Reporting a breach of the Water Act 1989

How can I report a breach?

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, you can:

What information do I need to provide?

When reporting an alleged offence, please provide the following information:

  • A description of the offence (including names of individuals and the business, location, dates and witnesses)
  • How you became aware of this information
  • Any supporting documentation you may have (e.g. photographs of alleged action) and a description of these.

Providing as many details as possible will help us assess your report and determine appropriate investigation processes.

Can my submission/report/information remain anonymous?

You can remain anonymous when submitting information, but please keep in mind that your decision for anonymity may limit our ability to conduct a complete investigation.

 For more information refer to the  How do I report an alleged offence? fact sheet on our Water Use Compliance page.

Report a breach online

Report an alleged breach of the Water Act 1989

Questions marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory – this means you must answer these questions in order to submit the form. If you don’t answer a mandatory question, an error message will appear.

You cannot save this form and return to it later, so you will need to complete it in one session.

Water Use Compliance
Area of non-compliance This is a required field.
Please choose at least one.
Area of non-compliance This is a required field.
How did you become aware of this information? This is a required field.
How did you become aware of this information? This is a required field.
Please include as much specific information as possible i.e. names, position, dates, witnesses.
e.g. location of the potential breach/offence (address, town, business)
If available, please describe any supporting documentation you may have e.g. photographs of alleged action, copies of documents – please attach supporting documentation or email them to us at compliance@gmwater.com.au.
If yes, please provide details.
Anonymity Status This is a required field.
Anonymity Status This is a required field.
Do you agree to GMW contacting you to obtain further information regarding the allegation? This is a required field.
Do you agree to GMW contacting you to obtain further information regarding the allegation? This is a required field.
Sharing of Information This is a required field.
By submitting this form you are agreeing to the possibility of GMW passing information about this matter on to another agency. Do you have any concerns or issues about GMW sharing the information you are providing? If yes, please provide details.
Sharing of Information This is a required field.

Protecting your privacy

Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) protects your privacy by collecting and handling your personal information in accordance with the requirements of the Privacy & Data Protection Act 2014. Your personal information is collected on this form for the purpose of investigating the breach you have reported. Information collected is usually disclosed to staff in the Legal Unit, other relevant GMW staff, contractors and at times if reasonably required to related government departments, e.g. DELWP. GMW may also be legally required to disclose personal information, for instance to the police, courts or other authorised organisations. Failure to provide the information sought may limit our ability to conduct a complete investigation. You may gain access to and correct your personal information. For further information please refer to our Privacy Policy at www.gmwater.com.au/privacy or call 1800 013 357 to obtain a copy of this policy.

Anonymity

You can remain anonymous when submitting information, but please keep in mind that your decision for anonymity may limit our ability to conduct a complete investigation.

Confirmation that your form was received

You will receive an automatic notification when this form has been submitted.

If you have chosen not to remain anonymous (to GMW) and agree that GMW may contact you to obtain additional information, you will be contacted by a GMW officer. You will also receive an email or letter acknowledging your report.

Providing further information

You can add further information to your form once it has been lodged. This can be done using a new ‘report an alleged breach/offence form’, via email ( compliance@gmwater.com.au) or by phoning 1800 013 357.

Once a report is logged

The information you provide is sent to GMW. A GMW officer will then be assigned and will undertake a review of the information you have provided. They may contact you to confirm or seek further information if necessary.

What happens next depends on a range of factors including how much information you have provided and how serious the matter is. We may refer some matters on to a Basin state government and seek further information, including about what action they may be taking. Please refer to the MDBA's Protocol for handling allegations and information about non-compliance for further information.

No breach has been found

While GMW will review every report of suspicious activity/alleged breach made, your information may not always lead to a GMW officer going out to investigate. Regardless of this assessment, all reports made and information you provide are recorded and contribute to GMW’s broader compliance activities.

Someone else has information but won’t report it

Encourage the person to lodge the report by completing a new Water Use Compliance form, via email ( compliance@gmwater.com.au) or by phoning 1800 013 357 and help them gather the necessary information. If the person is worried about providing their information, advise them that the report can remain anonymous.