DEECA Victorian Water Accounts 2022-23

About the area

The Loddon Highlands Water Supply Protection Area (WSPA) ranges from Newlyn and Lake Burrumbeet in the south to Dunolly in the north. The boundary of the WSPA extends into the East Port Phillip Bay and Westernport groundwater catchments.

Rural centres within the WSPA 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 details 7 management zones; where it applies to groundwater resources for all formations below the surface.

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, 2}		2021-22	2022-23
Water supply protection area
Loddon Highlands		Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising

Groundwater management unit ^{1, 2}		2021-22	2022-23
Water supply protection area
Loddon Highlands		Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising	Rising

Groundwater restrictions

There were no restrictions on licensed use in the Loddon Highlands WSPA in 2022-23.

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)	2022-23 (ML)
Licensed use (non-urban)	18,789	18,770
Avoca urban	250	250
Clunes urban	350	350
Forest Hill urban	350	350
Learmonth urban	98	98
Lexton urban	30	30
Maryborough urban	570	570
Waubra urban	65	65
Total	20,502	20,483

Use type	2021-22 (ML)	2022-23 (ML)
Licensed use (non-urban)	18,789	18,770
Avoca urban	250	250
Clunes urban	350	350
Forest Hill urban	350	350
Learmonth urban	98	98
Lexton urban	30	30
Maryborough urban	570	570
Waubra urban	65	65
Total	20,502	20,483

Available water and use

The table below shows the total water available and used under entitlements, and estimated domestic and stock use in 2022-23. 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 WSPA, 2 ML usage per bore per year is assumed.

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

Table 3: Groundwater availability and use, Loddon Highlands WSPA

Use type	Available water (ML)	Water taken (ML)
Licensed use (non-urban)	2,696	18,283	0	20,978	4,003
Avoca urban	38	250	0	288	162
Clunes urban	53	350	0	403	249
Forest Hill urban	53	350	0	403	191
Learmonth urban	15	98	0	113	32
Lexton urban	5	30	0	35	27
Maryborough urban	161	1,076	0	1,237	2
Waubra urban	10	65	0	75	56
Domestic & Stock	-	-	-	-	738
Total 2022-23	3,031	20,502	0	23,532	5,460
Total 2021-22	3,041	20,502	0	23,543	5,790

Use type	Available water (ML)	Water taken (ML)
Licensed use (non-urban)	2,696	18,283	0	20,978	4,003
Avoca urban	38	250	0	288	162
Clunes urban	53	350	0	403	249
Forest Hill urban	53	350	0	403	191
Learmonth urban	15	98	0	113	32
Lexton urban	5	30	0	35	27
Maryborough urban	161	1,076	0	1,237	2
Waubra urban	10	65	0	75	56
Domestic & Stock	-	-	-	-	738
Total 2022-23	3,031	20,502	0	23,532	5,460
Total 2021-22	3,041	20,502	0	23,543	5,790

Compliance

Compliance against water entitlements is reported for this groundwater management unit (GMU) in 2 areas:

entitlement issued: that the volume of entitlements issued in the GMU does not exceed relevant permissible consumptive volumes (PCVs) or has not increased without appropriate approvals
water extracted: that 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 (20,483 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 (23,530 ML) was within the volume available for the year (4,721 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	20,483	23,530	4,721

Groundwater management unit		PCV	Licensed entitlement (ML)	Water available under licences (ML)	Water taken under licences (ML)
Loddon Highlands WSPA		20,697	20,483	23,530	4,721

Management responsibilities

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

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

Authority

Management responsibilities

Goulburn-Murray Water

Managing groundwater resources.

Developing and implementing groundwater management plans.

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

Administering water for 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 2022-23

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Groundwater management unit ^{1, 2}	2021-22				2022-23
Groundwater management unit ^{1, 2}	Sep-21	Dec-21	Mar-22	Jun-22	Sep-22	Dec-22	Mar-23	Jun-23
Water supply protection area
Loddon Highlands	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)	2,696	18,283	0	20,978	4,003
Avoca urban	38	250	0	288	162
Clunes urban	53	350	0	403	249
Forest Hill urban	53	350	0	403	191
Learmonth urban	15	98	0	113	32
Lexton urban	5	30	0	35	27
Maryborough urban	161	1,076	0	1,237	2
Waubra urban	10	65	0	75	56
Domestic & Stock	-	-	-	-	738
Total 2022-23	3,031	20,502	0	23,532	5,460
Total 2021-22	3,041	20,502	0	23,543	5,790