Overview
Draft Upper Murrumbidgee River Drought Operating Framework
The Australian Government has released the draft Upper Murrumbidgee Drought Operating Framework to guide how water will be released over the next two years if drought occurs.
The Upper Murrumbidgee River - Drought Operating Framework [PDF 1.5MB]
The Upper Murrumbidgee River - Drought Operating Framework [DOCX 2.7MB]
This is important because we need to have enough water set aside in the dam to release, and to make sure it is released in the best way possible. This is to ensure the health of river and the people who depend on it. We also need to consider downstream water needs and the National Electricity Market when deciding to release water.
The framework is a technical operational document that focuses on:
Determining what river conditions will trigger water releases.
Deciding how much water will be released.
How the water will be stored, used, and accounted for.
How we will value the water and compensate Snowy Hydro for forgone energy generation.
The impacts of storing and delivering the water on Snowy Hydro, the National Electricity Market, and other water users.
The framework is only a short-term fix to ensure the health of the river over the next two years. We will also be reviewing the Snowy Water Inquiry Outcomes Implementation Deed (the Deed) that sets out the long-term framework for environmental flows into the Upper Murrumbidgee.
We will appoint independent reviewers to a panel to conduct a review of the Deed and will be working with NSW, Victoria, and the ACT in conducting the review. Stakeholders and First Nations people will be able to share their perspectives during the review process.
How you can contribute to informing the development of the Drought Operating Framework
We are interested in hearing from a wide range of participants. We welcome feedback on the:
objectives of the Drought Operating Framework
water releases under the Drought Operating Framework
water accounting and management arrangements
costing of forgone generation
impacts of the Drought Operating Framework
general sentiment.
What will happen next
At the conclusion of this consultation, we will publish public submissions on our website, subject to your agreed privacy and data requirements. We will also publish a summary of responses.
