Gravity Irrigation Customer Newsletter

Your voice matters: Shaping our region’s water future (Basin Plan Review)

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review 2026 is happening now, and the decisions made in this review affect everything from farm viability, regional economies, the environment and community life for everyone in our region.

GMW is actively advocating on behalf of our customers and communities, but our submission alone is not enough. The greater number of community submissions, the stronger the case for our region.

Your input is critical in providing lived experience from our region, reflecting the importance of northern Victoria’s irrigated agriculture $3.2 billion contribution to the economy; ensuring there is a balanced approach to outcomes for the environment and the economy; and helping to protect against continued water buybacks without smart safeguards.

We've prepared a range of ready-to-use materials to make the submission process as straightforward as possible.

Have your say – it takes less than 15 minutes. Submissions close on Friday 1 May

Plan your end of season water needs

If you want to use water over winter, you should plan your needs now to ensure a water supply.

The 2025/26 irrigation season will close on 15 May 2026 and during the off-season GMW undertakes critical maintenance on the channel network to help manage delivery of water during high demand periods. This means GMW needs to lower and dewater channels to carry out desilting and weed removal or inspections.

During this time, we cannot guarantee that you will have access to water from the channel network for domestic and stock or irrigation purposes. Your channel could be drawn down, (meaning maintenance works or inspections are happening) at any time during the winter period. Interactive maps of maintenance works will be available on our website closer to the irrigation shutdown period.

We encourage our gravity irrigation and domestic and stock customers to consider filling their dams and tanks before 10 May 2025 to guarantee a winter water supply.

Customers who may want to use water for irrigation purposes during the irrigation off-season must apply for an Out of Season Agreement. Please note, conditions and fees apply.

For more information, including any questions you have, please phone our Customer Experience Team on 1800 013 357 and they will connect you to a customer service team member in your area.

Contacting us during the irrigation shutdown

During the irrigation shutdown (May 16 to August 14), our Water Systems Operators are not rostered on for planning and monitoring.

Messages left via WaterLINE will be reviewed periodically.

Our Contact Centre will be on hand within business hours for all other needs during this period and can be reached by phoning 1800 013 357.

Getting ready for a busy Winter Works season

We’re gearing up for our annual major works season, with a focus on renewal and maintenance to support efficient water delivery.

The Winter Works program is delivered during the irrigation shutdown, allowing essential maintenance on below-water assets to be completed without affecting customers.

This year’s $4.7m program includes remodeling and reprofiling around 10.1 km of channel banks. Works will also include culvert replacements and repairs, along with bridge refurbishments.

GMW will also deliver a comprehensive weed treatment program, with a target of treating almost 300km of channels. We’ll also desilt around 70km of channel to improve flows across the network.

A map showing works locations will be available on our website in May.

Time to switch to the new WaterLINE

GMW is encouraging customers to transition to the new version of the WaterLINE website before the end of the current irrigation season.

The new WaterLINE provides a more flexible and user-friendly experience. Customers can order water at any time, from any device, and access real time information including Allocation Account (ABA) and outlet capacity monitoring.

GMW is hosting a webinar to help transition to the new WaterLINE version on Thursday 23 April at 11am. 

REGISTER NOW

To access WaterLINE, you’ll need your User Number and PIN. If you need help or access to your details, you can call us on 1800 013 357. The legacy version will be switched off on Friday 15 May.

WATERLINE

Understanding your bill

Pumped district customers will receive one variable charge account for usage in June, and a fixed charges account in late July/August. This means your bill shows both the cost of being connected to the pumped network and the water used during the season. Keeping these charges together helps make it easier to see the full cost of your pumped water supply.

Water use charges reflect the volume of water delivered, while fixed charges relate to access and infrastructure. A simple guide to reading your account and payment options is available on the Goulburn‑Murray Water website.

How to read your Fixed Charges Account

Concessions reminder

Eligible customers may be able to receive a Victorian Government concession on their fixed charges account. This is available to Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card and eligible Veterans’ Affairs card holders, for your principal place of residence only.

Reminder: You need to apply to receive the concession and eligibility should be confirmed prior to 30 ^th June each year prior to the issuing of accounts.  Details on eligibility and how to apply are available on our website.

Learn more about concessions

Key dates to remember

To ensure your application can be finalised by 30 June 2026, please note:

• May 10 – Last day to submit water orders to ensure delivery
• May 15 – Last day of 2025/26 gravity irrigation season
• May 29 – Last day to submit land applications and delivery share applications
• June 16 – Last day to submit water share transfer applications (must be submitted by 5:00pm)
• June 16 – Last day to submit interstate allocation trade applications (must be submitted by 5:00pm)
• June 23 – Last day to submit paper-based allocation trade applications (must be submitted by 5:00pm)
• June 25 –  All interstate allocation trades submitted online via Broker Portal or API will be processed manually from 5:00pm
• June 30 –  Last day to submit online applications to trade or relinquish allocations via MyWater; Water Register and trading closes at midday (12:00pm)
• July 16 –  Last day to pay 2025/26 Variable Charges accounts
• August 15 –  First day of the 2026/27 gravity 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.

Seasonal prepardeness

Climate variability is part of our reality. In October 2022 we were experiencing floods. In 2025/2026, northern Victoria is experiencing warmer weather and below median rainfall.

We have developed a seasonal preparedness hub on our website to provide our customers and communities with the latest information, tools and resources to prepare for changes in seasonal conditions and support sustainable water use.

Visit to access:

• Seasonal determinations
• Current outlooks
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Systems specific updates
• Links to government assistance programs, health and wellbeing support and on farm efficiency programs
• Links to The First 72 Hours – a handy guide to preparing ahead of fire, flood and other emergencies.

Learn more about seasonal preparedness

Seasonal determination update

On 1 April the Resource Manager for northern Victoria announced the final determinations for 2025/26 and released an updated outlook for 2026/27. With some flows into storages and milder conditions, there were small improvements across most systems, while the Murray and Campaspe remain at 100% High-Reliability Water Share.

In an update to the outlook for 2026/27, rainfall in February and March had little influence on determinations and opening allocations in the Murray, Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon systems are likely to remain low. However, there were small improvements in the outlook for the Murray and Campaspe systems. The outlook will next be updated on Friday 15 May.

VIEW CURRENT DETERMINATION

VIEW CURRENT 2026/27 OUTLOOK

Loch Garry Customer Committee appointed

Members of the Loch Garry Customer Committee were appointed last month, marking the final addition to GMW’s newly established customer committees.

These committees replace the previous Water Services Committees and are designed to strengthen customer representation and engagement.

The Loch Garry Customer Committee members are:

• David Miles
• Colin Grinter
• Warwick Miles
• John Pettigrew
• Stuart Grinter
• Mathew Price
• Nevil Hauffe
• James Grinter

Learn more about GMW's Customer Committees

Key information about easements

Information about managing vermin, noxious weeds and vegetation on easements is now available on our Easements webpage.

You will also find other key information about easements on this page such as fencing along easements.

Our Customer Relations team are here to support you with any specific queries you have about easements on your property: 1800 013 357.

Learn more about easements

Consider carrying over your water before 30 June 2026

Customers can carry over 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 2025/26.

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 2025.

Learn more about carrying over

Watch the Northern Victoria Resource Manager’s explainer video .

Call our Customer Experience team on 1800 013 357 for additional support.

Changes to the Victorian Mid Murray System

From 1 July 2026, GMW will be making some changes to how the Victorian Mid-Murray Storages are operated. Going forward, and within the existing rules, we will be changing how and when we store and release water from Lake Boga, Kangaroo Lake and Lake Charm. 

The changes are needed due to several factors, including the need to optimise the operation of the storages for Victorian Murray entitlement holders and the increasing challenges of operating the Murray River.

Other changes GMW needs to respond to include spikes in demand for water particularly during hot and dry periods, climate change, population growth and shifts in customer needs and land use.

As a result of the operational changes, there will likely be some impacts on the water levels (more fluctuations) and improved salinity concentrations (salt levels).

Have your say on the changes to the Victorian Mid Murray System

New fines in place for meter tampering

GMW has a zero-tolerance approach to water theft.

Tampering with water meters doesn’t just break the law, it disrupts water delivery to customers, increases metering costs and undermines fair water management.

Individuals can now be fined for tampering with a water meter or prosecuted for more serious breaches.

As of 17 December 2025, anyone caught destroying, damaging, removing, altering, or interfering with a water meter or associated works without proper authorisation can now be fined:

• Individuals: fines up to $2,442
• Body Corporates: fines up to $12,211

If you suspect meter tampering or any other breach of the Water Act 1989, you can phone GMW on 1800 013 357. 

Spillable water account

If the volume of allocation you carry over plus what you receive from next year’s seasonal determination is greater than the volume of your high and low-reliability water shares, then the volume above your water share will be transferred into a spillable water account.

Allocation held in spillable water accounts is not available for use or trade until the risk of spill in your particular system falls below 10 per cent. Deductions from spillable water accounts occur when Lake Hume, Lake Eildon or Lake Eppalock spill or water is released keep the storage level close to full.

In the current 2025/26 season, the risk of spill fell below 10 per cent in the Goulburn system on 11 August and in the Murray and Campaspe systems on 10 September, and the allocation in spillable water accounts was transferred back into allocation accounts.

The risk of spill in the Murray, Goulburn and Campaspe systems in 2026/27 will depend on how much water is released from the storages in the next few months to meet demands. The risk of spill in the Murray system is expected to be about 35 per cent at the start of July 2026. The risk of spill in the Goulburn system is expected to be about 10 per cent and 30 per cent in the Campaspe system in early 2026/27.

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.

The charges for each basin for 2025/26 are:

• Goulburn - $5.39 per ML
• Campaspe - $5.39 per ML
• Murray - $3.01 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.

Learn more about entitlement storage fees 

Ordering water

Gravity irrigation customers must order water before using it, and use must accurately reflect the flow rate and ordered duration. Customers are expected to lodge orders themselves. 

Without placing an order, you are taking water without authority and may be subject to penalties under the Water Act. It is illegal to take and use more water than allowed under your entitlement.

Please ensure you have the right authorisations before taking water from a dam, bore, stream, river or creek.

Visit the WaterLINE website to place your orders