1. Environmental Water Management Mike Young Executive Director, The Environment Institute

2. In a regulated system: What is environmental Water?
Volume of Water in the System

3. Framework
Structural arrangements
Strategic arrangements
Tactics

4. Structural arrangements
How should the environment’s entitlement be specified?
Same as all other entitlements
Who should own the environment’s entitlement?
Most in regional trusts – Some held centrally
Unrestricted carry forward?
Means less entitlements have to be purchased
Should the environment have to pay its way?
Yes, allows political independence
Have to sell allocations every year

5. How much water A Heritage River A Conservation River
A Healthy Working River
For a Healthy Working River, like the SCRMS, around 15-25% of entitlements.
Remember floodwater and maintenance water contributes to environmental outcomes

6. Tactics Generating revenue by selling allocations
Using water efficiently
Negotiating access to water held in system-wide trust

7. Section 23 Water Act
(1) A long‑term average sustainable diversion limit for the Basin water resources, for the water resources of a particular water resource plan area must reflect an environmentally sustainable level of take.
(2) A long‑term average sustainable diversion limit for the Basin water resources, for the water resources of a particular water resource plan area ... may be specified:
(a) as a particular quantity of water per year; or
(b) as a formula or other method that may be used to calculate a quantity of water per year; or
(c) in any other way that the Authority determines to be appropriate.

8. Basin Plan The sharing framework is critical
Rules for determining how much water must be set aside for conveyance, minimum base flow, evaporative losses, etc
Conversion of rules-based environmental water to an entitlement
Distribution of environmental water amongst regional trusts and % of total pool to hold
Nature of inflows defined as flood water and controlled by the river manager

10. Sustainable Diversion Limit
Section 22
The maximum long‑term annual average quantities of water that can be taken, on a sustainable basis, from: (a) the Basin water resources as a whole; and (b) the water resources, or particular parts of the water resources, of each water resource plan area. The averages are the long‑term average sustainable diversion limits for the Basin water resources, and the water resources, or particular parts of the water resources, of the water resource plan area.
The limit must comply with section 23.
Section 75 requires particular matters to be specified in the Basin Plan if a long‑term average sustainable diversion limit for the water resources, or a particular part of the water resources, of a water resource plan area is reduced.