Victoria’s new place of take approvals framework came into effect on Monday 20 November to strengthen existing water users’ entitlement to have water delivered down rivers.
The new framework clarifies and protects existing water users’ rights to take water during the rare event that restrictions on take are required; and provides flexibility for water users to manage their own delivery risks.
The new approach does not affect anyone’s water shares. It simply clarifies the right (entitlement) to have water delivered.
The changes only apply within Victoria’s declared water systems, and for Southern Rural Water’s regulatory area, this includes the Thomson-Macalister and Werribee systems. Place of take approvals do not apply to take and use licences.
Water delivery entitlements in rivers refers to a person’s extraction share, and in irrigation districts refers to their delivery share.
Extraction share is a river diverter’s entitlement to a share of the water available for delivery when restrictions on take in the river are required. Delivery share is the existing entitlement to have water delivered to land in an irrigation area.
Water users supplied via a privately operated pump on these rivers should be also aware that the existing extraction share – which provides the right to take a share of water available during delivery restrictions – has been moved from fixed-term works (pump) licences to enduring general place of take approvals.
Existing water users with approval to take water have been issued general place of take approvals to maintain your existing right to take and use water under the new framework and will receive a letter from the department advising them of the change.
Visit the Victorian Water Register for more information on place of take approvals.