A Shepparton company has been fined $2588 after facing court over water theft charges.
The company plead guilty in the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on July 26, 2022 to unauthorised take and use of water.
The company held a water-use licence but took more water than their allocation allowed.
GMW records show the company either failed or refused to correct overuse of negative 35.28ML.
Full restitution of the negative balance occurred when the company received a 43.1ML allocation through the Irrigators’ Share Distribution project.
GMW Water Delivery Services general manager Warren Blyth said GMW takes a zero tolerance approach to water theft, which is a serious offence.
“You must adhere to the conditions of your take and use licence at all times to avoid penalties,” he said.
“Water theft affects everyone in your community because there’s limited water to go around.
“Our priority is to continue to improve the monitoring and enforcement of unauthorised take of water.”
Customers with any queries on compliance can phone the GMW Customer Experience Team on 1800 013 357 for assistance.
For more information, go to www.gmwater.com.au/compliance