Sunraysia water audit

A Murray–Darling Basin Authority audit in the Sunraysia region of north-west Victoria showed the area had a productive irrigation system. MDBA executive director of compliance Brent Williams said the audit found the water measurement and verification processes were highly accurate and modern.“The whole community wants to be confident that water users are doing the right thing, and there are checks and balances in place,” Mr Williams said.“In 2018 to 2019, entitlement holders used a total of 608 gigalitres by extracting directly from the Murray River or accessing water through the Sunraysia pumped districts.“Our audit was an opportunity to assess the way DELWP capture and report on the metered use of that water.“This important information forms the basis of the MDBA’s calculation of annual water take and local compliance with the Victorian Murray sustainable diversion limit.”Mr Williams said a remote measurement system enabled Lower Murray Water to accurately track water extraction in near real-time, and isolate instances of possible non-compliance by licence holders.“Given our positive findings, it is pleasing to know that local authorities have processes in place that the community, irrigators and water managers can rely on,” he said.“MDBA officers will continue to conduct similar activities as state water resource plans come into effect across the Murray–Darling Basin.”● The audit report can be found on the MDBA website at: www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/victorian-lower-murray-metering-review-report.pdf