As part of our Pricing Submission 2024-28, Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) is working with customers to determine how our gravity irrigation service works into the future.

Our gravity irrigation service is delivered to customers in the Shepparton, Murray Valley, Central Goulburn, Rochester, Loddon Valley and Torrumbarry Irrigation Areas through our extensive gravity delivery system.

Irrigation customers are required to place an order to have water delivered via the predominantly modernised network, which is accessed through service points. While D&S customers who take water from the gravity irrigation system are not required to place a water order, water is only available during the irrigation season.

Pricing

While there is an increase in expenditure associated with maintaining our modernised system and increases in insurance and IT costs, we have been able to reduce costs in other areas to pass onto customers. This has meant that on average, gravity irrigation customers can expect a reduction on their typical bills, excluding CPI, over the four year price period from 2024 to 2028.

Summary of changes

Murray and Goulburn High Reliability Water Share Entitlement Storage Fees are expected to reduce by approximately 15% over the four years. This reduction in Entitlement Storage Fees is due to the proposed transition of our bulk entitlement customers to a Murray and Goulburn system price.

For small gravity irrigation customers, the D&S Service Point Fee will reduce across the four years. This reduction is offset by an increase in the Customer Fee across the four years.

For Medium, Large and Extra Large gravity irrigation customers, the increase in Infrastructure Access Fee, Infrastructure Usage Fee and the Service Point Fee (Remote Operate) will be offset by reductions in Entitlement Storage Fees and Drainage Water Use Fees.

The reduction in Drainage Water Use Fees is due to the proposed changes in the drainage tariffs. The Use Fee will reduce across the next eight years to be zero by 2031/32.

More detail about changes to GMW’s drainage tariffs can be found at the Simplifying our Surface Drainage Tariffs and Simplifying our Subsurface Drainage Tariffs pages.

Typical customer bill (excluding CPI)

Proposed pricing for 2024-28 (excluding CPI)


* As consulted in GMW’s 2020 Pricing Submission, the Local Read and Remote Read service point fees finalise their transition to one fee in 2023/24. They are now referred to as Local Operate service point fees.

Note: All prices and typical bills provided above are calculated excluding CPI and could be subject to change as part of the consultation and determination process for the 2024-28 Pricing Submission.