Melbourne
32.3 Surface water access entitlement for allocated diversions
Supporting information
Surface water access entitlements for allocation diversion represents entitlements that relate to a water system where the flow of the river is regulated through the operation of major storages or weirs to secure water supplies.
Entitlements included are:
- bulk entitlements issued to urban retail water authorities within the Melbourne region
- bulk entitlements issued to urban retail water authorities within the Melbourne region to water outside the region
- bulk entitlements issued to urban retail water authorities outside the Melbourne region
- water shares issued to individual irrigators; classified as high reliability or low reliability water shares.
The following table presents bulk entitlements issued to urban retail water authorities in the Melbourne region.
Entitlement holder | Bulk entitlement | Entitlement volume (ML) | Additional info |
City West Water | Tarago and Bunyip rivers | 30,510 | Entitled to a share of storage capacity in the Tarago Reservoir. Entitled to divert up to the average annual entitlement limit. |
South East Water | |||
Yarra Valley Water | |||
City West Water | Yarra River | 400,000 | Entitled to a share of storage capacity of all reservoirs with the Yarra Catchment. Entitled to divert up to the average annual entitlement limit. |
South East Water | |||
Yarra Valley Water | |||
Western Water | Gisborne— Barringo Creek | 320 | Entitled to divert up to the average annual entitlement limit |
Western Water | Lancefield | 315 | Entitled to divert up to the annual entitlement limit |
Western Water | Macedon and Mount Macedon | 645 | Entitled to a share of storage capacity in several smaller storaes. Entitled to divert up to the average annual entitlement limit |
Western Water | Maribyrnong | 6,100 | Entitled to a share (86%) of storage capacity in the Rosslynne Reservoir. Entitled to divert up to the annual entitlement limit. |
Western Water | Riddells Creek | 300 | Entitled to divert up to the annual entitlement limit |
Western Water | Romsey | 460 | Entitled to divert up to the annual entitlement limit |
Western Water | Myrniong | 58 | Entitled to divert up to the annual entitlement limit |
Western Water | Werribee System | 9,986 | Entitled to a share (60%) of storage capacity in Lake Merrimu and entitled to all storage capacity in Djerriwarrh Reservoir (980 ML at full supply level). Entitled to divert up to the average annual entitlement limit. |
Western Water | Melbourne headworks system1 | 18,250 | Entitled to divert up to the annual entitlement limit |
Total | 466,944 |
1 The Melbourne Headworks system includes storages that harvest water from protected water supply catchments: Thomson Reservoir, Yarra River, Silver and Wallaby creeks, Tarago and Bunyip rivers. It also includes water from the Victorian desalination project and the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project.
Entitlement holder | Bulk entitlement | Entitlement volume (ML) | Additional info |
City West Water | Thomson River | 171,800 | Entitled to a share of storage capacity and inflows (up to 1,068,100 ML) in the Thomson Reservoir. Entitled to divert up to the average annual entitlement limit. |
South East Water | |||
Yarra Valley Water | |||
City West Water | Silver and Wallaby creeks | 66,000 | Entitled to divert up to the annual entitlement limit. |
South East Water | |||
Yarra Valley Water | |||
Total | 237,800 |
The following table presents bulk entitlements issued to urban retail water authorities outside the Melbourne region.
Retail water authority | Bulk entitlement |
Volume (ML) |
Description |
Gippsland Water |
Tarago and Bunyip rivers | 4,825 |
Entitled to divert up to the annual entitlement limit |
Total | 4,825 |
High reliability water shares (HRWS) are water shares against which seasonal allocations are made as a first priority. They are expected to reach 100% allocations in 95 years out of 100.
Low reliability water shares (LRWS) are water shares with a relatively low reliability of supply. Allocations to these shares are made available once there is enough water to meet high reliability water shares in the current year, and, with minimum inflows, to meet a certain percentage of high reliability water shares in the following year.
Water allocations in the Melbourne region are determined by Southern Rural Water. Once issued, the holder of the entitlement to which allocations are made may divert or trade the water, subject to water trading rules.
The following table presents water shares in the Melbourne region. The majority of water shares are held in the Werribee Irrigation District. The volume of high-reliability water shares is double the volume of low-reliability water shares held in the region.
Class | Location | Entitlement volume (ML) |
HRWS |
Werribee Irrigation District | 10,040 |
Werribee River | 1,097 | |
Bacchus Marsh Irrigation District | 3,880 | |
HRWS total |
15,017 | |
LRWS |
Werribee Irrigation District | 4,777 |
Werribee River | 435 | |
Bacchus Marsh Irrigation District | 1,815 | |
LRWS total |
7,027 | |
Total all water shares | 22,043 | |
Other | Bacchus Marsh Irrigation District—supply by agreement | 474 |
Total entitlement volume |
22,518 |
More information on entitlements in regulated water systems can be found on the Victorian Water Register website.