Please see the below invitation from the MDBA/DEW for an upcoming information session, specifically tailored for Renmark Irrigation Trust Members – Please RSVP to the Trust Office by calling (08) 8586 6911 or by emailing office@rit.org.au:
Invitation to Members for information session 3pm, Thursday 25 February at the Renmark Hotel – Managing Deliverability Risks in the River Murray System (RSVP requested)If you have pondered about the impact of such things as the Barmah choke restriction and irrigation expansion on our water security, this is an opportunity to hear from people who have been on a fact finding mission. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) and the South Australian Department for Environment and Water (DEW) invites you to an engagement session at the Renmark Hotel on Thursday 25 February 2021 from 3.00pm – 5.00pm on the recently released ‘Managing Deliverability Risks in the River Murray System’ paper.
Delivering water in the River Murray system has always been challenging due to the long distances between key water storages and major extraction points. River operators rely on weather forecasts and an extensive network of infrastructure. It takes around four weeks to deliver water from Hume Dam to the South Australian border and conditions can change quickly. A “delivery shortfall” event may occur when demands for water exceed those anticipated when releases were made from upstream storages several weeks earlier, and there is insufficient water in transit to meet all demands. The risk of a delivery shortfall is greater during summer when spikes in temperature may result in a sudden increase in river losses and irrigation demands. Over the past fifteen years, there has been growing concern within communities and governments that, over time, the risk of a delivery shortfall has increased. This issue is being talked about more and more and there is widespread concern and uncertainty. For this reason, the MDBA commissioned a series of investigations to better understand the shortfall risk. The Delivery Risks paper summarises and brings together the broad range of studies. It also presents objectives and principles to guide changes required and sets out actions to establish a functional delivery framework. It proposes exploring long-term options for restoring delivery capacity in the lower Murray system – to understand effectiveness, costs, impacts and beneficiaries.
The session will be an opportunity to:
• receive an overview of the key drivers of shortfall risk and recap on the land and water use changes over the past 25 years
• discuss the actions being taken by governments to develop a more robust delivery framework, including shortfall response planning
• learn about the potential SA response should a delivery shortfall occur
• talk about the long-term measures being explored for increasing delivery capacity
• ask questions and contribute your perspective, and
• explore how we can work together to effectively manage and mitigate risks in the River Murray system.
Venue: Renmark Hotel 3.00pm – 5.00pm
Industry Members
Group Presenters:
• Dr Joseph Davis – MDBA, Senior Director River Modernisation
• Dr Ben Dyer – MDBA, Director System Review
• Dr Theresa Heneker – SA DEW, Principal Policy Officer, Basin Plan Strategy and Implementation
For COVID management purposes, please RSVP to RIT (8586 6911 or office@rit.org.au) by close of business Monday 22 February 2021.