The Bureau of Meteorology’s long-range forecast suggests rainfall is likely to be above average in parts of eastern Australia and below average in parts of the west. Low stream flows are predicted in several parts of south east Australia and restrictions may be in place over summer.
While recent spring rain has brought some relief, particularly in parts of south west Victoria, soil moisture levels remain low making cropping and pasture growth challenging.
Looking at forecast ahead, there is no clear signal for either wetter or drier conditions across Victoria, meaning there are roughly equal changes of above or below average rainfall. However, days and nights are likely to be warmer than average for most of the country. We understand how tough drought conditions can be and there is financial and mental health support available to help. Agriculture Victoria has a suite of resources, and we strongly encourage you to reach out for help if you’re struggling.
The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority has also just launched its Drought Employment Program to provide meaningful off-farm employment opportunities for people experiencing hardship because of dry conditions. They are now accepting expressions of interest.
Recent spring rains have boosted water levels in all our storages, with those in the east and west looking healthy ahead of summer.
Groundwater and Rivers
Groundwater levels in most groundwater management areas remain relatively healthy, however, levels are declining in some areas.
While there has been some rain in recent weeks, there has been no great upturn in groundwater levels, reflecting previous season’s lower than average rainfall.
In areas where groundwater is accessible, constructing additional or deepening existing bores on a property can help mitigate against the effects of drought. A bore construction licence is required to construct or alter any bore and we recommend you speak to us before applying for a licence.
Licenced groundwater users seeking to buy, or sell, permanent or temporary entitlement, can use our new online groundwater trading platform for easy and transparent market access.
We encourage licence holders to make sure they have enough water available in their Allocation Bank Account and allow enough time for allocation trades to be processed. This can take between a few weeks and 12 months depending on the complexity of the application.
Please familiarise yourself with your nearest emergency water supply points. These bores can be used for water carting for emergency stock and domestic purposes during severely dry seasonal conditions.
We continue to monitor stream and river flows, and with the predicted lower flows we encourage you to check our roster and restrictions information regularly.
Finally, we’ve launched our Farmer helping Farmer initiative that calls on farmers in the Nullawarre region with existing groundwater bores to share stock and domestic water with farmers in the Heytesbury region. So, if you want to help a farmer in need, please get in touch.
Macalister Irrigation District
Recent and consistent rainfall in September helped increase stream flows and ease the dry conditions in the eastern region. However, South and West Gippsland remain drier than normal.
The Macalister Irrigation District opened with a 50% allocation of high reliability water shares in July. Recent and consistent rain events led to a 100% allocation. The spill period will be reviewed in mid-December, at which point an outlook will be issued on low reliability water shares.
Given the large size of our catchment area, it’s anticipated any rain events will slowly increase inflow into the storages, as per previous years.
Please note that mid-season meter reads will commence over the summer months.
Werribee and Bacchus Marsh Irrigation Districts
The Werribee and Bacchus Marsh Irrigation Districts opened with a 45% allocation of high reliability water shares in July. Overall, below average rainfall has been recorded in the Werribee Catchment since July, with temperatures moderate to warm.
With some recent inflows in October, the allocation of high reliability water shares for the region has increased to 70%. With allocations determined fortnightly, more water will be allocated if there are further inflows into the storages.
Recycled water supply for the Werribee Irrigation District has generally been consistent this season with some minor disruptions related to turbidity. Melbourne Water are preparing for the summer season with the installation of two different Blue-Green Algae treatment solutions which are anticipated to make recycled water supply more reliable.
We have undertaken a successful maintenance program with extensive drain desilting and weed spraying completed over the winter to prepare for peak irrigation season.
We will be upgrading outlets across the Werribee district over the next few months. These works are part of moving to a single irrigation control system. Installation of new hardware and software will support a transition to a unified system that will make it easier and faster for our team to manage water supply and customer outlets.
In exciting news, an online trading platform for Bacchus Marsh and Werribee customers will be available early next year. We will be running drop-in sessions to talk with you about the platform and will release more detailers closer to the launch.
Fair water for all
It’s illegal to take and use more water than allowed under your entitlement or to undertake works without appropriate approval. Southern Rural Water has a zero-tolerance approach to unauthorised water take.
We encourage you to regularly read your water meter to track usage against entitlements. This will support informed decisions about buying and selling additional water ahead of the traditionally drier summer months. And if you’ve an issue with your meter or you need help managing your water then contact us.
We will be doing more inspections to detect water theft, including checking customers whose usage exceeded their entitlement in the previous irrigation season. We will also target areas where there are high volumes of trades and a history of non-compliance.
Water must not be taken from our channels, pipes or regulated rivers without a confirmed order, and as per your allocated volume and time. Our automated systems detect discrepancies, and our Compliance Officers actively investigate these instances.