The Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project (NVIRP) will modernise ageing irrigation infrastructure across the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District (GMID). Stage 1 will save 225 billion litres of water now lost through leakage, evaporation and system inefficiencies. The water savings will be shared equally between irrigators, the environment and Melbourne.

The $1 billion Stage 1 is being funded by the Victorian Government ($600M), Melbourne water customers ($300M) and irrigators ($100M). Modernisation will provide the GMID with a world-class irrigation system that will secure the region’s future prosperity.

The Minister for Water has now received applications under the Water Act 1989 (the Act) relating to new entitlements to access water savings from Stage 1 of NVIRP. These include:

• Bulk entitlements for Melbourne’s share, to be jointly held by the three metropolitan retail water authorities. A one-third share of actual Stage 1 savings achieved each year will be allocated against these entitlements.City West Water Application (PDF~2.4mb) South East Water Application (PDF~440kb) Yarra Valley Water Application (PDF~2.0mb)
  
  
• Environmental entitlements for the environment’s share. These entitlements will be held by the Minister for Environment and Climate Change. A one-third share of actual Stage 1 savings achieved each year will be allocated against these entitlements.Environmental Application (PDF~55kb)
  
  
• Water shares for the irrigators’ share of the Stage 1 savings. Eligible irrigators will be allocated water shares for their share after Stage 1 has been completed. In the meantime, a one-third share of the actual water savings achieved each year will be distributed among eligible irrigators.

The Minister for Water has written to Goulburn-Murray Water confirming the approach under section 46A of the Act for the annual transfer of a share of the water savings to eligible irrigators each year until Stage 1 of NVIRP is completed, when the new water shares will be created.

Minister for Water's letter to G-MW (PDF~131kb)

The Minister for Water has also received an application from Goulburn-Murray Water under section 44 of the Act to amend its bulk entitlements to recognise the proposed new entitlements for City West Water, South East Water, Yarra Valley Water and the Minister for Environment and Climate Change as primary entitlements, and to clarify certain environmental obligations relating to these new entitlements.

G-MW Application (PDF~711kb)

In this section