Post trade summary and report for July 2025 trade openings now available
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As part of Victoria’s ongoing commitment to water market transparency, post-trade opening reports have been regularly published since October 2023.
The release of the Post Trade Opportunity Opening Report, July 2025, summarises the outcomes from the July Barmah and Goulburn to Murray trade openings, and provides insights into the number, volume, and order of applications processed.
The Barmah and Goulburn to Murray trade opportunities both opened for a 7-hour submission window between 7:00 am and 2:00 pm on Wednesday 2 July 2025. Both trade openings used a randomisation approach to determine the order of application processing.
Read more: Post trade summary and report for July 2025 trade openings now available
Improving access to trade in southern Murray-Darling Basin
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Help us improve the efficiency and equity of access to inter-valley and inter-zone water allocation trade opportunities in the southern Murray-Darling Basin.
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) and WaterNSW have developed a draft framework to assess options for improving the efficiency and equity of access to inter-valley and inter-zone trade opportunities. We are now seeking community feedback on whether the framework is appropriate for achieving this purpose, as well as your ideas on options for managing access to trade opportunities that should be assessed in the next stage of this project.
You can view the draft framework and submit your feedback to DEECA via a brief questionnaire at EngageVic. Alternatively, you can also submit your feedback to WaterNSW. This joint consultation will be open until 17 August.
Read more: Improving access to trade in southern Murray-Darling Basin
New Broker Code
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From 1 July 2025 there are additional Australian Government obligations on water brokers and exchanges operating in the Murray-Darling Basin, under a new Water Markets Intermediaries Code.
As a water market participant you are encouraged to familiarise yourself with the Code and the new safeguards that have been put in place to ensure your broker acts in your best interests.
The new Code, and complementary trust accounting obligations, place further responsibilities on water market intermediaries. This is in addition to the rules they must follow under Australian Consumer Law.
The Code is designed to give greater protection to users of water brokers and exchanges, aligning standards with those that exist in other similar markets. Some obligations under the Code commence on 1 July 2025, others on 1 October 2025.
July 2025 Barmah trade opening – summary
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On Wednesday 2 July 2025, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority made 38,767.7 megalitres (ML) of allocation trade opportunity available from above to below the Barmah Narrows. As in previous years, there was more demand than supply.
2025 marked the third year that Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) synchronised the timing of the Barmah trade opportunity.
This year, Victoria and NSW implemented a new joint randomisation protocol for the processing of Barmah trade applications. The new protocol meant that differences in each state’s processing approach and systems did not influence traders’ access to the available Barmah trade opportunity. You can learn more about how the protocol worked here.
Notification: Victorian Water Register, MyWater and Broker Portal offline for end of water year on Monday 30 June 2025
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This is a reminder that this year the Victorian Water Register will close at 12 noon on Monday 30 June 2025 for end-of-year accounting to transition from the 2024–25 to the 2025–26 water year. The Register will reopen at 9 am on 1 July 2025.
The following online services will be unavailable during this shutdown time:
- Broker portal
- 'My Water' access and online allocation trading and bore construction licence applications
- Copy of Record purchases
- Victorian Water Register website.
Reminder: Upcoming allocation trade closing and opening times
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This article is a reminder of important information regarding allocation trade closing and opening times for June and July 2025. For further information or assistance, reach out to the Victorian Water Register team on waterregister.support@delwp.vic.gov.au.
2024–25: Allocation trade closing times
The Victorian Water Register, including MyWater and the Broker Portal, will close for 2024–25 end-of-year (EOY) processing at 12 noon Monday 30 June 2025.
Online applications to trade allocation within Victoria must be submitted by 12 noon on 30 June 2025 for processing in the 2024–25 water year.
Paper-based applications to trade allocation within Victoria must be lodged with the relevant water corporation by 5 pm on 20 June 2025. There is no guarantee that applications submitted after this time will be processed in the 2024–25 water year.
All applications to trade allocation interstate (where Victoria is involved), including those lodged online, will be processed manually from 5 pm on 26 June 2025. Note the final date for guaranteed processing of interstate allocation trades in the 2024-25 water year has passed (this was 5 pm 16 June 2025).
If you are trading allocation before the end of the water year, please be aware of these important closing times. More information on end of 2024–25 water year application processing is available here.
Read more: Reminder: Upcoming allocation trade closing and opening times
Important trade opening information for the start of the 2025–26 water year
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This article contains important information relating to July 2025 trade openings, including relevant dates, processes and estimated volumes. Information about end of water year closing times for the VWR and application deadlines is available here.
Important opening dates:
Tuesday 1 July 2025
- The Broken Trade Out and NSW to Vic trade opportunities open at 10 am AEST on Tuesday 1 July 2025. These openings will proceed with a first in, first served approach, with automated processing of applications.
Wednesday 2 July 2025
- The MDBA Barmah and Goulburn-to-Murray trade opportunities will have a 7-hour submission window on Wednesday 2 July 2025, from 7 am to 2 pm AEST. Eligible applications submitted for these opportunities will be randomised to create an order for processing starting Thursday 3 July.
Read more: Important trade opening information for the start of the 2025–26 water year
Important dates – end of 2024–25 water year application processing
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The Victorian Water Register, including My Water and the Broker Portal, will close for end-of-year processing at 12 pm 30 June 2025. Services will re-open at 9 am 1 July 2025.
Important information regarding times and dates for the July 2025 trade openings will be provided soon.
If you are trading allocation or water shares before the end of the water year, please be aware of the important dates and times below.
Read more: Important dates – end of 2024–25 water year application processing
July 2025 Trade Openings update
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The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) would like to provide an update about the upcoming July 2025 trade openings.
In response to consistently high demand during key trade events, in October 2024, the Victorian Water Register (VWR) temporarily moved to a randomisation approach rather than ‘first in, first served’ for the Goulburn to Murray trade openings. The approach reduces load on the VWR during the trade opening and ensures the opportunity is reliably made available to all market participants.
Following a review of these processes, DEECA will continue to use a randomisation approach for all Goulburn to Murray trade openings of 2025. Additionally, in partnership with WaterNSW, a joint randomisation process will be implemented for the 2025 Barmah trade opening.
Other smaller trade openings, including the Broken trade out limit (made available in July each year), will continue to operate without change. This is because the impact on reliable service delivery from the VWR isn’t as large as Barmah and Goulburn to Murray trade openings.
DEECA thanks users who provided feedback on the randomisation approach. A summary of feedback provided will be included in our next information update.
2025 Barmah trade opening and seeking feedback on randomisation approach
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In October 2024, DEECA implemented a new randomisation processing approach for the October and December Goulburn to Murray trade openings. The approach was designed to provide market participants with reliable access to those trade openings as soon as possible.
DEECA is now reviewing how those openings went and seeking feedback from market participants on the trade application process and the randomisation approach. Market participants wanting to provide feedback to DEECA on the new approach can do so using this feedback form.
DEECA is now also working with its WaterNSW counterparts to deliver a reliable Barmah trade opening in July 2025. We are currently considering using a combined ‘single queue’ and randomisation process for applications for the 1 July Barmah trade opportunity. This would leverage the approach that Victoria used in the Goulburn to Murray trade openings last year and extend this so that it applies to applications received by both WaterNSW and the Victorian Water Register.
Both DEECA and WaterNSW are committed to working together to ensure reliable access to this year’s opening Barmah trade opportunity and a unified experience for customers from both Victoria and NSW.
Read more: 2025 Barmah trade opening and seeking feedback on randomisation approach
Users sought to have their say in new Victorian Water Register Focus Group
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The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) is working to deliver improved Victorian Water Register (VWR) services. To ensure changes are designed and implemented with users in mind, a focus group is being established to inform the process and assist community engagement.
The VWR is a vital platform for Victoria’s water users and water market participants. It allows access to a range of online services.
The focus group will play an important part in the evolution of VWR services. Members will be a key point of contact for DEECA staff to receive direct feedback when considering changes to VWR services, systems and processes. Feedback will help ensure VWR changes are designed and implemented with consideration of end user needs and the impact of changes are understood and accounted for.
Read more: Users sought to have their say in new Victorian Water Register Focus Group
New trade transparency data released for frequent traders and large water owners
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Frequent Trader and Large Water Owner information published on 15 January 2025.
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) has published two water trade information reports on the Victorian Water Register website. These are:
- Large Water Owners – the names of individuals and companies that own more than 2% of high-reliability water shares in the Goulburn or the Murray systems above and below the Barmah Choke, as of 1 July 2024.
- Frequent Traders – the names of individuals and companies that have made more than 20 priced allocation trades (bought or sold) within, from or to the Goulburn water system and/or the Murray water system during the 2024–25 water year (as of 31 December 2024).
Read more: New trade transparency data released for frequent traders and large water owners
Release of Goulburn to Murray Post Trade Opportunity Opening Report – December 2024
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The release of the Goulburn to Murray Post Trade Opportunity Opening Report, December 2024, summarises the outcomes from this trade opening and consolidates information available via the Victorian Water Register website with some additional data around the number of unique allocation accounts that traded. It provides insights into the number, volumes and reason for trade for all applications submitted.
Read more: Release of Goulburn to Murray Post Trade Opportunity Opening Report – December 2024
Important information: Estimated volume announced for Goulburn to Murray trade opportunity on 16 December
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The next release of seasonal trade opportunity from the Goulburn to the Murray system opens on Monday 16 December. Based on current estimates, approximately 9 GL of Goulburn to Murray trade opportunity will be released.
The randomisation approach implemented for the rescheduled October opening will be used again in December.
Important information – Goulburn to Murray trade opportunity for 16 December 2024
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Important information – Goulburn to Murray trade opportunity for 16 December 2024
The Goulburn to Murray Trade Limit—which governs allocation trade from the Goulburn, Broken, Campaspe and Loddon systems to the Victorian Murray system, New South Wales and South Australia—will open again on Monday 16 December 2024. Estimated volumes will be made public closer to this date.
The randomisation approach implemented for the rescheduled October opening will be used again in December.
Read more: Important information – Goulburn to Murray trade opportunity for 16 December 2024
Release of post-trade opening report – Goulburn to Murray October opening
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The release of the October 2024 post-trade report summarises the findings from October Goulburn to Murray trade opportunity and consolidates information available via the Victorian Water Register website with some additional data around the number of unique allocation accounts that traded. It provides insights into the number, volumes and reason for trade for all applications submitted.
The rescheduled Goulburn to Murray trade opportunity opened on Thursday 14 November 2025 at 7 am with an opening limit of around 45 gigalitres. The Victorian Water Register received around 400 applications from market participants. Trade applications were received during a 5-hour submission window on 14 November. Eligible applications were then randomised to determine a processing order. Goulburn Murray Water and Lower Murray Water began processing the applications in that processing order from 7 am Friday 15 November.
Read more: Release of post-trade opening report – Goulburn to Murray October opening
Important information – change to scheduled My Water outage
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The rescheduled October Goulburn to Murray trade event took place yesterday on Thursday 14 November. The Victorian Water Register received around 400 applications from market participants. Goulburn Murray Water and Lower Murray Water began processing these applications from 7 am this morning (Friday 15 November).
Due to the number of applications received, processing is predicted to finish later than originally communicated.
The previously communicated My Water and Broker Portal outage at 4:30 pm today will now occur later this evening once processing has been completed. My Water and Broker Portal will be offline for around 30 minutes before the system is re-opened for normal business.
Read more: Important information – change to scheduled My Water outage
Reminder: Rescheduled October Trade opportunity this Thursday 14 November
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The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) reminds water market participants about the timings of this Thursday’s rescheduled Goulburn to Murray trade opening. As previously advised, DEECA is implementing a randomisation processing approach for the rescheduled opening.
- Applications for the Goulburn to Murray opportunity should be submitted during the submission window, between 7 am and 12 pm Thursday 14 November.
- During the submission window, all trade applications will be referred to manual processing.
- All Goulburn to Murray trade applications will continue to be referred to manual processing until the system returns to normal business at 5 pm 15 November.
- Manual processing of randomised Goulburn to Murray trade applications will occur on Friday 15 November 2024.
- My Water and the Broker Portal will be offline for 30 minutes at 4:30 pm 15 November before the system is re-opened for normal business.
Read more: Reminder: Rescheduled October Trade opportunity this Thursday 14 November
Rescheduled October Trade opportunity – webinar and updated FAQs now available
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Release of Webinar video
Last week, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) conducted two webinars with water market participants. The two identical webinars were conducted on Thursday 31 October at 2 pm and 7 pm to inform the market about the new process that will be in place for the rescheduled October Goulburn to Murray trade opening, which is to now take place on Thursday, 14 November.
DEECA has now released video of the first of these webinars, which can be viewed using the link below. Users can also download the presentation and transcript.
Read more: Rescheduled October Trade opportunity – webinar and updated FAQs now available
Rescheduled October Trade opportunity – New process information
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Earlier this week, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) announced a rescheduled Goulburn to Murray trade opportunity opening for Thursday 14 November 2024.
This followed a disruption during the original 15 October 2024 submission window.
DEECA is implementing a new randomisation processing approach for the rescheduled opening. The approach was designed to provide market participants with reliable access to the October Goulburn to Murray trade opportunity as soon as possible. It will not alter the way water market participants submit trade applications.
Read more: Rescheduled October Trade opportunity – New process information