DEECA Victorian Water Accounts 2021-22

About the area

The Loddon Highlands Water Supply Protection Area (WSPA) extends from Newlyn and Lake Burrumbeet in the south to Dunolly in the north.
Rural centres within the boundary include Creswick, Newlyn, Smeaton, Learmonth, Ascot, Clunes, Talbot and Maryborough.
The water authority responsible for managing groundwater in the Loddon Highlands WSPA is Goulburn-Murray Water.
The Loddon Highlands WSPA Groundwater Management Plan was endorsed by the consultative committee and approved by the Minister for Water on 21 November 2012.
More information on the WSPA can be found on the Goulburn-Murray Water website.

Groundwater level trends

Table 1: Groundwater level trends, Loddon Highlands WSPA

Groundwater management unit ¹		2021-22	2020-21
Loddon Highlands ²		Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising

Groundwater management unit ¹		2021-22	2020-21
Loddon Highlands ²		Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising

Groundwater restrictions

There were no restrictions on licensed use for the Loddon Highlands WSPA in 2021-22.

Entitlements and use

Groundwater entitlements have been issued for licensed (non-urban) use and urban supply to Avoca, Clunes, Forest Hill, Learmonth, Lexton, Maryborough and Waubra in the Loddon Highlands WSPA. Groundwater is also available for domestic and stock use.

Entitlement volumes

Table 2: Groundwater entitlements at 30 June, Loddon Highlands WSPA

Use type	2021-22 (ML)	2020-21 (ML)
Avoca urban	250	250
Clunes urban	350	350
Forest Hill urban	350	350
Learmonth urban	98	98
Lexton urban	30	30
Licensed use (non-urban)	18,789	18,789
Maryborough urban	570	570
Waubra urban	65	65
Total	20,502	20,502

Use type	2021-22 (ML)	2020-21 (ML)
Avoca urban	250	250
Clunes urban	350	350
Forest Hill urban	350	350
Learmonth urban	98	98
Lexton urban	30	30
Licensed use (non-urban)	18,789	18,789
Maryborough urban	570	570
Waubra urban	65	65
Total	20,502	20,502

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 of the in/out trade of water.

Estimated domestic and stock use is calculated based on an assumed usage per registered bore per year. In this WSPA, 2 ML usage per bore per year is assumed.

More information on groundwater use and availability has been detailed in the How do we account for groundwater section.

Table 3: Groundwater availability and use, Loddon Highlands WSPA

Use type	Available water (ML)	Water taken (ML)
Licensed use (non-urban)	2,706	18,283	0	20,989	4,411
Domestic & Stock	-	-	-	-	748
Avoca urban	38	250	0	288	146
Clunes urban	53	350	0	403	233
Forest Hill urban	53	350	0	403	142
Learmonth urban	15	98	0	113	16
Lexton urban	5	30	0	35	25
Maryborough urban	161	1,076	0	1,237	17
Waubra urban	10	65	0	75	52
Total 2021-22	3,041	20,502	0	23,543	5,790
Total 2020-21	3,004	19,779	0	22,782	5,343

Use type	Available water (ML)	Water taken (ML)
Licensed use (non-urban)	2,706	18,283	0	20,989	4,411
Domestic & Stock	-	-	-	-	748
Avoca urban	38	250	0	288	146
Clunes urban	53	350	0	403	233
Forest Hill urban	53	350	0	403	142
Learmonth urban	15	98	0	113	16
Lexton urban	5	30	0	35	25
Maryborough urban	161	1,076	0	1,237	17
Waubra urban	10	65	0	75	52
Total 2021-22	3,041	20,502	0	23,543	5,790
Total 2020-21	3,004	19,779	0	22,782	5,343

Compliance

Compliance against water entitlements is reported for this groundwater management unit (GMU) in two areas:

entitlement issued: the volume of entitlements issued in the GMU does not exceed relevant PCVs or has not increased without appropriate approvals
water extracted: the volume of water taken under entitlements during the year does not exceed the total water available to licence holders.

Key points on compliance against entitlements

Entitlement volume did not exceed the PCV

The volume of entitlements (20,502 ML) in the Loddon Highlands WSPA did not exceed the PCV (20,697 ML).

Total volume extracted under licences was within the available volume

The total volume extracted under licences (5,041 ML) was within the volume available for the year (23,541 ML).

Table 4: PCV vs total entitlement volumes, Loddon Highlands WSPA

Groundwater management unit		PCV	Licensed entitlement (ML)	Water available under licences (ML)	Water taken under licences (ML)
Loddon Highlands WSPA		20,697	20,502	23,541	5,041

Groundwater management unit		PCV	Licensed entitlement (ML)	Water available under licences (ML)	Water taken under licences (ML)
Loddon Highlands WSPA		20,697	20,502	23,541	5,041

Management responsibilities

Management of water in the Loddon Highlands WSPA is undertaken by Goulburn-Murray Water.

Authority	Management responsibilities
Goulburn-Murray Water	Manages groundwater resources. Developing and implementing groundwater management plans. Issues licences for groundwater use, bore construction, and surface water diversions. Administers domestic and stock use.

Authority

Management responsibilities

Goulburn-Murray Water

Manages groundwater resources.

Developing and implementing groundwater management plans.

Issues licences for groundwater use, bore construction, and surface water diversions.

Administers domestic and stock use.

Nearby groundwater management units

Cardigan GMA

Explore the Cardigan Groundwater Management Area (GMA).

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Mid Loddon GMA

Explore the Mid Loddon Groundwater Management Area (GMA).

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Loddon Highlands WSPA

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In this area

About the area

Groundwater level trends

Table 1: Groundwater level trends, Loddon Highlands WSPA

Groundwater restrictions

Entitlements and use

Entitlement volumes

Table 2: Groundwater entitlements at 30 June, Loddon Highlands WSPA

Available water and use

Table 3: Groundwater availability and use, Loddon Highlands WSPA

Compliance

Key points on compliance against entitlements

Entitlement volume did not exceed the PCV

Total volume extracted under licences was within the available volume

Table 4: PCV vs total entitlement volumes, Loddon Highlands WSPA

Management responsibilities

Nearby groundwater management units

Cardigan GMA

Mid Loddon GMA

Back to groundwater map

Victorian Water Accounts 2021-22

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Groundwater management unit ¹		2021-22				2020-21
Groundwater management unit ¹		Sep-21	Dec-21	Mar-22	Jun-22	Sep-20	Dec-20	Mar-21	Jun-21
Loddon Highlands ²		Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising

Use type	Available water (ML)				Water taken (ML)
Use type	Carryover	Licensed volume allocated	Net trade	Total water available	Water taken (ML)
Licensed use (non-urban)	2,706	18,283	0	20,989	4,411
Domestic & Stock	-	-	-	-	748
Avoca urban	38	250	0	288	146
Clunes urban	53	350	0	403	233
Forest Hill urban	53	350	0	403	142
Learmonth urban	15	98	0	113	16
Lexton urban	5	30	0	35	25
Maryborough urban	161	1,076	0	1,237	17
Waubra urban	10	65	0	75	52
Total 2021-22	3,041	20,502	0	23,543	5,790
Total 2020-21	3,004	19,779	0	22,782	5,343