Goulburn-Murray Water has announced that up to 5,000 megalitres of water entitlement can be temporarily traded from the Lower Goulburn River trading zone (Zone 3) into the Greater Goulburn water trading zones (Zones 1A & 1B).
This approval follows a recent review of seasonal conditions, water resource security and water flow requirements for the Lower Goulburn River, which found that this amount could be traded without adversely affecting the reliability of the Goulburn water supply system.
The review, undertaken each year, can only be assessed at this point of the irrigation season and is designed to provide additional water to the market as soon as possible.
Goulburn-Murray Water is writing to all Lower Goulburn entitlement holders to offer them the opportunity to temporarily trade water entitlement into the Greater Goulburn zones.
To ensure equity for all entitlement holders, Goulburn-Murray Water will follow the same process that has been used in previous years to manage this trade. Potential sellers will be required to submit a ‘Registration of Interest to Temporary Trade' form to the Tatura office no later than the close of business on Wednesday 20 December 2006.
If the total Registration of Interest to Trade exceeds the volume of 5,000 megalitres, each registration will be adjusted based on the total volume of entitlement held by each individual applicant.
Applicants will be notified of the results and will be able to conduct their trades through normal trading mechanisms, such as Watermove, water brokers or private trades, up until the end of the 2006/07 irrigation season.