A MURRAY-Darling Basin Authority audit of water use measurement and reporting in Sunraysia has given the State Government agencies the thumbs-up.
MDBA compliance executive director Brent Williams said the audit of the significant Victorian irrigation area found its water measurement and verification processes were highly accurate and modern.
“The whole community wants to be confident that water users are doing the right thing and there are checks and balances in place,” Mr Williams said.
“Sunraysia is a highly productive region with a variety of small family irrigation businesses to large corporations,” he said.
In 2018-19, entitlement holders used 608 gigalitres by extracting directly from the Murray River or accessing water through the Sunraysia pumped districts.
“Our audit was an opportunity to assess the way Lower Murray Water and the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) capture and report on the metered use of that water,” Mr Williams said.
“This important information forms the basis of the MDBA’s calculation of annual water take and local compliance with the Victorian Murray sustainable diversion limit,” he said.
Mr Williams said a sophisticated telemetry system enabled Lower Murray Water to accurately track water extraction in near-real time and isolate instances of possible non-compliance by licence holders.
“Given our positive findings, it is pleasing to know that local authorities have processes in place that the community, irrigators and water managers can rely on,” he said.
“We appreciate the full co-operation of local Lower Murray Water staff in this quality assurance exercise.
“MDBA officers will continue to conduct similar activities as state water resource plans come into effect across the Murray-Darling Basin.”
