Bellinger River Drought overview Michael Wrathall 11 March 2020 Water Drought Coordinator
Rainfall • Since January 2017, rainfall has been the lowest on record for NSW • 2019 was the driest year on record for New South Wales • Total rainfall in 2019 was 55% below average; well below the previous driest year of 1944
Temperature • 2019 was the warmest year on record for New South Wales • The 2017, 2018 and 2019 calendar years were the warmest on record in NSW
Combined drought metrics • Only minor easing of drought conditions from February 2020 rainfall • 98.5% of NSW is still in drought (3 March 2020)
Water storages • Major rural NSW water storages are 23.6% of capacity on average as at 2 March 2020: • 7% in the north (mid-Jan: 3.6%) • 14% in central valleys (11%) • 35% in the south (39%) • 41% along the coast (38%)
NSW Extreme Events Policy
Priorities for water sharing In most times, the Water Management Act 2000 prioritises: 1. Protection of the water source and water for basic landholder rights 2. Town water, domestic and stock, major utility licences 3. Regulated river high security licences 4. General security licences 5. Supplementary licences When a water sharing plan has been suspended or a town water supply is critically low, core domestic and essential town water needs become first priority.
Extreme Stage Water quantity Water quality event Raw water can be treated with Stage 1 Continue to deliver water as normal usual methods Normal management stages Operational surface water measures to Minor adjustments to treat raw Stage 2 conserve supplies The policy sets out the 4 water stages for managing Emerging water shortage Potential or actual impacts on groundwater extreme events and the criteria Restrictions on water for: Major adjustments are needed Stage 3 High priority licences ∙ to treat raw water General security licences ∙ Severe water shortage Unacceptable groundwater impacts Water only available for critical human needs Not possible to treat raw water with standard processes Stage 4 Restrictions on all licences Raw water likely to remain Critical water shortage Risk to long term availability of the untreatable over the longer term groundwater resources Page 9
Input into water management decision Critical Local water needs of Critical Water utilities Technical environment Advisory Group Critical Water ROSCCO Advisory Panel Water Water Public management resource sessions assessment decision
Managing in NSW rivers Drought stage Stage 1: • Carryover water was restricted or Normal operations suspended in 8 out of a total 11 inland river valleys Stage 2: Emerging drought • High priority allocations are less than the Stage 3: Severe usual 95-100% in six valleys drought Stage 4: • Groundwater allocations are reduced in 8 Critical drought water sources • Deliveries were fully ceased in the Lower Namoi and Lower Darling • Deliveries were partially ceased in the Macquarie, NSW Border Rivers & Peel
Temporary water restrictions https://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/water/allocat ions-availability/temporary-water-restrictions
Bellinger river flows Daily mean flow at Thora since 1982 (ML/d) Minimum 1 On 11 Dec 2019 99% 16 95% 33 90% 49 80% 75 70% 105 60% 142 50% 188 40% 256 30% 382 20% 597 10% 1,128 5% 2,095 1% 7,167 Maximum 125,547
Bellinger river flows 6-mth moving ave flow at Thora since 1982 Minimum 29 On 17 Jan 2020 99% 45 95% 93 90% 130 80% 182 70% 251 60% 316 50% 405 40% 534 30% 746 20% 1,024 10% 1,611 5% 2,013 1% 4,023 Maximum 4,263
How else we’re responding
Securing water for communities and farmers Funding Coordination • More than $3 billion to drought relief for farmers and rural • Regional Town Water Supply Coordinator and communities and town water security projects since 2017 steering committee meetings with Councils • where supply at risk Further information: droughthub.nsw.gov.au or call Rural Assistance Authority 1800 618 593 • Office of Drought Response – reporting to • Deputy Premier For regional towns, this includes funding for 60 bores across 23 communities and 14 pipelines, such as • Technical and financial support for local councils Wentworth to Broken Hill – DPIE Water Water Supply (Critical Needs) Act 2019 Fast-tracking of: works for critical town water supply such as ● pipeline from Chaffey Dam to Tamworth planning processes for major dams such as ● new Dungowan Dam, raising of Wyangala Dam and proposed Mole River dam
Public meetings • Four roadshows: • Feb, May/Jun and Oct/Nov 2019 • Feb/Mar 2020 • 38 meetings • 23 different regional locations • Over 1,000 attendees
Responding to community requests
Drought issues along coastal NSW • Rivers running dry for the first time in living memory • Lack of forewarning for dry rivers • Many businesses, landholders and towns without adequate back-up supplies • Rapid drought onset and slow groundwater application times • Water quality impacts, especially bushfire-related
Groundwater and water quality
Groundwater: impacts of drought • Managed to a long term extraction limit - allocations based on extractions, not water availability - reductions occur if extractions exceed long term limit over a 3 or 5 year rolling average • Most aquifers have 100% allocations for 2019/20 • Important backup drought supply - water levels will drop during dry periods - due to reduced recharge and increased extraction - recovery during wetter conditions and reduced pumping • Water levels are monitored, if excessive declines: - can implement temporary local water restrictions - distance from other users are considered for new bores - may have extraction limits on bores & distance conditions
Groundwater: bore and trade applications • Significant increase in applications; double pre-drought • If a hydrogeological impact assessment is required: • Basic landholder rights bore applications: 5 – 10 days • temporary trades: 2 – 3 weeks • permanent trades, new bores, extraction limit reviews: 4 – 6* months – processes in place Process Improvements: to reduce this to 3 months • Additional hydrogeologists employed • Improved information exchange between WNSW & DPIE-Water • New prioritisation of applications • WaterNSW customer web-based tracking process
Water quality risks Algal alerts in NSW • Key risks include: • algal blooms • mobilisation of salinity with inflows • blackwater events • stratification of stagnant waterbodies • decreased oxygen • For information on water quality for stock and water testing go to the NSW DroughtHub. • For information on identifying, reporting and current algal alerts go to Algae page on WaterNSW’s website. 26 February 2020
More information
More information: websites DPIE Water WaterNSW DPI Agriculture • Allocations • NSW water availability: greater • Available drought assistance • NSW Extreme events policy Sydney & regional • Drought maps • Temporary water restrictions • Valley updates • State seasonal updates • Water sharing plan suspensions • Algal alerts • Managing farm businesses in drought • Critical Water Advisory Panels • River Operations Stakeholder • Wellbeing – supporting mental health Consultation Committees www.droughthub.nsw.gov.au www.waternsw.com.au www.industry.nsw.gov.au/water
More information: water updates Website: www.industry.nsw.gov.au/water Email updates: www.industry.nsw.gov.au/media/subscribe
More information: drought update
North Coast Regional Water Strategy
What are regional water strategies Twelve strategies • Long-term water resource resilience • Key planning framework for water • management 20 year strategies – adaptive, staged • Greater Hunter strategy released in • 2018 Draft strategies for all regions due in • 2020
What are regional water strategies Improve our understanding of climate • variability and change Allow communities and government to • better understand and respond to water management challenges Meet the current and future needs of • water users through policy, planning and infrastructure
What we are trying to achieve Resilient water resources for towns and communities, the environment, Aboriginal communities and industry DELIVER AND MANAGE WATER FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES Improve water security, water quality and flood management for regional towns communities ENABLE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY Improve water access reliability for regional industries RECOGNISE AND PROTECT ABORIGINAL CULTURAL VALUES AND RIGHTS Including Indigenous heritage assets PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENT Improve the health and integrity of environmental systems and assets, including by improving water quality AFFORDABILITY Identify least cost policy and infrastructure options
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