Water use trends
Diversions of water from rivers and streams in northern Victoria must abide by Murray-Darling Basin caps. These caps are effectively becoming lower as water is recovered for the environment in accordance with the Basin Plan. As shown here, all the systems in Victoria are well under the declining caps.
In many places across northern Victoria water use has decreased over recent years. The millennium drought has meant pressure on irrigation businesses, exacerbated in some industries and places by factors like the high Australian dollar and the January 2012 floods. Many businesses took advantage of government purchasing and modernisation programs to leave irrigation, while those that stayed tended to use water more economically.
Diversions compared with Murray-Darling Basin caps
How diversions from rivers is tracking against Murray-Darling Basin caps is reported in the table and graphs in the document below.
The material here shows that, in 2011/12, the diversion was under the cap target in all valleys. That is, there was a cap credit in each valley. In all valleys there is now an accumulated cap credit which is very high.
Changes in water use
Here is a map showing changes in water use in Goulburn-Murray Water's irrigation districts between 2003/04 and 2011/12.
(This map was compiled by officers from the former Department of Primary Industries using data from the Water Register and other sources.)
2014-15 water entitlements and use report
Summary information about all water entitlements and use recorded in the Victorian Water Register is now available in the report below.
In previous years this information was reported separately in each water corporation's annual report. This new report provides a state-wide overview of this information as well as detail about each individual water corporation's data.
Water use by irrigators, towns & the environment
Summary information on water availability for irrigators, town supplies and the environment in northern Victoria, and how it was used in recent years, is now available in the reports below.