Draft River Murray Water Allocation Plan released for comment

The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board has released an updated draft Water Allocation Plan for the River Murray Prescribed Watercourse (the draft plan) for comment.

The draft plan incorporates changes to the private carryover policy.

Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board Presiding Member Dianne Davidson AM urges community members to participate in the consultation process to ensure that the proposed changes are effective and well understood.

“The board has heard that improvements can be made to the carryover policy and it’s important that we understand what community members think about the changes before a revised policy is finalised,” she said.

Private carryover is a drought management measure to keep industries productive in dry years and help maintain resilient communities.

Changes to the carryover policy were made in 2020 to allow rollover into a future dry year when allocations reached 100 percent, based on community feedback.

Since then, the Board has heard that the ‘rollover’ and forfeiture rules for carryover are complex and difficult to understand.

The proposed changes will remove ‘rollover’ and forfeiture of carryover volumes and will allow carryover to be used in the year that it is granted.

As part of the proposed changes, Class 3 (High Security) South Australian water entitlement holders will no longer be automatically granted carryover. To be eligible for carryover, Class 3 (High Security) South Australian water entitlement holders will be required to lodge an application.

Copies of the draft plan and a factsheet summarising the key changes is available online at www.landscape.sa.gov.au/mr/water/water-allocation-plans/river-murray-wap

Consultation is now underway and the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board would like to hear your views on the proposed changes to the carryover policy.

The following information sessions will be held:

• Online webinar: Tuesday 1 March, 3pm – 4pm
• Online webinar: Thursday 3 March, 11am – 12pm
• Murray Bridge drop-in session: Tuesday 22 March, 11am – 2pm, Murray Bridge RSL, 2 Ross Road, Murray Bridge
• Berri drop-in session: Wednesday 23 March, 3pm – 6pm, Berri Bowling Club, 25 Chilton Road, Berri

People can attend the online or in-person information sessions where they can find out more about the draft plan and the changes proposed. To register and find out more information about the events please visit the board’s website, www.landscape.sa.gov.au/mr/water/water-allocation-plans/river-murray-wap

The closing date for submissions is 5pm Thursday 14 April 2022

All comments received through the consultation process will be considered when finalising the plan and these comments will be made publically available unless the respondent requests that their feedback is kept confidential.

Submissions can be sent via post, email or online via:

Melissa White

Water Resource Manager

Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board

Unit 5-6, Level 1 Sturt Centre, 2 Sturt Reserve Road, Murray Bridge, 5253

Phone: 0428 113 442

Email: rmwap.feedback@sa.gov.au

Online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8C27SCZ

This project is supported by the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board through funding from the landscape levies and the Department for Environment and Water.