Water Markets Intermediaries Code – What it means for you
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If you buy or sell water on a temporary or permanent basis through a broker or online trading platform, you should be aware of the new Water Markets Intermediaries Code.
Introduced by the ACCC on 1 December 2023, the code sets clear rules for water brokers and exchanges to improve fairness and transparency in the water market.
Phase one took effect on 1 July 2025. Phase two will take effect from 1 October 2025.
Brokers and trading platforms must:
- Clearly explain their fees and commissions
- Disclose any conflicts of interest
- Provide records of trades and trading terms
- Have a process for handling complaints
These rules help ensure you can make informed decisions and have confidence when trading water.
If you use a broker or online exchange to buy or sell water, you can expect clearer information about costs and terms under the new Code.
To learn more, visit the Australian Competition and Comsumer Commision website.
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Preparing for the start of the irrigation season
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Understanding your water entitlements will help you get the right mix for your irrigation business today and into the future.
Your delivery share is an entitlement to have water delivered to your land through the delivery system (channels or pipelines) in an irrigation area.
Delivery shares can be used to share access to the delivery system during periods when total customer orders exceed the system’s available capacity.
This ensures all customers receive a fair supply in line with delivery share rights, as GMW manages any congestion.
During peak times, it is important to manage your water use to avoid using more water than your entitlement of allocation.
Here are a few tips to assist:
- Make sure you have enough water available in your Allocation Bank Account (ABA) and allow enough time for allocation trades to be processed.
- Place your irrigation orders through WaterLINE.
- Read your locally read meters regularly and closely monitor your use against entitlement.
- Check your current usage and entitlement figures regularly. They’re available on WaterLINE at any time or on request from your local GMW office during business hours for regulated water users.
If you are in any doubt, phone the GMW Customer Experience team on 1800 013 357.
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Improving the efficiency and equity of access to allocation trade opportunities
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WaterNSW and the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) are seeking your feedback on a draft framework to assess long-term options to improve the efficiency and equity of how limited trade opportunities are shared. Feedback on both the framework and the options to assess in the next stage of this project can be provided in a brief online survey at Engage Victoria by Sunday, 17 August 2025.
Historically most access to trade opportunities has been provided on a ‘first-in first-served' basis. Stakeholders have suggested that this may advantage certain types of market participants over others, enabling select participants to benefit from trading allocation between zones. For the recent Barmah and Goulburn trade openings a randomisation approach was introduced as a temporary measure following disruptions to the Victorian Water Register to make sure trade opportunities are made reliably available to market participants.
DEECA and WaterNSW are undertaking this project to ensure the long-term options are carefully considered to ensure efficient and equitable access to market opportunities. Following this consultation, DEECA will work with WaterNSW to consolidate all feedback, to finalise a joint framework and then use it to assess potential long-term options.
For further information and to have your say, please visit DEECA’s Engage Victoria page or WaterNSW's page.
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Fixed charges accounts to hit mailboxes soon
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GMW’s prices continue to be structured to support the delivery of service levels to customers and avoid price volatility.
GMW customers with fixed charges will soon receive their bills after the 2025/26 Price List came into effect on 1 July 2025.
For more information, see the 2025/26 Price List page.
Need help with your account?
GMW has a number of flexible payment options available to help customers manage their bills and they can be found on our Payment Assistance page
For information about your account, please visit our Manage My Account page or phone the GMW Customer Experience team on 1800 013 357.
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Plan ahead for the season – submit your water orders early
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With storage levels lower this year and the potential for reduced allocations, it’s important to plan ahead and submit your water orders early.
Climatic conditions, storage inflows and customer demand all influence the volume of water allocated. Given this uncertainty and the potential for congestion in peak growing periods, we recommend customers be proactive in placing their water orders.
To ensure your water is debited against the correct allocation account, please make sure you place your orders on GMW’s ordering system, WaterLINE, from 10 August in preparation for the season start on 15 August.
For assistance using WaterLINE online, phone GMW on 1800 013 357 during office hours (8.30 am – 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday).
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WaterLINE update coming soon
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GMW’s water ordering system WaterLINE is being updated to help you better monitor and manage your water use. From late October, the 2025 version release of WaterLINE will be available making the ordering of water and managing your records easier than ever.
The new version features:
- a modern, responsive design for mobiles, tablets, laptops, and desktops
- improved account management and use history
- a new map function to visualise orders.
For the 2025/26 water season, both the current and new versions of WaterLINE will run in parallel to give GMW customers time to become familiar with the new release features.
For help getting set up, or if you’ve lost your User Number or PIN, phone GMW on 1800 013 357 during office hours.
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Maintaining your on-farm infrastructure
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GMW has an extensive channel, pipeline and drainage system – we recognise we must work together with our customers to ensure the system is operating the best it can.
GMW maintenance obligations
Input from customers helps ensures we can address maintenance issues as soon as they arise. If a maintenance problem is reported by a customer, it will be assigned a priority rating and we will aim to have the problem rectified within the target timeframe.
Customer maintenance obligations
Customers are responsible for maintaining all private works from the point of connection to the GMW system.
If your on-farm infrastructure is not maintained correctly, it may mean you won’t receive water at the flow rate you ordered it.
Make sure your pumps, pipelines and other infrastructure are kept clear of debris and blockages for the best water delivery results.
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Do the right thing this irrigation season
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The start of the irrigation season is a timely reminder to take responsibility for your water use.
Please remember:
- it is illegal to take and use more water than allowed under your entitlement
- before you take and use water, make sure you:
- place an order
- have the right authorisations
- have enough water available in your entitlement and allow enough time for temporary or permanent trades to be processed
- check your meter reading and water usage against your licenced volume; and
- check if restrictions and/or bans apply.
- it is your responsibility to ensure your ABA balance remains positive throughout the year.
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Loddon Valley Irrigation Area customers asked to prepare for possible rationing
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As we approach the start of the 2025/26 irrigation season, we want to ensure Loddon Valley Irrigation Area customers are prepared for the possibility that they may enter another rationing cycle.
Although this area has recently received rainfall, there is still a chance of high irrigation demand - especially with spring being a peak period for water use in the region.
We encourage Loddon Valley Irrigation Area customers to plan ahead for water needs by thinking about the following:
- Placing irrigation orders from 1 August 2025. We have opened irrigation ordering early for Loddon Valley Irrigation Area customers only to help us gauge demand and determine whether rationing is required.
- How delivery share is distributed across service points.
- Applying to vary or transfer delivery shares to ensure continued access. Please contact our staff via deliveryshare@gmwater.com.au to request a pre-populated form or a copy of your Water Register Delivery Share Copy of Record. This process has been simplified following feedback received during the autumn 2025 rationing.
- Exploring options for an alternative water source by buying water from the Loddon water system (trading zone 5A) tagged to your service point. To learn more, please contact our Water Trading team on 1800 013 357.
For more information on rationing, you can:
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2025 Winter Works program is wrapping up
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Our 2025 Winter Works program is nearing completion, with a significant amount achieved over the past couple of months.
This year’s works have included:
• Dewatering systems to inspect and frost channels of aquatic weeds
• refurbishment and rock-armouring of channels
• repair of pipelines and regulators
• replacement of road and rail culverts
Take a look at the short video below to see some of this work in action.
In some areas, there may still be changed traffic conditions and increased heavy vehicle movements. Please continue to take extra care when travelling through these locations.
For more information about Winter Works, including an interactive map of where works are happening, visit our Winter Works project page.
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Stock on channels
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Remember to keep your stock off irrigation channel banks.
Allowing stock to drink from channels, rather than from a trough, can do significant damage to channel banks. This includes reduction in soil health and water quality, and the loss of instream habitats.
If stock damage on channel banks is identified, one of our Field Officers will speak to you to ensure damage does not reoccur.
Any stock damage that occurs after you have been contacted will be repaired by GMW, at your expense.
Repairing channel banks can be costly, which can impact on customer prices. All irrigators benefit from our channels being in good condition, and we all play a role in maintaining them.
We ask for your cooperation in this matter and avoid stock drinking directly from channels.
If you have any questions, please phone our Customer Experience team on 1800 013 357.
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Customer Committees
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GMW has appointed three new GMID Customer Committees (East, West and Central) to be the voice of our customers.
The GMID Customer Committees were appointed in 2025 to replace the previous Water Services Committees. The new committees align with GMW’s services, have a strategic focus and are collaborative.
The members of each committee are:
GMID Customer Committee - East
The GMID Customer Committee - East has five members from the Murray Valley irrigation district and four members from the Shepparton irrigation district. The fourth position in the Shepparton irrigation district is currently vacant.
Murray Valley
- Jane Waser
- Paul Lindsay
- Nick Raleigh
- Adam Routley
- Matthew Cornish
Shepparton
- Michael van Eyk
- Craig Reynolds
- Peter Radevski
GMID Customer Committee - West
The GMID Customer Committee - West has five members from the Torrumbarry irrigation district and four members from the Loddon Valley irrigation districts.
Torrumbarry
- Andrew Leahy
- Hamish Toll
- Calum Peace
- Gregory Quinn
- Dianne Bowles
Loddon Valley
- Todd Martin
- Douglas Perryman
- Tony Sawers
- Matthew Chalmers
GMID Customer Committee - Central
The GMID Central Customer Committee has five members from the Central Goulburn irrigation district and four members from the Rochester-Campaspe irrigation districts.
Central Goulburn
- Gordon Watson
- Ben Nexhip
- Dallas Aikman
- Peter Hacon
- Graeme Donaldson
Rochester
- Peter Gibson
- Glenn Murrells
- Andrew Rushton
- Corey Mitchell
The members will be able to raise issues and opportunities and have an input into a range of initiatives, including:
- GMW’s asset management profiling
- Scenario planning for GMW’s drought and climate action responses
- GMW’s Pricing Submission 2028-2032
- Drainage service levels and costs
- Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action’s (DEECA) deeming review
- Research into the future of water availability
- Restoring Our Rivers related initiatives
- Improvements to GMW’s services and customer experience
- Meeting with other agencies such as DEECA, Agriculture Victoria and Catchment Management Authorities.
The GMID Customer Committees will meet at least three times per year, as well as attending the annual summit.
For more information, go to our GMID Customer Committees webpage.
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Temporary closure of Shepparton Customer Service Centre
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Our Customer Service Centre located at 21 Wheeler Street, Shepparton will be temporarily closed for renovations from Tuesday, 22 July to Tuesday, 16 September 2025.
You can still see us at our Shepparton location, however due to safety reasons, we won’t be able to accommodate walk-in customers during this time. We’ll be operating on a pre-booked appointment-only basis, where you’ll continue to receive the same high-quality, face-to-face service.
Alternatively, you can request an on-farm visit, where a member of our team will come to you. To arrange this, please call us on 1800 013 357.
How to book an appointment at the Shepparton Customer Service Centre
You can schedule an appointment using any of the following options:
If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 1800 013 357
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Have your say on the North East Sustainable Irrigation Plan
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The North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) has updated the North East Sustainable Irrigation Plan with the key agency delivery partners responsible for its implementation, including GMW, Agriculture Victoria and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.
The plan is an updated version of the 2019-2024 document and NECMA are now seeking feedback.
The consultation period is open until 22 August. Click here for more information, the plan and the short survey
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Update your details
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To help us contact you quickly and cost effectively in case of an incident, service interruption or when you need to know important information, it’s critical we have your current mobile number and email address.
To update your contact details, please call us on 1800 013 357 or complete the online form on our website.
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