With customers now able to carryover allocation equivalent to 50% of their high and also their low reliability water shares, Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW) has issued a Carryover Checklist and is urging customers to discuss their plans for carryover with their local G-MW staff should they require further information or have any questions.
According to G-MW General Manager Operations Ian Moorhouse, carryover now provides all G-MW water users, including irrigators, with the opportunity to start the 2009/10 season with at least half of their high reliability water entitlement already secured in storage.
"With the experience of the past few seasons, carryover offers an important mechanism for managing farm risk, and providing some certainty for the coming season," said Mr Moorhouse.
Access to carryover
Mr Moorhouse acknowledged that 0% allocations at the start of the 2008/09 season triggered some confusion regarding whether customers could access their carryover. Earlier this week, G-MW flagged the prospect of 0% allocations again for all systems at the start of the 2009/10 season, if conditions remain dry.
"It's important that everyone understands that the rules for accessing carryover are the same as in 2008/09. There is no guarantee that carryover water can be delivered. Delivery can begin once the supply system serving a customer's property is operating," Mr Moorhouse said.
If conditions remain dry, there are four further points customers needed to consider regarding access to their carryover water.
- 1. Delivery of carryover is not dependent on a starting allocation for the 2009/10 season.
- 2. Customers on the regulated Murray and Goulburn rivers should be able to access their carryover from the start of the season as these rivers will need to run to deliver critical supplies to towns and interstate.
- 3. G-MW will try to deliver carryover to customers on the smaller river systems and in the channel irrigation areas and pumped irrigation systems wherever this can be done within the volume of water available for system operations.
- 4. G-MW may have to manage requests for delivery of carryover on the smaller river systems andin the channel irrigation areas on a case by case basis and customers will need to discuss their plans with G-MW closer to the start of the next season when the situation will be clearer.
G-MW's Carryover Checklist is available from the G-MW website or from local G-MW offices across the region.
The Check list is a starting point and customers are encouraged to seek further advice to ensure they are fully informed before making decisions for their individual business operations. G-MW staff can provide some guidance but they cannot advise customers on what is best for their individual circumstances.
In 2008/09 carryover was expanded from its trial in the Murray and Goulburn systems, to include the Broken, Campaspe, Loddon and Bullarook Creek systems. A total of 272,800 ML of 2007/08 allocation was carried over by G-MW and other Victorian Murray system customers for use this season. At 16 February 2009, more than 550,000 ML of allocation held by G-MW and other Victorian Murray system customers is yet to be delivered. These resources are available for use, trade or carryover, and are detailed by system at www.g-mwater.com.au.
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