To return the Murray–Darling river system to health, the Murray–Darling Basin Plan requires recovery of surface water and groundwater for the environment. The government has prioritised infrastructure investment as its preferred method of water recovery. Read more about water programs in the Murray-Darling Basin here: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/water/mdb/programs

Scope

This data set provides farm-level data on projects funded to recover water under the Basin Plan. Programs included are:

• Commonwealth On-Farm Further Irrigation Efficiency Program (contributes to Efficiency Measures)

• QLD Healthy Headwaters Water Use Efficiency Project

• NSW Irrigated Farm Modernisation

• NSW Basin Pipe

• Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project Two

• On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program

• Private Irrigation Infrastructure Operators Program in NSW

• Private Irrigation Infrastructure Program for South Australia

• South Australia River Murray Sustainability Program

• Victorian Farm Modernisation Program

Farm-level data is not available for the following programs:

• Goulburn Murray Water Connections

• NSW Metering Pilot

• NSW Southern Valleys Metering Project

• Sunraysia Modernisation Program

Exclusions

Programs that purchase water entitlements directly without associated infrastructure works are not included. Additionally, projects where a water entitlement has not been returned to the Commonwealth, for example environmental projects, are also excluded.

Data field descriptions

• Program: Text - Name of program under which the on-farm works were funded.

• Round: Numerical or text - Funding round under which on-farm works were funded. Text fields generally refer to "Not applicable" where the program did not have funding rounds, or "Pilot" where funding was provided under a pilot arrangement.

• Delivery partner: Text - The organisation contracted to deliver the program on behalf of the Australian Government. These organisations are responsible for day-to-day management of on-farm projects, and have the contract with the farmer.

• Project identifier: Numerical or text - An identifier for each project unique to that program.

• Australian Government project funding (GST exclusive): Currency - Australian dollars - Australian Government Project Funding excludes both GST payments and administration components of funding. Project values may change over time as the project is finalised and subject to final audit and acquittal.

• Water transferred to Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (ML nominal): Numeric - Megalitres - Water transferred to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. Total water savings may exceed those returned to the Commonwealth.

• Water transferred to Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (ML LTAAY): Numeric - Megalitres in LTAAY terms - LTAAY stands for Long Term Average Annual Yield, which is a method used to standardise the calculation of expected water recoveries in the Murray–Darling Basin from different water access entitlement categories and across catchments in the Basin. This measure of water volume is relevant for measuring progress of water recovery towards meeting the sustainable diversion limits set out in the Basin Plan. The average annual yield for Murray-Darling Basin resource units is calculated using the current long-term diversion limit equivalent factors (v2.05) agreed by the Ministerial Council in November 2011, or in the absence of a factor, is modelled by the MDBA in consultation with the States. Following accreditation of the Water Resource Plans for an area, the planning assumptions used within will determine the LTAAY.

• Water entitlement class: Text - The type of water that was transferred to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. Water entitlements are perpetual or ongoing entitlement to exclusive access to a share of water from a specified consumptive pool as defined in the relevant water plan. The nature and names for water entitlements differ across the Murray-Darling Basin. Further information is available at: http://www.bom.gov.au/water/awid/index.shtml.

• State: Text - State from which the water entitlement was sourced.

• SDL Resource Unit: Text - The geographical location from which the water entitlement was sourced, based on information provided by the delivery partner. Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) Resource Units are defined in legislation and available at https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/4afa3227-8557-4bb6-944a-6494b28ae160.

• Description of project: Text - Description of on-farm works undertaken. This field has been edited to ensure that it has been appropriately de-identified consistent with our obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.

• Project commencement date: Date - DD/MM/YYYY - Date on which the project commenced. The date taken for this purpose may vary depending on the program and includes (but is not limited to) dates such as the date Funding Agreement with the Delivery Partner was signed.

• Project completion date: Date - DD/MM/YYYY - Date on which the project was completed. The date taken for this purpose may vary depending on the program and includes (but is not limited to) dates such as approval date of final activity report, sub-project type closure report or closure letter. Not all projects have been completed at the time of producing this report.

Disclaimer: The Australian Government acting through the Department of Agriculture has exercised due care and skill in preparing and compiling this data. In some instances, the department has relied on the delivery agent - which is responsible for the management and implementation of the program (and has the contract with the individual farmer) - to prepare the data. Notwithstanding, the Department of Agriculture, its employees and advisers disclaim all liability, including liability for negligence and for any loss, damage, injury, expense or cost incurred by any person as a result of accessing, using or relying on any of the data to the maximum extent permitted by law.