About the area
- The Broken basin is in northern Victoria. It contains two connected stream networks, that of the Broken River in the southern half and the Broken Creek in the north. The Broken River flows into the Goulburn River at Shepparton. Broken Creek flows into the Murray River at Barmah.
- Reliability of rainfall varies over the basin, being greatest in the elevated areas, such as on the Tolmie Highlands, and lowest on the plains.
- Most of the basin has been cleared for agriculture which supports grazing in the south, and mixed cereal and livestock farming in the central region.
- A large part of the northern section of the basin is within the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District, with irrigation for fruit growing, dairying and livestock production. For the purposes of these water accounts, the Broken basin excludes the Irrigation Area, which is included in the Murray basin accounting.
More information on water management and accounting is detailed in Water .
2021-22 overview
Available water
Catchment inflow was higher than the previous year.
Licensed diversion restrictions
Fewer restrictions on licensed diversions than the previous year.
Seasonal determinations
100% high and low reliability allocations, the same as the previous year.
Water use
About the same amount of water was diverted for consumptive purposes as the previous year.
When compared to the previous year, in 2021-22:
- more rainfall was received, catchment inflow was much higher and storage levels peaked and declined at higher levels.
- seasonal allocations were the same as the year before, with both high and low-reliability entitlements reaching 100% allocation.
- there were fewer restrictions on licensed diversions from unregulated streams.
- about the same amount of water was diverted from the basin for consumptive uses.
- more water was diverted for environmental use.
Climate
Rainfall
Rainfall in the Broken basin was above average in all areas, much higher than the previous year. Rainfall was above average everywhere in the basin, and in the central-east from Benalla to Glenrowan it was very much above average.
River basin water balance
Along with the above average rainfall, there was also higher inflow than the previous year and more water in storages. Almost double the amount of catchment inflow was received (217,911 ML, 84% of the long-term average of 936,400 ML) compared with the previous year (119,914 ML, 46% of the long-term average). Storage levels during the year were also higher than the year before.
In 2021-22, 12,529 ML of water was diverted for consumptive uses: town, domestic and stock, irrigation and commercial supply, about the same as the previous year (12,770 ML).
Water balance table
The table below shows the total volumes of water available and supplied from water resources in the Broken basin in 2021-22.
Table 1: Water balance, Broken basin
Storages
Major — greater than 1,000 ML — on-stream storages in the Broken basin are included in the water balance.
Storage levels
Storage levels were 101% in June 2022.
Higher than the previous year
In June 2021 storage levels were 76% full.
Table 2: Storage levels, Broken basin
Catchment inflow
Catchment inflow represents the volume of water flowing into the waterways of a basin. It is calculated to be the difference between the total outflows, the known inflows and the net change in storage volume.
Below average inflow
Catchment inflow was 84% of the long-term average annual volume of 260,800 ML.
More water received than last year
Catchment inflow was around double the volume of the previous year (46% of the long-term average).
Wastewater treatment plants
Water treated at wastewater treatment plants can be used to supplement water available in the basin. Water discharged to waterways from treatment plants is included as an inflow to the water balance.
Information on treatment plants is now reported in the Water Supply local reports for the water corporation responsible for managing the plant. In this basin, wastewater treatment plants are managed by North East .
Small catchment dams
Water harvested, used and lost by small catchment dams (farm dams) is included in the water balance.
Table 3: Small catchment dams, Broken basin
Entitlements and compliance
Entitlements provide the basis for how water is shared in the basin.
Entitlements to water in the regulated part of the Broken basin provide for the right to carry over unused allocation to the next season. These entitlement holders can carry over unused water up to 50% of their high reliability entitlement volume.
Diversions under bulk entitlements in the Broken basin are assessed against the Murray-Darling Basin annual cap target for the Goulburn-Broken-Loddon valley. Details of this assessment are published annually in the MDBA’s cap register and annual water take report.
Since 2019/20, the diversions are also assessed against the annual permitted takes under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) compliance reporting which are annually published in the MDBA’s SDL accounts register of take and the Inspector-General of Water Compliance’s SDL compliance statement.
Entitlement volumes
Rights to water in the Broken basin are shown in table 4 below.
Entitlement volumes represent a maximum volume that can be taken in a one-year period. The volume available in a particular year is dependent on the rules for allocating water set out in the entitlement and the seasonal conditions in that year, which varies. The rules for allocating water under an entitlement can differ between entitlements and systems. This affects the ability and likelihood of water being taken in a particular year.
Table 4: Annual entitlement volumes at 30 June, Broken basin
Available water and take under entitlements
Total water available under entitlements represents the volume of water that was available to be taken by entitlement holders in 2021-22. The volume includes carryover from the previous year, seasonal allocations and net trade into the basin.
Water available under entitlements
There was 33,014 ML made available under entitlements in 2021-22. This is similar to what was available in the previous year (31,605 ML).
Water taken under entitlements
There was 10,572 ML taken under entitlements in 2021-22, similar to the year before (10,776 ML).
Seasonal allocations
- High-reliability entitlement allocations opened at 5% and reached 100% in September 2021 (1 month earlier than the previous year). Low-reliability water shares reached 100% in the following month (October 2021).
Restrictions on licensed diversions from unregulated rivers
- There was a total ban on Boosey Creek for the whole of 2021-22. All other streams were unrestricted for the year. The previous year saw more restrictions with a peak of five streams with bans.
Available water and take table
This table shows the volume of available water and the volume taken under entitlements in 2021-22. Water taken under entitlements could be used for a variety of uses.
More information on available water and take has been detailed in the How do we account for surface section on the How do we account for water page.
In 2021-22, more water was available and slightly less taken under entitlements than the previous year.
Table 5: Available water and take, Broken basin
Compliance
Compliance against water entitlements is reported for this basin in three areas:
- entitlement issued: the volume of entitlements issued in a basin does not exceed formal caps, and has not increased without appropriate approvals
- water taken: the volume of water taken during the year does not exceed the volume considered to be available for consumptive and/or in-stream use during that year
- bulk entitlement provisions: holders of entitlements do not breach any provisions that are documented in their bulk entitlement orders.
Total entitlement volume
There was no net increase in the total entitlement volume from the previous year.
Total volume diverted
The total volume diverted (10,572 ML) was within the volume available for the year (33,014 ML).
Individual bulk entitlements
No individual bulk entitlement holder took more than the annual volume made available to them.
Exceptions to compliance
Individual bulk entitlement holders complied with all provisions in their entitlements.
Water for the environment
Environmental watering sites
Environmental watering sites and environmental values in the Broken basin that depend on water for the environment include:
- Broken River, upper Broken Creek, lower Broken Creek and wetlands, which contain native fish habitat and a wetland of national significance
- Murray cod, trout cod and significant areas of intact riparian and floodplain vegetation.
Water from the Broken basin also flows into the Goulburn and Murray basins, helping to maintain internationally significant environmental assets in those basins.
Environmental water reserve
In 2021-22, water for the environment in the Broken basin comprised:
- water set aside for the environment through the operation of passing flows conditions:
- on consumptive bulk entitlements held by North East Water and Goulburn-Murray Water
- on licensed diversions
- 624 ML of high-reliability water shares and 23 ML of low-reliability water shares held for the environment
- all other water in the basin not allocated for consumptive uses: this water also provides social, recreational and cultural benefits.
Environmental water use
A total of 2,763 ML of environmental diversion and 510 ML of environmental in-stream use was delivered in the Broken basin in 2021–22. The diversion was made up of deliveries to Moodies Swamp and Upper Broken Creek. The diversion into Upper Broken Creek is an off-stream diversion as the amount is typically lost via evaporation and seepage along upper Broken Creek. There is no way to effectively measure throughflow to lower Broken Creek.
Management responsibilities
Management of water in the Broken basin is undertaken by various parties
| Authority | Management responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Goulburn-Murray Water |
|
| North East Water |
|
| Goulburn Valley Water |
|
| Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority |
|
| Water supply system | 2021-22 (ML) | 2020-21 (ML) |
|---|---|---|
| Benalla | 1,490 | 1,586 |
