On 17 June 2016, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) announced that the current restriction on trading water from upstream of the Barmah Choke to buyers downstream of the Choke will continue into the 2016-17 water year.

As explained in the MDBA's media release, the volume that can be traded through the Choke will be reset on 1 July 2016, with an annual adjustment made to take account of water savings transferred to the Snowy scheme. This will result in an opening balance close to 26,000 megalitres available to be traded from above to below the Barmah Choke.

Any further net trade above this balance will only be possible if the same or greater net volume of water has been traded from downstream to upstream of the choke first.

Trading through the Choke

If you plan to trade water through the Choke, you or your broker need to keep an eye on any trading limits that apply to you.