Search Results: “” — Page 1
David Dole and Brian Haisman
The Murray-Darling Basin Commission recently created River Murray Water, an internal business unit, as a step towards the micro-economic goals of the COAG Water Reforms.
The assets which regulate the River Murray, have a replacement value around $1.4 billion. They range from the 4000 gigalitre Dartmouth Dam in the headwaters, to the 7.5 kilometres of barrages near the Murray mouth and are presently held in trust for the Contracting Governments of the Basin Initiative by one or other of the three riparian states. River Murray Water is bringing the assets together into a single, integrated business with the aim of securing long-run sustainability, funded through pricing for services provided. Broad institutional and pricing principles are described along with the special challenges of an inter-government environment.
These challenges are being met by adopting clarity and simplicity as driving principles, supported by best practice asset information. The paper describes the upfront development of explicit guiding principles and policies, including risk management and dam safety; coordination of activities; generation of life cycle information; and introduction of contestable service provision for the business.
Now showing all 3 search results
-
$15.00
1998 Papers
1998 – The Emerging River Murray Water Business – Developing Asset and Risk Management in an Inter-Government Context
Learn more
Learn more
David Dole and Brian Haisman
The Murray-Darling Basin Commission recently created River Murray Water, an internal business unit, as a step towards the micro-economic goals of the COAG Water Reforms.
The assets which regulate the River Murray, have a replacement value around $1.4 billion. They range from the 4000 gigalitre Dartmouth Dam in the headwaters, to the 7.5 kilometres of barrages near the Murray mouth and are presently held in trust for the Contracting Governments of the Basin Initiative by one or other of the three riparian states. River Murray Water is bringing the assets together into a single, integrated business with the aim of securing long-run sustainability, funded through pricing for services provided. Broad institutional and pricing principles are described along with the special challenges of an inter-government environment.
These challenges are being met by adopting clarity and simplicity as driving principles, supported by best practice asset information. The paper describes the upfront development of explicit guiding principles and policies, including risk management and dam safety; coordination of activities; generation of life cycle information; and introduction of contestable service provision for the business.
Learn more
-
$15.00
2000 Papers
2000 – Hume Dam Rehabilitation – An Owner’s Perspective
Learn more
Learn more
David Dole and Brian Haisman
The $75 million remedial works at Hume Dam on the Murray River near Albury have been of national significance. The rehabilitation program associated with the structure itself and with its appurtenant works is now in the final steps of construction. The authors summarise this program with an emphasis not on technical details, but on decision processes. Equity in this dam is, in effect, held in equal parts by three State governments and by the Commonwealth government. At the same time, in response to the national water reform agenda, the governments have agreed upon new cost sharing arrangements that more nearly reflect the value of services to each government. The particular problems of decision-making within this evolving inter-State environment are discussed.
Lessons from experiments with application of risk analysis are discussed. Finally, the matter of adequacy of the structure for extreme floods is still under consideration. Hume Dam will presently pass the Design Flood developed in accord with Book VI (1999) of Australian Rainfall and Runoff, and the Dam Crest Flood has been estimated to have an annual exceedance probability of 1:110,000. _ Retrofitting a spillway to pass the estimated Probable Maximum Flood will double the cost of remedial works and is estimated at 10 times the cost of similar capacity built into original construction. The authors discuss the public policy elements of this pending decision.
Learn more
-
$15.00
2012 Papers
2012 – The Victorian Floods Review: a hydrologist’s perspective for dam owners
Learn more
Learn more
David Stephens, Kristen Sih, Peter Hill, Rory Nathan, David Dole
The spring and summer of 2010-11 were characterised by severe flooding affecting much of Victoria. In a number of cases, communities downstream of large dams developed to supply water for irrigation and critical human and stock needs were significantly impacted. Following the floods, the Victorian Government commissioned the Victorian Floods Review (VFR) to consider the total warning and response to these floods. Whilst dam operations were not specifically included in the terms of reference, overwhelming community interest lead to the VFR commissioning a high level review of the way a number of key dams were operated during the floods. This review identified some of the inherent tensions in the legislative framework for water harvesting, storage and dam safety in Victoria. These tensions were often matched by the conflicting expectations of the public living immediately downstream of the dams versus those dependent on the water resource stored in the dams. The final report of the VFR was handed down in December 2011 and contained a number of recommendations specifically for dam owners. These recommendations are reviewed and discussed in light of both the legal and public relations ramifications for owners and operators of large water supply dams. An overview is also given of the operational constraints to downstream flood mitigation facing many dam owners. Such constraints are typically imposed by the type of dam (i.e. fixed crest), relatively small storage and outlet capacities when compared to flood volumes and limitations on the reliability of forecast rainfall information. Some possible ways of overcoming these constraints are identified and discussed.
Keywords: Flood, mitigation, Victorian Floods Review
Learn more
