This year the Victorian Water Register will close at midday (12.00 pm AEST) on 30 June 2022 and reopen at midnight (12.00 am AEST) on 1 July 2022 for the end of year accounting that enables the roll over from the 2021-22 to the 2022-23 water year.

The following on-line services will be unavailable during this time: 

• Broker Portal
• 'My water' access and online allocation trading and bore construction licence applications
• Copy of Record purchases.

The following reports will be unavailable:

• Trade opportunities and limits reports (including 'Where can I trade map?')
• Unused water report
• Available water by owner type.

Access to all online services will be restored at midnight (12.00 am AEST) on 1 July 2022.

Important information about closing times for end of year trades and the opening times for trade opportunities under different trade limits is available below.

Important dates for allocation trade applications

If you are trading allocation before the end of the financial year, please be aware of the important dates and times below.

For interstate trade applications that require the approval of both states:

• For Victoria, after 5.00 pm AEST on Friday, 17 June 2022 there is no guarantee interstate trades submitted online via the Broker Portal or the Broker API will be completed in the 2021-2022 year.
• All interstate allocation trades involving Victoria which are submitted online via the Broker Portal or the Broker API will be processed manually from 5.00 pm AEST on Tuesday, 28 June 2022.
•  South Australia has advised that if your water application form is lodged after 2.00 pm (South Australian time) on Friday, 17 June 2022, there is no guarantee the application will be processed in the 2021-22 water year.
• Further information from South Australia is available here.

For trades within Victoria:

• 5.00 pm AEST on Friday, 24 June 2022 is the last day to submit paper-based allocation trade applications to your water corporation to be sure of having them processed. There is no guarantee applications submitted after this time will be processed in the 2021-22 water year.
• Online applications to trade allocation within Victoria, including applications made via the Broker Portal or API, may be submitted until 12.00 pm (midday) AEST on Thursday, 30 June 2022 for instant processing.

Important dates for water share transfer applications

Applications for water share transfers must be lodged with the water corporation by 5.00 pm AEST on Friday, 17 June 2022 to ensure the water corporation can process the transfer by midday (12.00 pm AEST) 30 June 2022.

Please keep in mind the water corporation’s role is stage one of the water share transfer transaction process. To complete the entire water share transfer transaction by midday (12.00 pm AEST) 30 June 2022, allow ample time to lodge the recording application with the Water Registrar after you have received the initial response from the water corporation.

The Water Registrar aims to record all water share transfers that are submitted in recordable form as-soon-as-possible.

You are reminded that when a water share transfer is recorded, the seller's allocation account will no longer be linked to that water share. Unused water allocation can only be carried over to the next financial year if the allocation account is linked to an appropriate water share.

Opening allocation trading opportunities on 1 July 2022

Opening allocation trade opportunities under different trade limits are listed below. Market participants are encouraged to confirm trade opportunities are available using the interactive where can I trade map? before submitting trade applications.

Barmah Choke trade limit

The Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) manages and monitors the Barmah Choke trade limit. The MDBA have advised that the trade opportunity from above to below the Barmah Choke will open at 12.05 am AEST on 1 July 2022 (5 minutes past midnight). The opening trade balance is expected to be about 40.6 gigalitres (GL).

The MDBA's media release provides more information on the opening trade balance.

Goulburn to Murray trade limit

The Goulburn to Murray Trade Limit – allocation trade from the Goulburn, Broken, Campaspe and Loddon systems to the Victorian Murray system, New South Wales and South Australia – will open at 2.00 pm on 1 July 2022. This provides account holders with access to their start of season allocation.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning is undertaking a review of the Goulburn to Murray trade rule. Please continue to monitor the Victoria Water Register website for an announcement on the new rule and expected opening trade balance.

Broken trade out limit

Trade from the Broken system re-opens at the start of each water year and will open at 2.00 pm on 1 July 2022. Trade is allowed when the Broken system’s Inter Valley Trade (IVT) account owes less than 1,500 ML to the Goulburn system. 1,500 ML of trade opportunity will be available on 1 July 2022.

Back-trade

Back-trade opportunities open on 1 July 2022 at midnight (12.00 am AEST) via the Victorian Water Register.

For the Goulburn, Upper Goulburn and Campaspe:

• The volume of IVT carried over from the previous year is quarantined until a low risk of spill is declared and until such time cannot be back-traded against.
• At 10.00 am on 1 July 2022, the Northern Victoria Resource Manager will announce the opening seasonal determination for the 2022-2023 water year. Allocations will then be made to entitlements historically traded out as exchange-rate trade. This will create back-trade opportunities within these systems.

New South Wales to Victoria trade limit

Trade from New South Wales into Victoria will open at 10.00 am AEST on 1 July 2022, in line with the Northern Victoria Resource Manager risk of spill announcement.

Allocation trade from New South Wales to Victoria is limited to the lesser of a net annual volume of 200 GL or a volume that keeps the risk of spill from Victoria’s share of Hume and Dartmouth reservoirs at below 50 per cent.

On 10 May 2022, the Northern Victorian Resource Manager announced that Victoria’s share of the upper Murray storages was at capacity. More information on risk of spill and seasonal determinations can be found at the Northern Victoria Resource Manager website.  

Intra-zone trading

Trading within a trading zone (intra-zone trading) opens on 1 July 2022 at midnight (12.00 am AEST) via the Victorian Water Register.

Trade opportunities on 1 July 2022 summary table

Trading zones summary table