What bulk entitlements are and how they are controlled.
On this page:
What is a bulk entitlement?
A bulk entitlement is a legal right to take and use water granted under the Water Act 1989.
Who can hold a bulk entitlement?
Bulk entitlements can be held by water corporations, the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and other specified bodies defined in section 34 of the Act.
What rights and responsibilities are granted under a bulk entitlement?
In accordance with the section 43 of the Act, bulk entitlements may specify a range of conditions and obligations on its holder, including:
rules about when, where and how much water can be taken
rules about how the water can be used
rules about the right to a share of storage capacity and share of inflows
obligations to release flows for environmental uses
obligations to supply primary entitlement holders
obligations to contribute to the payment of operation and maintenance costs and
obligations to meter, maintain accounts and report.
The Minister for Water can issue bulk entitlements under the Act in 2 ways:
Conversion of a pre-existing right to water into a bulk entitlement (section 47) or granting a new bulk entitlement (section 43).
A potential bulk entitlement holder must apply to the Minister for Water for the conversion or granting of a bulk entitlement. The Minister Water must consider any applications in accordance with the procedures specified in the Act.
Can bulk entitlements be amended?
Yes, under section 44 of the Act bulk entitlement holders can apply to the Minister for Water to amend an existing bulk entitlement.
Can bulk entitlements be traded?
Bulk entitlements may be transferred under section 46D of the Act, provided the holder has applied for and obtained approval from the Minister for Water.
Water allocation made available under bulk entitlements may also be assigned to another person under Section 46A of the Act in accordance with trading rules.
Applications to issue or amend a bulk entitlement
When the Minister for Water receives an application for a new bulk entitlement or to amend an existing bulk entitlement, the requirements set out in the Act are followed, including:
depending on the nature of the proposal, the application process may involve consultation with stakeholders and local communities and submissions to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action or the applicant
the purpose of this consultation is to identify the potential impacts of the proposal, including any adverse impacts on existing water users and the environment
the Minister for Water will consider any submissions received before making a determination on the application and
new bulk entitlements or amendments are granted through an order from the Minister for Water or the Governor in Council and published in the Victorian Government Gazette.
Notification of applications
Amendments to Goulburn Murray Water and Lower Murray Water’s Murray Bulk Entitlements – District Rationing
Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) and Lower Murray Water (LMW) have separately applied to the Minster for Water under section 44 of the Water Act 1989, to amend the following Murray system bulk entitlements:
Bulk Entitlement (River Murray – Goulburn-Murray Water) Conversion Order 1999
Bulk Entitlement (River Murray – Lower Murray Urban and Rural Water - Irrigation) Conversion Order 1999
The applications are to support the rationing of GMW and LMW water diversions to irrigation districts during a declared Murray River shortfall event. If approved, this would restrict LMW’s and GMW’s take from Murray River bulk offtakes that supply water to delivery share holders in affected irrigation districts during a declared rationing event. This proposal reflects existing arrangements that are in place to manage shortfalls.
The amendments also seek to update bulk off-take points and rates of take in the bulk entitlements to reflect those currently in operation.
Provide comments to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) by 16 October 2026.
More information about the applications for amendments
The Minister for Water may issue a restriction determination for a specific rationing area under section 64FZC of the Act in the event of a River Murray Shortfall. The proposed amendments specify that, when this occurs, take by LMW and GMW will be restricted at bulk offtakes that service delivery shares holders located within that rationing area. This is limited to rationing areas on the Murray River below Barmah only.
LMW and GMW have also applied to update bulk off-take points and rates in the bulk entitlements to reflect those currently in operation.
If approved by the Minister for Water, the proposed amendments would embed arrangements in the bulk entitlements to restrict diversions to irrigation districts in the event of a Murray River shortfall. This would ensure that district users can be restricted in a consistent way by GMW and LMW in proportion to their delivery share. This proposal reflects existing arrangements that are in place during a shortfall event for irrigation districts.
The amendments only impact water supplied under delivery shares in the restricted area and do not impact delivery to other entitlement types such as bulk or environmental entitlements that may be supplied via the same bulk offtake.
The 'place of take approvals' framework introduced the issuing of a restriction determination by the Minister under section 64FZC of the Act. It came into effect on 20 November 2023. The 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.
In Victoria, irrigators and domestic and stock users affected by the shortfall would be temporarily restricted in proportion to their rights to delivery during a shortfall, i.e. in proportion to their:
extraction share if they are river diverters (including private river diverters for irrigation or domestic and stock users that hold extraction share)
delivery share if they are irrigators or domestic and stock users in gravity or pumped districts.
If restrictions are to be applied, GMW or LMW would inform water users of the volume they have available, and over what period of time. Further information on shortfalls and how they are managed can be found on the Victorian Water Register.
This approach does not affect anyone’s water shares.
A delivery share is an entitlement to have water delivered to land in an irrigation district. It gives access to a share of the available capacity in the channel or piped network that supplies water to the holder’s property.
During a shortfall, district users (including irrigators and domestic and stock users) will be restricted in proportion to their delivery share after system operators make an allowance for losses.
If water use is not temporarily restricted in a shortfall, some water users, including affected domestic and stock users, would have limited or no access to water. In extreme circumstances, parts of the river could stop flowing.
Restrictions mean that all water users temporarily take a bit less water and the impacts of the shortfall is shared. Restrictions ensure all water users with a delivery share or extraction share have access to some water if they require it during a shortfall.
Next steps
The Minister for Water will consider the applications from GMW and LMW, taking into account the requirements of the Water Act 1989. Subject to the Minister for Water’s approval, the bulk entitlement amendments will come into effect when they are published in the Victoria Government Gazette.
The Minister will consider any comments received from the public on the application. Written comments can be emailed to DEECA at water.be@deeca.vic.gov.au or mailed to:
Executive Director, Water Resources Strategy Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action PO Box 500 East Melbourne VIC 3002
By 16 October 2026
Potential water access for Yallourn mine rehabitilitation
The Minister or Water has received the following applications from EnergyAustralia Yallourn (EAY):
an application for a new bulk entitlement to access water for mine rehabilitation
an application to amend its existing Yallourn power generation bulk entitlement, to make it clearer when power generation ceases at the Yallourn power station, and water will no longer be taken under this bulk entitlement.
As part of the statutory process to consider these applications, the minister is inviting submissions from the public on the applications via Engage Victoria. Submissions will be accepted between 19 June 2026 and 11.59 pm Friday 17 July 2026 (a four-week period).
Submissions can be made via a written submission, or by filling in a survey. All submissions must be received through the Engage Victoria platform to ensure that they are properly tracked and recorded.
The Minister for Water’s decision on EAY’s application for a new bulk entitlement to access water for mine rehabilitation will not pre-empt the final approved rehabilitated landform of the Yallourn Mine and does not reduce EAY’s obligation to prepare a Declared Mine Rehabilitation Plan (DMRP) and an Environment Effects Statement (if required), as part of rehabilitation planning.
Recently approved applications
Potential water access for Latrobe mine rehabilitation
AGL, the Loy Yang mine licensee, applied to the Minister for Water to access surface water from the Latrobe River system for Loy Yang mine rehabilitation. The Minister has considered relevant information, including feedback received from two rounds of public consultation, and decided to approve AGL’s application and grant a new bulk entitlement to AGL.
The Minister for Water has set conditions on AGL’s new bulk entitlement that are consistent with Latrobe Valley Regional Rehabilitation Strategy policy. The conditions align how much water AGL can take with climatic conditions, reducing water take during drier periods and peak irrigation demand, which will increase protection of flows and water quality in the Latrobe River system and reduce competition for water in peak demand periods.
Additionally, the Minister has imposed a condition that requires AGL to make a water access payment of $230 per megalitre per year (2025 dollars with CPI applied). See the Treasurer’s announcement for further information on the revenue from the new bulk entitlement.
AGL and Southern Rural Water also applied separately to amend existing Loy Yang power generation surface water entitlements to clarify exactly when electricity generation stops and when water can no longer be taken under these existing entitlements. The Minister has considered these separate applications and decided to approve them.
In addition to deciding on these applications, the Minister for Water has initiated a process to reduce the Latrobe River Basin Permissible Consumptive Volume (PCV or cap) by the difference between entitlement volumes for power generation and new bulk entitlements issued for mine rehabilitation.
This amendment would safeguard the benefits resulting from the conditions on AGL’s new bulk entitlement for mine rehabilitation, by ensuring the cap reflects the more sustainable levels of water take and ensuring water use does not exceed what has been taken by power generators on average in recent decades.
Amendment to Bulk Entitlement (River Murray – Flora and Fauna) Conversion Order 1999
The Minister for Water has approved an application from the Victorian Environmental Water Holder under section 44 of the Water Act 1989 to amend the Bulk Entitlement (River Murray – Flora and Fauna) Conversion Order 1999.
The amendment protects Victoria’s share of the northern Murray-Darling Basin environmental water that reaches the southern Murray-Darling Basin via the Menindee Lakes, consistent with the North-South Connectivity Trial approved by the Basin Officials Committee in November 2025.
More information about the North-South Connectivity Trial and its implementation under Victoria’s entitlement framework can be found at North-south environmental water trial.
The amendment came into effect on 16 April 2026. View or download from the Victorian Water Register.
South-Central Pool Bulk Entitlement Actions
In line with Action 9.3 of the Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy, relevant water corporations applied to the Minister for Water to create a new South-Central Pool.
The Minister has now approved the applications, and the South-Central Pool arrangements (new bulk entitlements, revocation of existing bulk entitlements and amendment of bulk entitlements) will come into effect on 1 July 2026.
The South-Central Pool replaces the Greater Yarra System – Thomson River Pool, and will draw on both surface water and desalinated water.
The new arrangements will provide more flexibility in urban water sharing arrangements, to meet changing water demand and supply across south-central Victoria without changing the volume of water that can be taken from the region’s rivers. Regional urban water corporations will have access to desalinated water from the Victorian Desalination Project, and future additional water supply from augmentations can be added to the South-Central Pool resource, sharing cost and water security equally.
The water corporations granted new South-Central Pool bulk entitlements in accordance with section 36 of the Water Act 1989 are:
Greater Western Water
Yarra Valley Water
South East Water
Barwon Water
Gippsland Water
South Gippsland Water
Westernport Water
Melbourne Water will hold the sole new desalinated water bulk entitlement.
Melbourne Water’s relevant bulk entitlement amendments have also been approved to reflect the proposed South-Central Pool arrangements, in accordance with section 44 of the Act.
Sunraysia Water Efficiency Project Amendment 2026
The Minister for Water has approved Lower Murray Water’s application under section 44 of the Water Act 1989 to amend its River Murray irrigation bulk entitlement.
The amendment was required to recognise water savings achieved through modernisation works under the Lower Murray Water Sunraysia Water Efficiency Project and to enable water shares to be issued to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder.
This is required to meet Victoria’s obligations under the Funding Deed with the Australian Government for the Lower Murray Water Sunraysia Water Efficiency Project.
Lower Goulburn River Operating Rules Bulk Entitlement Amendment
The Minister for Water has approved Goulburn-Murray Water's application under section 44 of the Water Act 1989 to amend its Bulk Entitlement (Eildon-Goulburn Weir) Conversion Order 1995.
The amendment inserted the lower Goulburn River Operating Rules into the bulk entitlement to provide clarity to Goulburn-Murray Water in its role as Storage Manager regarding implementation of, and compliance with, the operating rules.
Additional minor changes were made to clarify the rules around releases from Lake Eildon and Goulburn Weir and rectify an error in the entitlement volume specified for the Victorian Environmental Water Holder’s mitigation water entitlement.
