All northern irrigation systems have now reached 100 per cent high reliability water shares.
Northern Victoria resource manager Dr Mark Bailey has announced the Murray system has moved from 93 to 100 per cent HRWS.
It joins the Broken, now at 100 pc high and low reliability water shares, and the Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon systems, which are on the same level.
Seasonal determinations in the Bullarook system stayed at 100pc HRWS and 100pc LRWS.
Dr Bailey said the Murray system reached 100pc HRWS as strong flows into all major storages continued with recent rainfall.
"The sustained flows into the Murray system have provided enough resource to repay all of the borrowed Barmah-Millewa Forest Environmental Water Allocation and announce the 100pc allocation," Dr Bailey said.
"There are also further deductions from Murray spillable water accounts.
"About 165 gigalitres, or 61pc of the current spillable account volume, will be deducted."
Further deductions should be expected as the Murray-Darling Basin Authority maintained pre-releases to keep Lake Hume close to its full supply level.
With all northern Victorian systems reaching at least 100pc HRWS, Dr Bailey noted interest in the availability of seasonal determination against LRWS was expected to increase.
"We will confirm the volume of additional resources needed to make a low-reliability water shares seasonal determination in the Murray system at the next seasonal determination update," Dr Bailey said.
"At present, the Goulburn system needs another 600 gigalitres for a low-reliability water shares allocation.
"This volume is needed in addition to the inflows we expect in 99 years in every 100 for the remainder of 2021/22 and into 2022/23."
Dr Bailey also reminded entitlement holders that as seasonal determinations in all systems were 100opc HRWS, future 2021/22 seasonal determination updates would be released on a monthly basis.
"In accordance with our policy, the next update of seasonal determinations will be released on Monday, November 15," Dr Bailey said.
The latest Bureau of Meteorology seasonal outlook favours above-average rainfall across the northern Victoria for the November to January period.
The bureau has issued a La Nina alert, meaning the chance of a La Nina event forming is about 70pc.
A weak negative Indian Ocean Dipole event continues and is expected to return to neutral levels in late spring.
A negative Indian Ocean Dipole and a La Nina event each increase the likelihood of above-average rainfall totals in south-east Australia.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
