Water trading is the buying and selling of water allowances or allocations. It’s a market-based system that allows individuals, businesses, or communities to trade the right to use a certain amount of water. Here’s how it generally works:

• Water allowances – A water allowance is a long term right that entitles its holder to access capacity in the pipeline to take and use water, as specified under the terms of the allowance. These can be bought or sold.

• Water allocations – The actual volume of water available under an allowance in a given year (this can change depending on rainfall, drought, and trading rules). Allocations can also be traded.

• Water trading gives customers with surplus water, the opportunity to offer it to other users who have gone into overuse or require more water on a temporary or permanent basis.

• To make water use more efficient. Pipeline customers that don’t need their full water allowance or allocation can sell it to others who need more.

• To give flexibility in droughts or dry years.

• Allows pipeline customers to utilise water where and when it is needed to ensure changing requirements don’t amount to wasted resources.

• Sellers list their offers on the website detailing the specific pipeline, volume available, price per megalitre and whether they wish to sell on a temporary or permanent basis.

• Buyers can list offers on the website detailing the pipeline, volume, price and purchase type or choose to accept a current sell offer.

• Pricing will be determined by the market by what sellers are prepared to sell for and what buyers are willing to pay.

• GWMWater Rural Pipeline water holders who have surplus water allowances or allocation.

• Customers who want a return on their investment of rural pipeline water allowances.

• Temporary trading water means selling or buying water to be utilised in the current season or in some circumstances, when notified by GWMWater, to make up a volume of overuse.

• Permanent trading water allowances means the ownership of the portion of the entitlement will be transferred permanently to a new owner and they will have all future use of the water allocated.

Trading is simple and our team will help you through the process. You will need a few things to get started.

• Your GWMWater account number or Property ID •What pipeline are you connected to?

• Contact name, address, Phone, email address

• Anticipated price, volume- we can assist with pricing from trade history.

• Name listed on your GWMWater account

If you have an offer to list or you are interested in an offer already listed on the website, you have two options:

• Call Water Partners on 03 5853 2333 and one of our staff will assist you.

• Send us an email at admin@waterpartners.org.au with your requirements and contact details and we will contact you.

We will check with GWMWater to ensure that the trade details are correct prior to a trade being done.

Once you have agreed to a trade including the volume and price, our team will send out an application form to be completed by both parties and an invoice for payment to the purchaser.

Complete all documentation and return to Water Partners either via email to admin@waterpartners.org.au Or via mail to: Water Partners PO Box 274 KYABRAM Vic 3619

Once both parties have signed the form and full payment has been received by Water Partners, the trade will progress to GWMWater for approval and transfer.

On receipt of approval advice from GWMWater that the transfer has been completed, Water Partners will pay the seller the funds from the sale and both parties will be notified.

The purchasers water account balance will be increased by the traded volume.