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Macintyre Brook
Scheme
Announced Allocations
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Scheme information
About
Coolmunda Dam is the major storage for the Macintyre Brook Scheme, serving water users along the Macintyre Brook and beyond Goondiwindi.
How the scheme works
- Coolmunda Dam is a zoned earth and rockfill wall structure with a concrete spillway, seven automatic counter balanced radial gates and an outlet works consisting of a 915mm diameter steel pipe.
Water uses
- Irrigation water for lucerne, citrus, stone fruit, vines, olives and cereal
- Urban water supply for Inglewood
- Industrial water supply primarily for stock intensive industries.
Scheme Management
Sunwater must comply with the conditions set out in the Macintyre Brook Water Supply Scheme Resource Operations Licence (ROL), issued to Sunwater in March 2008 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 Macintyre Brook scheme as well as water sharing rules and seasonal water assignment (temporary trade) rules.
The Macintyre Brook Water Supply Scheme ROL Operations Manual was issued in February 2019. An amendment was approved by DRDMW on 22 April 2021. A statement of changes to the operations manual can be found on the second page of this document.
Sunwater focuses our resources towards timely and cost-efficient delivery of water to customers in the Macintyre Brook 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.
Scheme Operating Rules
Supply of water allocations for essential water supply needs (Critical Water Supply Arrangements)
The supply of water allocations for essential water supply needs commences when the storage level in Coolmunda Dam is below EL 305.94m AHD (approximately 1,401ML). The arrangements triggered when the storage level of Coolmunda Dam is below this level are:
(a) Supply of medium priority water allocations MUST cease;
(b) High priority water allocations will be supplied;
(c) May supply high priority water allocations where the water level is below the minimum operating level of EL303.73m AHD (approximately 210ML); and
(d) Within one business day of the water level in Coolmunda Dam falling below 305.94 m AHD, Sunwater must notify the water allocation holders that only high priority water allocations will be supplied.
These arrangements will be in place until such time as the water level in Coolmunda Dam increases to a level equal to or above EL306.03m AHD (approximately 1,502ML) after which Sunwater must:
(a) Supply medium priority water allocations;
(b) Within one business day of the water level in Coolmunda Dam reaching 306.03 m AHD, notify water allocation holders that water allocations will be supplied for both medium and high priority water allocations.
These rules are defined in the Macintyre Brook Water Supply Scheme Operations Manual (formerly known as the Border Rivers Resource Operations Plan).
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 Macintyre Brook’s Rules and Targets.
Delivery timing
Orders are processed on a daily basis at 6:30am. Orders received after this time cannot be processed until the following day. Please make allowance for these times when placing your order.
The travel time, the number of hours/days it takes from the morning after the order is placed to get water from the dam or weirs to your pump, is:
| Macintyre Brook Scheme Area | Travel time after order is placed |
| Coolmunda Dam Storage | 1 Day (24 hrs) |
| Coolmunda Dam to Greenup Weir | 2 Days (48 hrs) |
| Greenup Weir to Inglewood Weir | 2 Days (48 hrs) |
| Inglewood Weir to Whetstone Weir | 2 Days (48 hrs) |
| Whetstone Weir to Ben Dor Weir | 3 Days (72 hrs) |
| Ben Dor Weir to junction with Macintyre River | 4 Days (96 hrs) |
| Dumaresq River | 4 Days (96 hrs) |
Temporary transfer sale information
As a requirement of the Water Act 2000 (Qld), Sunwater is required to publish seasonal water assignment (temporary transfer) sale information for the Macintyre Brooke Water Supply Scheme, referenced in its Resource Operation Licence (ROL). The temporary transfer information is listed here.
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, 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 Macintyre Brook 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).
Macintyre Brook’s Irrigator Advisory Committee
The Macintyre Brook 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 |
| Anthony Doljanin | Committee Member |
| Graham Bond | Committee Member |
| Matthew Oxenford | Committee Member |
| Rick McDougall | Committee Member |
| Peter Valente | Committee Member |
Stay up to date with the Macintyre Brook Irrigator Advisory Committee.
Announced Allocations
Water Year: 2023/2024
High priority: 100% (bulk share)
Medium priority: 100% (bulk share)
Announced Allocations effective 1 July 2023 and will be applicable until revised and communicated by Sunwater.
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.
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
Fact Sheet: Sale of nominal volumes cap share size and water balance - Macintyre Brook
October 2021
Download
Approval of amended Resource Operations Licence and Operations Manual: Macintyre Brook
May 2021
Download
Scheme history
Macintyre Brook Water Supply Scheme
Nature and changing habits conspired to turn the once-thriving tobacco district around Inglewood, about 90km west of Warwick on the southern edge of the Darling Downs, towards new fame as Australia’s olive capital.
A disastrous flood in 1956 not only devastated the town, it wiped out that year’s tobacco harvest. Demand for tobacco later also declined.
The scheme plays a vital role in helping about 340,000 olive trees and this new industry grow. As well as supplying the irrigation needs of the district’s olive growers and other farmers, the scheme delivers water to Inglewood residents and industrial water for stock-intensive industries.
Its main storage is the Coolmunda Dam, about 13 km east of Inglewood on the Macintyre Brook, which became operational in 1968. Other storages include the Ben Dor, Greenup and Whetstone weirs.