Sub Total: 2.443Total, Pre - 2001/02 2.536

2001/02 WorksG-MW Surface Drains1Murray Valley IA 0.0002

Central Goulburn IA 0.009Rochester IA 0.018Community Surface Drains 0.014Public Groundwater PumpsMurray Valley IA 0.044Central Goulburn IA 0.218Rochester IA 0.000Horticultural Program 0.000Private Pump Winter SDAs -0.3203

Sub Total: -0.017Total, Post - 2001/02 2.518

Total SDE Allocated 4.900 9.120 18.500Balance 2.382

Additional Information on Goulburn-Broken SDE Uptake andTargets



Revised Plan TargetSummary to DateG-MW Arterial Drains 0.367 0.410 1.000 1.500Community Surface Drains 0.103 0.120 1.000 1.300Public Groundwater Pumps 1.204 1.500 3.690 8.900Private Pumps Winter SDA 0.689 1.000 3.070 6.400Horticultural Program 0.155 0.180 0.360 0.400TOTAL 2.518 3.210 9.120 18.500

Notes:

1) Surface drainage SDEs still being estimated on basis used in draft plan. These figures are higher than used in recent MDBC

Economic Analysis.

2) Assume no SDE required for the Murray Valley Brownings Rd Diversion Drain, as this drain intercepts flow from a mostly

unirrigated catchment. This flow would have mostly reached the Murray River pre-Plan. This assumption requires further

assessment, particularly now that the Dowdles Swamp scheme is completed.

3) Decrease due to ‘tightening’ of the definition of sites that have SDA committed. Mostly consists of the sites that would be

expected to dispose during winter/spring 2002 if conditions were suitable.



Appendix C

Wimmera BackgroundInformationThe Wimmera CMA (WCMA), located inwestern Victoria, encompasses an area of 3 million hectares and includes the Shires ofHorsham, Hindmarsh, West Wimmera,Yarriambiack and the Northern Grampians.Agriculture is the major land use in theWimmera and has resulted in environmentalissues such as erosion, soil structure decline andsalinity. It is estimated that more than 17,000 haof land is currently affected by salinity, with asalt load in excess of 105,000 tonnes per yearmoving through the catchments waterways(WCMA, 2000).

Details of the programs and SMP in place areprovided below (obtained from the WCMAwebsite).

Sustainable Dryland Agriculture andLand Management ProgramAs part of the sustainable dryland agriculture andland management program, the followingactivities have been completed:

• 8200 ha of perennial pasture established;• 150 ha of remnant vegetation fenced;• 100 ha of wetlands protected;• 500 ha of native vegetation protected;• 20 km of land class fencing erected;• 300 landholders provided with land

management advice; and• 20 km of gullies stabilised and rehabilitated.

Salinity Monitoring and Research To support the Wimmera Dryland SMPhydrogeological support and investigationscompleted or being conducted include:

• watertable mapping of Green’s Creek;• hydrogeological support for salinity project in

the north-east Wimmera;• salinity-at-risk map in the Six Mile Creek

sub-catchment;• potential recharge mapping of the Mt

William Creek sub-catchment;• monitor upper Wimmera paired catchment

trial site; and• groundwater and discharge site monitoring in

support of the plan.

Salinity InfrastructureThe Wimmera Dryland SMP program sets clearpriorities for addressing long-termenvironmental degradation and the health ofcatchments by:

• completing salinity control options atLaharum;

• undertaking lower Wimmera Riverengineering salinity control options;

• hydrological support to extension officers andLandcare groups;

• monitoring of the upper Wimmera pairedcatchment trial site;

• monitoring surface water in the WimmeraRiver;

• groundwater monitoring and assessment insupport of the Wimmera SMP;

• stream monitoring by gauging stations; and • implement Wimmera irrigation area SMP

through whole farm plans, water qualitymonitoring, short courses and field days,planning and design of drainageimprovement work.



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Annex 6: On-Ground Works for 2001/2002 in Each Tributary Valley



Annex 7: Flow and Salinity Data

River Murray at Morgan (426554)

River Murray at Lock 6 (426510)

River Murray at Lock 4 (426514)

South Australian Sites



River Murray at Murray Bridge (426522) - There was no flow data



Murrumbidgee River at Balranald (410130)

Lachlan River at Forbes (412004)

Bogan River at Gongolgon (421023)

New South Wales Sites



Macquarie River at Carinda (Bells Bridge) (421012)

Castlereagh River at Gungalman Bridge (420020)

Namoi River at Goangra (419026)



Mehi River at Bronte (418058)

Barwon River at Mungindi (416001)

Darling River at Wilcannia Main Channel (425008)



River Murray at Redcliffs (414204) - No flow data available

River Murray at Heywoods (409016)



Wimmera River at Horsham Weir (415200)

Avoca River at Quambatook (408203) - No salinity data

Loddon River at Laanecoorie (407203) - No salinity data

Victorian Sites



Campaspe River at Campaspe Pumps (406202)

Goulburn River at Murchison (405200)

Broken River at Casey’s Weir (404216) - No salinity data



Ovens River at Peechelba-East (403241)

Kiewa River at Bandiana (402205)

River Murray at Swan Hill (409204)



Moonie River at Fenton (417204A)

Ballandool River at Woolerbilla-Hebel Rd (422207A)

Queensland Sites

There is no reliable salinity data for the periodJuly 2001 to June 2002. The salinity sites wereinstalled in May 2002 and there have been lowto no flows.



Bokhara River at Hebel (422209A)

Paroo River at Caiwarro (424201A)



Murrumbidgee River at Hall’s Crossing (410777) - No salinity data

ACT Site


Our valuesWe agree to work together, and ensure that ourbehaviour reflects the following values.

Courage

• We will take a visionary approach, provide leadership and be prepared tomake difficult decisions.

Inclusiveness

• We will build relationships based on trustand sharing, considering the needs offuture generations, and working togetherin a true partnership.

• We will engage all partners, includingIndigenous communities, and ensurethat partners have the capacity to befully engaged.

Commitment

• We will act with passion and decisiveness,taking the long-term view and aiming forstability in decision-making.

• We will take a Basin perspective and anon-partisan approach to Basinmanagement.

Respect and honesty

• We will respect different views, respecteach other and acknowledge the realityof each other’s situation.

• We will act with integrity, openness andhonesty, be fair and credible, and shareknowledge and information.

• We will use resources equitably andrespect the environment.

Flexibility

• We will accept reform where it isneeded, be willing to change, andcontinuously improve our actionsthrough a learning approach.

Practicability

• We will choose practicable, long-termoutcomes and select viable solutions toachieve these outcomes.

Mutual obligation

• We will share responsibility andaccountability, and act responsibly,with fairness and justice.

• We will support each other throughnecessary change.

Our principlesWe agree, in a spirit of partnership, to use thefollowing principles to guide our actions.

Integration

• We will manage catchments holistically;that is, decisions on the use of land,water and other environmental resourcesare made by considering the effect of thatuse on all those resources and on allpeople within the catchment.

Accountability

• We will assign responsibilities andaccountabilities.

• We will manage resources wisely, beingaccountable and reporting to our partners.

Transparency

• We will clarify the outcomes sought.

• We will be open about how to achieveoutcomes and what is expected fromeach partner.

Effectiveness

• We will act to achieve agreed outcomes.

• We will learn from our successes andfailures and continuously improveour actions.

Efficiency

• We will maximise the benefits andminimise the costs of actions.

Full accounting

• We will take account of the full range ofcosts and benefits, including economic,environmental, social and off-site costsand benefits.

Informed decision-making

• We will make decisions at the mostappropriate scale.

• We will make decisions on the bestavailable information, and continuouslyimprove knowledge.

• We will support the involvement ofIndigenous people in decision-making,understanding the value of thisinvolvement, and respecting the livingknowledge of Indigenous people.

Learning approach

• We will learn from our failures and successes.

• We will learn from each other.

Integrated catchment management in the Murray–Darling BasinA process through which people can develop a vision, agree on shared values and behaviours, makeinformed decisions and act together to manage the natural resources of their catchment: their decisionson the use of land, water and other environmental resources are made by considering the effect of thatuse on all those resources and on all people within the catchment.


SIX

GOVERNMENTS WORKING IN

PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNIT

Y

2 0 0 1 – 2 0 0 2 A N N U A L I M P L E M E N T A T I O N R E P O R T M U R R A Y – D A R

M U R R A Y – D A R L I N G B A S I N C O M M I S S I O N


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