What are unregulated catchments?
Unregulated catchments are those in which flows are natural flow of the stream and not controlled by the corporation using storages. Unregulated catchments may contain rivers, creeks and numerous small waterways, and provide water to landholders for irrigation, commercial or domestic and stock needs.
Use of water in unregulated catchments is managed through take and use licensing and local management rules.
Local Management Rules
Local Management Rules document rules for applying restrictions and rosters, passing flow requirements, trading zones and management objectives. These have been completed across each of the majors Basins in Northern Victoria. Overall there are 93 separate LMR documents which are identified into their corresponding basin. These major Basins and there corresponding LMRs can be accessed below.
Water Use Compliance
Water is a precious and limited resource. It is critical to our economy, environment and communities. This is why water needs to managed fairly for all water users. GMW takes a zero-tolerance approach to water theft to ensure equity of access to limited water resources and protects those who are doing the right thing.
It’s illegal to take and use more water than allowed under your entitlement. Whenever a little more water is taken than is allowed, it can easily add up and there is limited water to go around.
Water theft affects everyone in your community and it is important that individual water users do not adversely impact other users or Victoria’s environmental values. Individual water users should make sure they have the right authorisations before they take water from a dam, bore, stream, river, creek or irrigation channel.
A zero-tolerance to water theft provides equity of access to limited water resources and protects those who are doing the right thing. If you see something, say something. To report an alleged breach/offence, phone us on 1800 013 357.
For more information on compliance and enforcement at GMW, please see our Water Use Compliance page.