Murray Darling Basin Plan

NSW Murray

  • The Basin Plan requires 262GL water recovery from the NSW Murray PLUS a portion of the shared recovery target of around 196GL (default pro-rata distribution).
  • Based on entitlement distribution in the NSW Murray this equates to a reduction of around 37% of General Security Water Entitlements available to Murray Irrigation customer shareholders.

​With the potential for more if Sustainable Diversion Limit projects are not met.

Environmental Water Recovery - Murray Irrigation Region

As of 31st May 2015

  • 1995 – 30GL Murray Irrigation conveyance water transferred to NSW Government for Adaptive Environmental Water.
  • 1995-2010 – Land and Water Management Plans investing $105m Government funds with $544m community contribution.
  • The Living Murray program (NSW and Commonwealth) 45GL.
  • Water for Rivers 11GL.
  • 268GL MIL has been recovered for the Murray Darling Basin Plan (6GL more than the target – this could grow 6000 tons of rice).

​This is 27% of MIL entitlements, with 10% to go.

The Real Cost of the Basin Plan

According to the Save Water website site on average 1 ML of water produces 1200L of milk.

So 1 ML of water produces 4800 lattes.

If the 1956.2 GL of water which has been removed from productive use for environmental flows, was still in production it could produce –

2 billion L of milk, which is 9.3 billion lattes. If these lattes were lined up next to each other they would form a line 657,283.2km long, or around the world 16.4 times.

And at an average of 53c per litre at the farm gate that is

$1.2 billion less going into the national economy. This means less revenue for the government from taxes and less that they have to spend on infrastructure, education and health.

How This Impacts Allocation

20% before 227.6 GL – now 174 GL

40% before 455.2 GL – now 348 GL

60% before 683.4 GL – now 522 GL

80% before 910.4 GL – now 728.32 GL

100% before 1138 GL – now 870 GL

How this impacts food production

When we needed to make decisions about planting rice –

We were on 9% allocation, before the Basin Plan that would have equated to 102GL, now we have – 78.3GL

This is 23.7 GL less available productive water

Or 23,700T of rice @ 2015 paddy price medium grain of $405 = $9.9 million

Or 35,550 T of wheat @ 2015 APW of $295 =  $12 million

Or 28 million L of milk, farm gate varies but roughly 53c = $15 million

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