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In this section you will find detailed information, including national overviews and state and regional level assessments, from the 2000-2002 National Land and Water Resources Audit theme assessments.
Water resources - Management and Development - Victoria
Victoria
What are the key water resource management issues facing Victoria?
The key challenges facing the Victorian water sector in the future are associated with protecting and improving the health of our water resources (including healthy rivers), and ensuring their efficient management and sustainable use in the face of increasing competition for scarce resources. This will require:
- Continued implementation of the Management Initiatives outlined above.
- Improved knowledge and management tools - in particular, there is a need to address the Data and Information gaps outlined below.
- Continued facilitation of the integrated management of all catchments at the regional level via Catchment Management Authorities.
Associated key management issues include the need to:
- keep water supply system modelling tools and associated data inputs current;
- continue building our knowledge base, and increase the sophistication of our planning techniques and management tools to support the sustainable management of a finite resource.
- ensure the availability of adequate human and financial resources to allow the implementation of the wide range of management initiatives currently underway;
- improve the efficiency of water markets through full implementation of Bulk Entitlements, the refinement of trading rules, the development of more sophisticated water 'products', further development of inter-state trade, and further development of the regulatory framework as markets grow;
- provide a statutory basis for Streamflow Management Plans so that they are binding on all parties, and for including farm dams in the water allocation framework;
- establish systems for the benchmarking and continued monitoring of stream condition and environmental flow outcomes;
- ensure adequate maintenance of the groundwater observation bore network - over 50 of the State's 250 monitoring bores are over 500 metres deep and, as the condition of these bores deteriorates, funding major maintenance such as refurbishment and, ultimately replacement, represents a significant management issue;
- develop a process for integrating groundwater management with surface water management in situations where aquifers have a direct linkage with surface water systems, with priority being given to those areas where allocations for either the GMUs or the SWMAs are over or close to the sustainable yield;
- develop and implement of a policy for reducing allocations in over allocated groundwater systems to match sustainable yields;
- actively manage declining groundwater levels in the Gippsland Basin resulting from offshore oil and gas extraction, which potentially impact on the groundwater resource available for on-shore extractions as well as potentially inducing land subsidence;
- enhance community acceptance of drought as a reality in Victoria's inherently variable climate by ensuring that water users are educated about the risks associated with drought and, in particular, about the nature of the trade-offs between supply security and the price of water;
- consider the potential impacts of major land use change (e.g. plantations) and climate change on the security of surface and groundwater supplies and environmental flows and develop appropriate strategies for managing these impacts;
- ensure that water authorities plan responsibly to meet future water needs, in consultation with their customers, ensuring that all realistic water use and delivery conservation measures are utilised before considering augmentation of water supply infrastructure;
- update information on the incremental costs of potential new storages, and develop a rapid appraisal methodology for pre-feasibility studies that includes a consideration of associated social and environmental costs; and
- develop decision support tools which will allow the evaluation of water and catchment management initiatives in terms of their likely environmental, economic and social outcomes so that an appropriate balance can be achieved that maximises benefits to the community.
Water will continue to be vital to Victoria's future, its value will continue to increase, and there will be increasing competition for our finite water resources. The water reforms that have been undertaken to date and the management initiatives currently underway provide a sound foundation for ensuring the sustainable management of our water resources into the future.
The challenge from here on is to manage a finite and precious resource in an environmentally responsible and equitable manner, while recognising its important role in providing for the community's needs. This will increasingly involve exploring fully opportunities for reuse, water savings and transparent re-allocation through water markets. Government's role is to provide the appropriate policy and regulatory framework and investments, where appropriate, to ensure the effective management of water resources and the efficient delivery of water services to meet community needs.
The broad principles set out by the current Victorian Government will continue to guide the development of water policy and the delivery of water services. These are:
- Environmental sustainability;
- Financial responsibility and economic sustainability;
- Transparent and fair resource allocation;
- Sustainable land and water management;
- Customer-focused and efficient service delivery;
- Community involvement in decision making; and
- Clear accountabilities and responsibilities.
In this context, the long term policy framework for water management in Victoria needs to embrace the following elements:
- Detailed knowledge and understanding of the demands for water for consumptive and environmental use;
- An allocation system which recognises the sustainable limits of our water resources, provides adequately for the environment, and provides certainty for consumptive users;
- A water trading system which enables water to move to higher value uses;
- Pricing mechanisms which recognise the real value of water;
- Infrastructure which enables water to be stored and released efficiently when and where it is needed; and
- Institutional arrangements to manage the collection, storage, release and sale of water and wastewater which are accountable to consumers and the Government of Victoria.
Because of the linkages between land and water processes, water management cannot be considered in isolation from catchment management. Water management initiatives will continue to be combined with a range of catchment management initiatives, with the aim of producing healthy rivers and catchments which, in turn, will underpin sustainable industries and communities. The strategic framework in which this will occur will involve:
- A 'whole of catchment' approach to planning and management which recognises the strong interactions between land and water management, and engages the whole community in decisions.
- An effective system of tradeable property rights for allocation and use of the natural resource bases.
- An effective Statewide policy, regulatory and institutional framework for water and catchment management.
- A performance evaluation framework which ensures transparency and accountability (to Government and the community) in delivery of services.
- A strong science capacity which will enable the development of innovative and effective land and water management systems.
This framework will provide the context in which the Government will continue to work, in consultation with all stakeholders, to maintain reliable supplies for water users, ensure the environmental values of rivers and wetlands are sustained and restored where necessary, and to improve the efficiency of use of the resource.
Surface water resource management in Victoria
Map of Victoria's surface water management areas
Select a point on the map to find out more about that surface water management area.
Victoria is continuing the implementation of a number of initiatives to encourage water users to manage their water in an environmentally sensitive way. The primary instrument is through the Bulk Entitlement (BE), Streamflow Management Plans (SMP) and River Restoration Plans (RRP) process described above, where the detailed operation of systems are reviewed and provide the vehicle for improved environmental water management. In addition, Bulk Entitlement holders are required to develop an Environmental Program for the management of the impact of its works on the waterway ie. management of silt or erosion immediately downstream of a storage. When complete bulk entitlements will cover approximately 98% of the State's allocated resources, covering nearly 500 diversion sites within approximately 160 separate bulk entitlement orders.
Urban Water Authorities are required to develop Demand Management Plans, and short and long term Drought Management Plans to ensure the availability of adequate supplies during prolonged dry periods. These plans take into account environmental considerations. In addition, both rural and urban water authorities are required to have in place environmental management systems which overview their entire business.
Catchment Management Authorities are required to develop Regional Catchment Strategies (RCSs) and Waterway Health Strategies. RCSs establish the objectives and priorities for land and water management within a region. The more detailed Waterway Health Strategies include objectives, priorities and detailed works for river management in each region.
In terms of public education, the following initiatives are currently being developed:
- National Water Week - all Victorian water authorities participate in National Water Week;
- Waterwise Program - covers 75% of water customers in Victoria;
- Waterwatch - community monitoring of water quality
Groundwater resource management in Victoria
Map of Victoria's Groundwater Provinces
Select a point on the map to find out more about that groundwater province.
The Victorian Government is committed to meeting the requirements of the COAG water reforms. Management initiatives introduced by the Government (and which have a statutory underpinning in the Water Act 1989), and which will continue, include:
- The identification of Groundwater Management Areas (GMAs). This process began in 1996 and to date 63 GMAs have been identified which cover 90% of groundwater use in Victoria.
- The development of comprehensive Groundwater Management Plans for all GMAs identified as being over-allocated (some 16 of these systems have been identified to date). The aim is to introduce more intensive and focussed management to these GMAs in the next few years. The Act provides for a Groundwater Supply Protection Area (GSPA) to be declared by the Minister for Environment and Conservation. Following this a Consultative Committee is appointed by the Minister and given the responsibility of preparing a Groundwater Management Plan for the GSPA. Such a Plan will involve more intensive monitoring of groundwater and metering of usage and may result in local policy changes such as groundwater trading or buy back schemes. It is up to the Minister to approve the Plan and, once approved, the Plan becomes binding on all parties.
References
Adams, P. D., Dixon, P. B. and McDonald, D (1994) 'MONASH forecasts of output and employment for Australian industries: 1992-3 to 2000-01', Australian Bulletin of Labour, v 20, n.2.
AATSE (1999) Water and the Australian Economy, A joint study project of the Australian Academy of technological Sciences and Engineering and the Institution of Engineers, Australia, April, 1999.
Alexander, D. P. and Haydon, S. R. (1986) 'Long Run Incremental Costs of Annual Regulated Flow in Victorian River Basins', unpublished report prepared by the Rural Water Commission for the Department of Water Resources.
ARMCANZ (1996) Allocation and Use of Groundwater: A National Framework for Improved Groundwater Management in Australia, Policy Position Paper for Advice to States and Territories, Task Force on COAG Water Reform, Sustainable Land and Water Resource Management Committee, Occasional paper No. 2, December 1996.
DCE (1991) Water Victoria: The Next 100 Years, Department of Conservation and Environment Victoria, Melbourne.
DWR (1989) Water Victoria: A Resource Handbook, Department of Water Resources Victoria, Melbourne.
DWR (1992) Water Victoria: A Scarce Resource, Department of Water Resources Victoria, Melbourne.
HLSG (1999) 'Progress in Implementation of the COAG Water Reform Framework, 1999 Report to COAG', High Level Steering Group on Water, Occasional Paper No.1.
Powell, J. M. (1989) Watering the Garden State: Water Land and Community in Victoria 1834-1988, Allen and Unwin, Sydney
Powell, J. M. (1999) 'Victoria', in A Century of Water Resources Development in Australia 1900-1999, Ed. W Boughton, Institution of Engineers, Australia, Canberra.
Read Sturgess and Associates (1997) 'Investment Analysis of Groundwater Activities', Unpublished report for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, April 1997.
Further information
- Victoria Water Resources Assessment 2000 Report
- Victoria Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report
- Link to data available for download on the:
- Link to the Map Maker to make a map using this information.
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