About the area
- The East Port Phillip Bay groundwater catchment stretches to the east of Melbourne, covering much of its suburban area, and the Mornington Peninsula.
- The East Port Phillip Bay groundwater catchment contains the Frankston Groundwater Management Area (GMA), Moorabbin GMA, Nepean GMA, Koo Wee Rup Water Supply Protection Area (WSPA), and Wandin Yallock GMA. The area not covered by GMUs is reported as outside management units.
- The Koo Wee Rup WSPA extends into the Westernport groundwater catchment.
- Groundwater resources supply licensed entitlements and domestic and stock use. Groundwater resources are not used for urban supply in the East Port Phillip Bay groundwater catchment.
More information on water management and accounting is detailed in Water explained.
2021-22 overview
Water use
More water was used for consumptive purposes than the previous year.
Climate
Rainfall
Rainfall in the East Port Phillip Bay groundwater catchment was average in most of the catchment, lower than the previous year. A very small area at the edge of the catchment west of Tullamarine received above-average rainfall.
Groundwater level trends
In the accounts, groundwater level trends for groundwater management units (GMUs) have been determined based on monitoring data from key bores in the State Observation Bore Network. Trend determinations are made quarterly by comparing each reading to a previous reading in the same season 5 years prior. That is, a summer record is compared to the summer record from 5 years before to account for seasonality.
Groundwater resources are being actively managed. For more detail on the management responses go to the groundwater on the Southern Rural Water website.
In 2021-22, groundwater level trends in the East Port Phillip Bay groundwater catchment were about the same as the previous year.
Table 1: Groundwater level trends, East Port Phillip Bay groundwater catchment
Entitlements and use
Groundwater licence and use volumes in the East Port Phillip Baygroundwater catchment are shown below. Some groundwater licences incorporate domestic and stock use, and in these cases the use is reported in the licensed volume.
The licenced volume used under entitlements must not exceed the volume made available to individual licensed entitlement holders. We report on compliance in the GMU local report and the Statewide groundwater .
Water used
Use in the East Port Phillip Bay groundwater catchment was 10,175 ML, more than 9,739 ML in the previous year.
Entitlement volumes
Rights to water in the East Port Phillip Baygroundwater catchment are shown below.
Table 2: Groundwater entitlements at 30 June, East Port Phillip Bay groundwater catchment
Available water and use
The table below shows the total water available and used under entitlements, and estimated domestic and stock use in 2021-22. Total water available under entitlements is the sum of: opening carryover, allocation issued and the net trade in or out of water.
Estimated domestic and stock use is calculated based on an assumed usage per registered bore per year. In this catchment 1.5 ML usage per bore per year is assumed, except for Nepean GMA, with 1 ML per bore per year assumed.
More information on groundwater use and availability has been detailed in the How do we account for section.
In 2021-22, 10,175 ML of water was extracted for consumptive purposes, which was more than the 9,739 ML extracted in the previous year. Of this volume, 6,574 ML was for non-urban (irrigation) use, and 3,601 ML was estimated to be for domestic and stock use.
There were no restrictions on use in the East Port Phillip Bay groundwater catchment in 2021-22.
Table 3: Groundwater availability, East Port Phillip Bay groundwater catchment
Management responsibilities
Management of water in the East Port Phillip Baygroundwater catchment is undertaken by Southern Rural Water.
| Authority | Management responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Southern Rural Water |
|
