Irrigator e-news 16 January 2012

16^th January 2012

Northern Victorian Seasonal Allocations Remain Unchanged

The Resource Manager for northern Victorian regulated water systems today announced that seasonal allocations were unchanged.

For more information

Water Plan 3 update

All Victorian water corporations are required to prepare a Water Plan that documents their approach to managing water programs and resulting pricing for three years.

The development of G-MW’s Water Plan will be an on-going process throughout 2012 with formal opportunities for general customer feedback on a Draft Water Plan in May-Sep 2012. In the months leading up to this, there will be the opportunity for all customers to add to feedback already provided to G-MW by your local Water Service Committee.

Currently, through our online feedback form at www.g-mwater.com.au, customers are being asked to indicate whether they want to be notified by email about the Water Plan process. Throughout February, G-MW will be asking customers about their expectations of service levels. The current standards were approved with our current Water plan and are incorporated into our Customer Charter.

At Water Service Committee meetings in late 2011, committee members reviewed the current service standards and offered general feedback including:

• The potential for increased speed in processing water share and allocation trades?
• Want to understand more about costs associated with trade and regulatory processes
• Concerns about the impact on prices of providing the same service standard to all customers regardless of size of system
• Interested in understanding repercussions of not delivering on agreed service levels
• Don’t see the benefit to rural customers of guaranteed service levels

For further information and updates about Water Plan 3 and the online feedback form please visit www.g-mwater.com.au/water-plan-3, email us at waterplan@g-mwater.com.au or phone your local office.

Variable Charges Accounts to be issued in March

G-MW will be issuing a Variable Charges Account which will include Spillable Water charges in March this year based on a meter reading in February.

Irrigation Area customers with usage between the meter reading and the end of the season will also receive a final Variable Charges Account at the end of the season.

If you have any questions relating to this account please contact G-MW Accounts on 1300 553 200 or 1800 013 357.

Overdue notices for unpaid Fixed Charges Accounts have now been issued

If you have an unpaid fixed charges account (excluding Loddon Valley customers) and have received an overdue notice, please contact G-MW to make suitable payment arrangements.

Any overdue accounts that are not paid and do not have a payment arrangement will have a Stop Service placed on them.

For more information please contact G-MW Accounts on 1300 553 200.

Don’t forget your Annual Use Limit for your water delivery!

Please remember that as part of your Water Use Licence you have an Annual Use Limit for the allowable volume of water you can apply to the land. Due to the large volume of water being delivered this year G-MW have noticed that some customers are close to their Annual Use Limit.

Please remember that once you reach your Annual Use Limit you are unable to order water for the remainder of the season. Applications can be made to increase the annual use limit, which are subject to a field assessment.

Please contact the G-MW Land Transactions Team on 5826 3242 or your local area office, for any annual use limit information.

Increased Lower Goulburn Flows

Over the coming month, flows below Goulburn Weir will be above normal operating requirements as a result of the delivery of inter-valley trade commitments from the Goulburn to the Murray System. River heights may vary during this time.

If you have any concerns please contact your local area office for more information.

For more detailed information about releases from Goulburn Weir please visit www.g-mwater.com.au/water-resources/managing-water-storages.

New G-MW office contact numbers

G-MW has recently upgraded its phone system to enable better communication between staff and customers. As a result, all
G-MW office phone numbers have changed. All old phone numbers will be diverted for the next 12 months, however you can start to use the new numbers from now.

Placing water delivery orders - contact planners via WaterLINE!

Planners are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via WaterLINE online or by phone 1300 469 469 for all areas except the Torrumbarry Irrigation Area who have planners available between 7am-11pm only.

If a planner is unable to take your call, please leave a message and they will call you back as soon as possible.

If you need assistance in accessing WaterLINE online or over the phone, have forgotten your user number and PIN, or would like to order a new WaterLINE order book, please contact your local G-MW office.

Water Safety

With summer well under way, it is important to remember that irrigation channels are dangerous and are not safe to swim in. Channel levels and regulator gates can change suddenly while pipes, rocks and debris can be hidden below the surface. Stay safe this summer, please ensure you, your family and your friends don’t enter or play in irrigation channels.

Monitor your water quality

Please be on the lookout for changes in water quality as rainfall or warm weather may cause changes. Please monitor your water supply source and make alternative arrangements if water quality deteriorates.

Water users are reminded that water supplied by G-MW is not fit for any use that may involve human consumption, either directly or indirectly, without first being properly treated.

General reminders for all customers

• For information on your accounts, entitlements, Service Point fees, Carryover and Spillable Water, please call G-MW on 1800 013 357.
• Please report any channel leaks or damage to your planner via WaterLINE or at your local G-MW office. This will help G-MW to undertake prompt repairs.
• Please monitor your water usage. If you need to transfer water to use, please make allowances for the transaction timeframe to ensure enough water is available in your Allocation Bank Account when you place an order.
• Please remember to confirm all water orders 24 hours prior to commencement. You are also able to subscribe to SMS Start/Stop through WaterLINE when you order your water which will send you a SMS message 30 minutes prior to your outlet starting and stopping.

Murray North East Operations

• G-MW staff are currently collecting meter readings on regulated streams. This may require entry to your property to access meters. You can assist by ensuring that access is clear of any obstacles. Vehicles will be identified with the G-MW logo and will travel slowly and adhere to any on farm speed restrictions. If you have any concerns with G-MW staff entering your property please contact your local G-MW office.
• All unregulated streams are being monitored due to the declining flows and rosters and restrictions may be implemented. As the take period for Winter-fill licences has now finished all flows in the stream must be passed downstream.

Goulburn Broken Operations

• "Blow" (Umbrella) grass can build up against structures and block pipes. If you notice any "Blow" (Umbrella) grass around G-MW channels or structures please report the location to your local G-MW office.
  
• G-MW staff are currently collecting meter readings on regulated streams. This may require entry to your property to access meters. You can assist by ensuring that access is clear of any obstacles. Vehicles will be identified with the G-MW logo and will travel slowly and adhere to any on farm speed restrictions. If you have any concerns with G-MW staff entering your property please contact your local G-MW office.
• All unregulated streams are being monitored due to the declining flows and rosters and restrictions may be implemented. As the take period for Winter-fill licences has now finished all flows in the stream must be passed downstream.

Shepparton

• The Shepparton channel network is operating in automatic mode. A minimum notice of 24 hours is required for placing irrigation orders. For those customers who are on a non-automated channel in Shepparton East, a minimum notice of 72 hours is required.

Central Goulburn

• The Central Goulburn major channels (NVIRP backbone) are operating in automatic mode. A minimum notice of 24 hours is required for placing irrigation orders on the backbone.
• A minimum notice of 72 hours is required for placing irrigation orders on the remaining Central Goulburn non-backbone system.

Loddon-Campaspe Operations

• "Blow" (Umbrella) grass can build up against structures and block pipes. If you notice any "Blow" (Umbrella) grass around G-MW channels or structures please report the location to your local G-MW office.
  
• G-MW staff are currently collecting meter readings on regulated streams. This may require entry to your property to access meters. You can assist by ensuring that access is clear of any obstacles. Vehicles will be identified with the G-MW logo and will travel slowly and adhere to any on farm speed restrictions. If you have any concerns with G-MW staff entering your property please contact your local G-MW office.
• All unregulated streams are being monitored due to the declining flows and rosters and restrictions may be implemented. As the take period for Winter-fill licences has now finished all flows in the stream must be passed downstream.

Rochester

• On behalf of NVIRP, G-MW is delivering water for domestic and stock purposes to some customers in the Campaspe west area for a limited time. Where available, G-MW may extend this service to deliver water for irrigation purposes. For further information please contact Tony Cantwell at the Rochester office on 03 5484 7400.

Loddon Valley

• The new Pyramid Hill office located at 24 Barber Street is open for customer access. The new office provides improved facilities for both customers and staff.

Central Murray Operations

• The Swan Hill modernisation project is gaining momentum. Swan Hill customers will be contacted by NVIRP over the coming weeks.
• There is currently Blue-Green Algae present in Gum Lagoon, please remember that all water supplied by
  G-MW is unfit for human consumption, directly or indirectly, without first being properly treated.
• G-MW has begun a review of the Natural Carriers Rebate and a letter will soon be received by all gravity irrigation system customers. G-MW would like to encourage Torrumbarry customers to input into this review by completing the feedback form included with the letter or complete the online feedback form.

Contact Us |

Unsubscribe or Update your subscription |

Goulburn-Murray Water Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.