MY ACCOUNT
STORAGE LEVELS
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ANNOUNCED ALLOCATIONS
NEWS
Callide Valley
Scheme
Announced Allocations
(Ground water excl. Zone 8A, 8B & 10B)
(Ground water Zone 8A)
(Ground water Zone 8B)
(Ground water Zone 10B)
Storages
Water Pricing
Scheme information
About
The Callide Valley Scheme draws water from Callide and Kroombit Dams. It supports major industry in the Banana Shire including coal mining, beef production, power generation, dryland cropping and irrigation cropping.
How the scheme works
- Water is released from Callide and Kroombit Dams to downstream controlling structures where it filters into underlying aquifers. The majority of water supplied comes from these aquifers
- Irrigation water is supplied from groundwater reserves in the valley.
Water uses
- Irrigation
- Urban water supply for Biloela
- Industrial water for businesses located in the Callide Valley including Callide Power Station.
Scheme Management
Sunwater must comply with the conditions set out in the Callide Water Supply Scheme Resource Operations Licence (ROL), issued to Sunwater in September 2014 by the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water (DRDMW). The ROL outlines the infrastructure details, environmental release rules and all Sunwater’s monitoring and reporting obligations. The ROL also requires Sunwater to operate in accordance with an operations manual that is approved by DRDMW. The operations manual outlines rules for the operation of infrastructure associated with the Callide scheme as well as water sharing rules and seasonal water assignment (temporary trade) rules.
The Callide Valley Water Supply Scheme ROL Operations Manual was issued in June 2018 and amended May 2019.
Sunwater focuses our resources towards timely and cost-efficient delivery of water to customers in the Callide Dam scheme. We collaborate with our customers to ensure we understand their needs, adapt quickly to changes in the environment and make the most of the available water supply. To best manage water delivery, arrangements for taking of water within the Scheme have been developed in consultation with its Irrigator Advisory Committee.
Taking water from the scheme
The water ordering system assists Sunwater in delivering water to its customers in an efficient and timely way, enabling them to plan and manage their water use.
Before taking any water, customers should place a water order so that Sunwater can release sufficient water and minimise losses.
Customers who take water without ordering may reduce Sunwater’s ability to supply customers who have ordered according to the above requirements.
To place an order
Customers can place their orders via:
- Sunwater Online
- Sunwater Customer Support on 13 15 89
Further information about ordering water is detailed in Callide Valley’s Rules and Targets.
Stopping or restricting supply
Sunwater may suspend or restrict supply in a number of circumstances, including:
- during maintenance of Sunwater’s assets
- during a peak demand period, when rosters or rations may apply
- when the demand for water is so small it is impractical to supply it
- when there is a need to make special releases to maximise efficiency at times of limited supply
- during rain shutdown
- infrastructure limitations which make delivery impractical
- if supply could cause Sunwater to break the law
- when operating under special notices or regulations issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines {e.g. Water Amendment Regulation (No.3) 2006}.
Weather events and emergency shutdowns
Sunwater asks that customers notify their duty Water Officer [Link to contacts page], as soon as possible, of any rain event or other circumstances that substantially lessens their water requirements. When wide spread general rain exceeds 40 mm in a day over the Callide Valley Water Supply Scheme, the duty Water Officer may shut the system down.
Customers are also asked to cancel orders if they no longer require ordered water.
For more information contact
If you experience an equipment or power failure emergency, please give immediate notice to Sunwater by calling Sunwater Customer Support on 13 15 89 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Callide Valley’s Irrigator Advisory Committee
The Callide Valley Irrigator Advisory Committee is a group of irrigators within the scheme that have been elected by irrigation customers to represent their interests in relation to scheme operations and water supply issues and improvements with Sunwater.
The committee:
- provides advice and recommendations to Sunwater regarding scheme operational issues
- represents the interests of the broader irrigator base in respect of Sunwater’s ongoing operation of the water supply scheme
- provides a mechanism for Sunwater and its customers to raise and discuss matters of mutual interest in relation to the management of the physical aspects of the scheme and customer relationship issues.
- work collaboratively with Sunwater to identify and introduce new approaches and improvements to water management.
Committee members
| Name | Position | Representative Area/Section |
| Ray Wilkie | Committee Member | Surface Water |
| Fiona Pitt | Committee Member | 3B Benefited |
| David Snell | Committee Member | 5 Benefited |
| Ken Bauer | Committee Member | 7 Benefited |
| Richard Fairley | Committee Member | 8A and 8B Benefited |
| Jeff Stringer | Committee Member | 10B Benefited |
| Duncan Downie | Committee Member | Teys Brothers |
Stay up to date with the Callide Valley Irrigator Advisory Committee.
Announced Allocations
Water Year: 2023/2024
High A priority 100%
High B priority: 100%
Section 3A Medium priority: 100%
Section 3B Medium priority: 100%
Section 5 Medium priority: 100%
Section 7 Medium priority: 100%
Section 8A Medium priority: 90%
Section 8B Medium priority: 75%
Section 10B Medium priority: 80%
Announced Allocations effective 1 July 2023, and will be applicable until revised and communicated by Sunwater.
2022/2023 to 2023/2024 Carryover Parameters – Cap 1,500.00 ML with 25.689% pro rata and 20% loss factor. For more information about the scheme’s carryover conditions click here.
Customers are advised to obtain information about their remaining water allocation balance by accessing SunwaterOnline.
For more information or enquiries, phone 13 15 89 or email customersupport@sunwater.com.au.
Monthly Account Balances for water stored in Callide Dam
| Month | Callide (ML) | CS Energy (ML) | Callide Power Management (ML) |
| 30.06.2023 | 25,505 | 29 | 1,692 |
| 31.07.2023 | 25,121 | -385 | 1,713 |
| 31.08.2023 | 24,299 | -457 | 1,725 |
| 30.09.2023 | 23,661 | -594 | 1,744 |
| 31.10.2023 | 22,630 | -978 | 1,739 |
| 30.11.2023 | 21,926 | -1,206 | 1,730 |
| 31.12.2023 | 21,542 | -1,410 | 1,721 |
| 31.01.2024 | 21,680 | -925 | 1,921 |
| 29.02.2024 | 21,263 | -370 | 1,901 |
| 31.03.2024 | 20,716 | -325 | 1864 |
History of Announced Allocations
Operational reports
Sunwater releases periodic operational reports detailing Announced Allocation levels and individual storages’ breakdowns within each scheme, the latest of which can be found below.
Service and Performance Plans
Sunwater prepares an annual Service and Performance Plan (S&PP) for each irrigation service contract area. S&PPs replace the former annual Network Service Plans and annual Performance Reports.
We have updated the naming convention for S&PPs to improve clarity and alignment with plan content. The new convention references the year in which the S&PP is published (or should have been published). Publication should occur within six months of the end of a financial year.
For further information about this service, please visit the Service and Performance Plan page.
Scheme news
Scheme history
Callide Valley Water Supply Scheme
The scheme is the lifeblood of the region, not only supplying water to the Callide power station and other heavy industries in the Banana Shire such as coal-mining, but also urban water for Biloela. Releases from Callide Dam are utilised to replenish groundwater aquifers in the benefited area from which Callide Valley’s primary producers draw irrigation supplies.
The scheme started life in 1965 when the Callide Dam was built to meet the needs of the new power station on the nearby Callide coalfields, also completed that year.
Although the original power plant ceased operation in the late 1990s — replaced by two newer generators — it was retrofitted in 2014 for a two-year trial of global significance, successfully showing emerging carbon-capture technology could lower emissions at coal-fired power stations.