Diversions Customer Newsletter

Table of contents

Important dates

• May 10 - Last day to submit water orders to ensure delivery
• May 15 - End of gravity irrigation season
• May 24 - Final submissions for temporary transfer of groundwater applications; last day to submit land applications and delivery share applications
• June 14 - Last day to submit water share applications and interstate allocation trades
• June 21 - Final season meter reads to be entered for Diversions customers
• June 24 - Last day to submit manual applications to trade or relinquish allocations
• June 28, 5pm – Last day to submit online applications to trade or relinquish allocations via MyWater 
• July 16 - Last day to pay end of season accounts
• August 15 - First day of the new irrigation season

GMW provides water entitlement holders with information about their end of irrigation season options as a courtesy. Customers are responsible for ensuring they undertake the necessary steps to carry over, use, sell or relinquish their unused water allocation before the appropriate deadlines.

 Back to contents

Consider carrying over your water by 30 June 2024

Customers can carryover their unused water allocation from one irrigation season, to the next based on the local carryover rules.

Carrying over water means that unused allocation is available to use or trade at the start of the season. This option is open to those in the Broken, Bullarook, Campaspe, Goulburn, Loddon and Murray systems.

For entitlements held in the Goulburn and Campaspe systems customers need to factor returning spillable water allocation into their carryover planning for 2024/25.

If you have unused water you wish to carryover, it’s important to link your allocation account to a water share, limited term transfer of a water share, or supply by agreement before 30 June 2024.

For more information about carryover, calculating, using, trading or relinquishing water allocations, you can:

• visit our End of season and carryover webpage
• visit the Victorian Water Register website (opens in new window)
• phone our Customer Experience team on 1800 013 357.

For further information on water trading, please visit our Water Trading webpage.

 Back to contents

Spillable water accounts

Customers in the Goulburn and Campaspe systems still have allocation in spillable water accounts. This is because the risk of spill at Lake Eildon and Lake Eppalock before the end of the 2023/24 water year is greater than 10 per cent.

At the time of publishing (i.e. end April), the total volume held in spillable water accounts is 342 GL in the Goulburn system and 5 GL in the Campaspe system.

The spill risks are updated on the 10th of each month or the next business day until a low risk has been declared. If the spill risk remains above 10 per cent, the allocation remaining in spillable water accounts on 10 June 2024 will return to allocation accounts for entitlement holders to factor into their carryover planning for 2024/25.

A low risk of spill was declared in the Murray system on 11 December 2023 and 116 GL was returned from Murray spillable water accounts.

 Back to contents

Above entitlement storage fees

Above entitlement storage fees apply if the total carryover and allocation available over the season is more than the full water share volume.

This ensures people who hold more water in storage than their entitlement volume contribute their fair share of storage costs. Fees do not apply to any water that spills, or any allocation traded in during the current season.

Like the fixed entitlement storage fees, above entitlement storage fees are paid by the water share owner. However, above entitlement storage fees cannot be raised until allocations are finished and the declaration has been made. These fees are not raised until late in the season, with the end of season variable charges accounts.

It is important to be aware that if you buy a water share prior to the above entitlement storage fees being raised, you will be liable for any above entitlement storage fees issued later in the year for that water share.

More information about above entitlement storage fees is available in a fact sheet at the Victorian Water Register website (opens in new window).

The charges for each basin for 2023/24 are:

• Goulburn - $4.37 per ML
• Campaspe - $18.21 per ML
• Murray - $4.61 per ML

Please note – once these charges have been raised, we will request them to be paid prior to the approval of a water share transfer.

 Back to contents

Meter reading reminder

GMW’s Diversions Inspectors undertake end-of-season meter readings during the months of May and June.

To assist customers, Diversions Inspectors record the end-of-season meter reading and date when the reading was taken on a sticker and place it on or near the meter so that it is clear what the final reading was. This reading becomes the start reading for the following season.

Any usage that occurs after the date recorded on the sticker and before 30 June needs to be communicated to your local Diversions Inspector on 1800 013 357 before 21 June 2024.

If you are a regulated surface water customer who would like to use entitlement during May or June, please ensure you order your requirements through WaterLINE or contact your local Diversion Inspector so that your usage can be accounted for in the current season.

If you are an unregulated surface water or groundwater customer and use water in the months of May or June, please inform your local Diversions Inspector so that the usage can be accounted for in the current season.

Failure to do so will result in any usage after the end-of-season meter reading being accounted for against your 2024/25 usage. 

 Back to contents

Our people, our work

James, Senior Groundwater and Streams Officer

The work performed by the Groundwater and Streams team is diverse, with each day bringing something new. 

“Recently we’ve been working on some quite complex unregulated surface water and groundwater applications, including licences to construct and permanent/temporary trades,” James said.

“We have also had several planning referral responses, which involves evaluating proposed planning decisions that have the potential to impact both surface water and groundwater resources.’’

GMW is required under the Water Act to assess applications from members of the public who want to access water for a range of licensable purposes.

“GMW must assess these applications in an unbiased manner, based on merit and required technical information, to make an informed decision regarding each application,” James said.

“This ensures that impacts to surrounding users and the environment are considered, together with any potential social and economic impacts. By following this process, the best outcomes for the applicant, environment and other users can be effectively evaluated.”

In some instances, an onsite meeting is required. This is a great opportunity for the team to become familiar with the geography of the region, as well as getting to meet customers face to face.

“The favourite part of my role is the challenging nature of the complex applications that our team is tasked with assessing,” James said.

“Each application we receive is unique, guaranteeing that we encounter interesting and stimulating tasks every day.”

 Back to contents

Pyramid Hill GMW office closure

GMW will close its Pyramid Hill customer service centre from 28 June 2024 and services will be transitioned to the Kerang customer service centre.

The Pyramid Hill customer service centre has been an appointment-only centre since 2022.

The Kerang customer service centre is located at 78 Kerang-Koondrook Rd, Kerang and is open from 8.30am to 4.30pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

While people are welcome to drop-in, booking an appointment is encouraged by:

• using the online booking system; or
• calling the GMW Customer Experience team on 1800 013 357 or emailing reception@gmwater.com.au to pre-book an appointment. 

 Back to contents

Don't drink the water

GMW supplies raw (untreated) water for irrigation, stock and domestic purposes. The quality of the water can vary due to a variety of factors such as algal levels, land uses, changes in flow, floods and drought.

Water supplied by GMW is not suitable for human consumption without first being properly treated.

Human consumption includes showering, bathing, washing, cooking, ice making and drinking.

Collective entitlement holders should advise their customers/users that the water supplied is non-potable (i.e. not for human consumption), particularly if they run accommodation premises or food businesses, or if the general public has access to the water (e.g. through a public tap).

More information can be found at our Water Quality page.

 Back to contents

Price Submission 2024-2028 update

The Essential Services Commission (ESC) provided its Draft Determination for the GMW Price Submission 2024-28 on 26 March 2024.

The ESC found that GMW’s extensive customer engagement helped inform the Price Submission, and that the Price Submission presented clear and comprehensive information to support its proposals.

The Draft Determination recommends some minor amendments which GMW will work through in the coming months.

The Draft Determination is open for public feedback until 7 May 2024, with the final decision on prices to be released by the ESC in June 2024.

For more information, or to view the Draft Determination, please head to the ESC website (opens in new window).

 Back to contents

GMW engages new debt collection partner

GMW is encouraging customers to be proactive in managing any outstanding bills and reminding them of supports available if they are experiencing financial hardships.

GMW has recently partnered with CollectAU (opens in new window), an external debt collection organisation that has extensive experience working with the water industry.

Recognising the past few years have been challenging, GMW wants to support customers to find solutions to manage their debt levels.

Therefore, in the next few weeks, following the issue of reminder and final notices, customers who have outstanding debt may be referred to CollectAU.

CollectAU will then work with these customers to determine next steps and options, including setting up repayment options.

Please be aware that if the debt remains unpaid, GMW may suspend a customer’s water supply and take further action.

More information is available at the GMW website.

Customers experiencing financial hardship should phone GMW’s Customer Experience team on 1800 013 357 to discuss options that may be available to assist them or visit our Payment Assistance page.

 Back to contents