Water Use Rights and Transferability
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Water use rights and Transferable Water Entitlements (TWEs) are administered in North East by Goulburn-Murray Water (external link). Some properties in the region had a historic, statutory water right to a certain amount of water per hectare of land. These rights can now be sold between landholders with some restrictions on destination and volume. No net increase in the use of water within the catchment is permitted. Potential users of water must buy water rights from an existing water user in the catchment. A market is now serviced by a number of specialist water brokers. Water rights can be traded permanently or for just one season. Current permanent rights sales are in the range of $600-$750 per megalitre (ML). Temporary rights transfer can vary from $15/ML to $70/ML depending on demand in a particular year (North East Plantations Inc. Website). Guidelines regarding water use policy and irrigation development include:
Irrigation Development Guidelines
- Goulburn-Murray Water Policy
- Application of Guidelines for Irrigation Development
- Role of Stakeholder Organisations
- Process for Approval for Irrigation Developments
- Concept Outline for Irrigation Developments
- Initial Assessment of Hydrogeology
- Irrigation and Drainage Management Plan
- Check List - Environmental Features
- Cultural Resource Management - Aboriginal Affairs Victoria
- Process for Approval for Private Dams
- Works on Crown Land
- Heritage Rivers
Bennett, P.A., (1992) Surface water management in the Campaspe River basin: background information, Department of Water Resources, Melbourne.
© The State of Victoria, 1996 - 2008.
This document was last reviewed on 04/09/2008