Over the last two months 1,500 Goulburn-Murray Water customers identified as holding water in Allocation Bank Accounts (ABAs) which would not be eligible for the 50% carryover rule, have been contacted by G-MW to highlight the potential loss of water, resulting in customers saving over 11,400ML of water valued at $4 million.
G-MW Manager Water Administration Ruth McGrath said before 30 June 2009, water held in Allocation Bank Accounts, or ABAs, needed to be attached to a Water Use Licence or a Water Share and in the case of carryover, no more than 50% of a customer's water share allocation could be automatically carried over without the water becoming a ‘write-off'.
"G-MW staff identified 1,500 customers who were in the situation as having ‘stranded water' which simply means if it wasn't moved would be returned to the general pool of water for next seasons allocation," Ms McGrath said.
Before the end of the financial year G-MW, made contact with 1,500 customers primarily through mail and direct phone calls to help customers take the steps to ensure water was in the correct linked ABA to maximise their carryover.
There were three categories of ‘stranded water':
- water that was attached to a Water Use Licence but not attached to a Water Share (affecting 3,174ML),
- ABA's not attached to a Water Use Licence and not attached to Water Shares, where a property was sold (affecting 1,191 ML) and
- ABA's with Water Shares but too much water in the account to carryover (7,124ML).
"In total, water at risk of carryover write off was 11,489 ML. Valued on today's market, that's approximately $4 million of water," Ms McGrath said.
In the lead up to the close of the 2008/09 financial year G-MW processed on average 80 applications a day.
G-MW began accepting applications for water share transfers for the 2009/10 season on 17 June onwards, with a ballot to be held on 6 July to determine the processing order for applications to transfer water out of an Irrigation Area.
For further information on water trading or the ballot visit G-MW at http://www.g-mwater.com.au/
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