If you are planning to trade water, you need to keep an eye on the status of the trade limits that might affect you.

Trade is not allowed from the Goulburn, Campaspe, Broken and Loddon to the Victorian Murray, or to New South Wales and South Australia, if more than 200 gigalitres (GL) of water is owed to the Murray.

The amount owed is measured by the inter-valley trade account. The volume in the inter-valley trade account can change quickly now that people are using the convenience of automated online trading.

Factors that contribute to this limit being reached include

  • water still owed to the Murray from last year
  • seasonal allocations leading to an increase of water owed to the Murray to supply water rights traded there in the past, and
  • the volume traded out this season.

Water brokers and people trading water can check the status of trade limits and opportunities each day at water-trading/allocation-trading

Trade limits were introduced in 2012 so that

  • the volume stored in dams could supply Victorian Murray water entitlements, and
  • the increasing commitment to meet the large volumes of trade between Victorian valleys and the Murray did not adversely impact on storage levels.

Watching the limit

People can seize trade opportunities quickly. If you plan to trade water to the Victorian Murray, you or your broker need to keep an eye on the limits that apply to you.

Even when limits are reached new trade opportunities can reopen during the season if the inter-valley trade balance decreases. This happens when

  • the MDBA as the river manager uses water from the inter-valley trade account
  • any of the inter-valley trade carryover balance spills, or
  • there is back-trade.

During the 2013-14 season the 200 GL limit was reached in September 2013, and trade opportunity reopened in January 2014 when the river manager used water from the Goulburn to supply commitments in the Murray system.

Reaching the limit in July 2014.

The Goulburn to Murray 200 GL trade limit was reached quickly following the Resource Manager’s seasonal determination announcement on 15 July 2014 due to

  • 63 GL still owed to the Murray from last year
  • An increase to 95 GL owed to the Murray to supply the water rights traded there in the past – as a result of the 90% Goulburn system allocation. Note that at 100% allocation, 106 GL will be owed to meet these rights
  • An additional 30 GL of trade out on 15 July.

Checking the balance of the limit

If you have access to online trading through My Water on the Victorian Water Register you can find out instantly the likely outcome for your planned trade.

You can register now through the My Water page.

If you don’t yet have access to online trading you can see a daily snapshot* of the trade limits that apply to you on the Allocation trade opportunities and limits page.

*Please be aware that information you receive will be correct as at close of business on the previous day and remember that the status of the limit may have changed since then.

Hint

If you’re the buyer select the trading zone you’re in to see from where you can receive allocation trade.
For example if you are in trading zone 6 (Victorian Murray – Dartmouth to Barmah) and want to buy allocation from someone in trading zone 1A (Greater Goulburn) you select trading zone 6.

If you’re the seller select the trading zone you want to trade to for opportunities available to you. For example if you are in trading zone 1A (Greater Goulburn) and want to sell your allocation to someone in trading zone 6 (Victorian Murray – Dartmouth to Barmah) you select trading zone 6.

Other trade limits

Some other limits that can affect your opportunity to trade are

  • trade limit from New South Wales to Victoria, and
  • trade out limit on the Broken system.

You can find out more about these limits and track them in the same way on the Allocation and trade opportunities page.