The opening allocations were announced on Wednesday.
NSW Border Rivers is the only other irrigation district to start with zero “due to ongoing dry conditions”, and only a limited initial allocation has been made available in the Lower Darling.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said all supplementary, unregulated river and floodplain harvesting licences have received full opening allocations (subject to Section 324 Orders where appropriate), as have most groundwater users.
General security carry over is anticipated to be less than 25 per cent in Murray, and conveyance access licences receive a full operating allocation of 50 per cent.
Carry over in the Murrumbidgee is expected to be less than 15 per cent.
High security licence holders in Murray have 97 per cent, and 95 per cent in Murrumbidgee.
Across both irrigation areas, local water utility, domestic and stock, and sub-category high security water access licences have received their 100 per cent allocation.
This week’s allocation announcement stated rainfall across NSW over the past 12 months has been varied, with above-average rainfall in some coastal and far western areas, and below average rainfall in southern, central and northern inland regions, leading to reduced inflows.
“Major dams across the rural network are at moderate but declining storage levels, averaging about 49 per cent of capacity and holding around 8,300 gigalitres,” it read.
NSW DCCEEW’s director of water planning implementation Allan Raine said the department would continue to monitor conditions and announce changes to water availability and outlooks as the water year progresses.
“We know NSW can be a land of contrasting extremes, and these past 12 months have certainly been true to that,” he said.
“While some areas have experienced well above average rainfall, other parts have been battling increasingly dry conditions.
“Despite this, it’s encouraging to see reliable allocations for many water users, and importantly, to know water for the most critical needs is locked in for the next year.
“We will continue to closely watch those regions experiencing dry conditions, as well as the climate outlook for the new water year, to ensure water availability is managed carefully and sustainably.”
Regular fortnightly water allocation statements will begin on Wednesday, July 15.
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