Goulburn

The Goulburn basin covers a large area in northern Victoria. It extends from the Great Dividing Range near Woods Point in the south-east to the Murray River near Echuca in the north-west.

Climate in the basin varies, with the high country experiencing cool winters and persistent snow and regions in the north-west generally experiencing a lower annual rainfall.

Higher stream flows within the basin occur during July-September; lower streamflow occurs during warmer months (January-March).

Agriculture in the basin is diverse, ranging from hardwood timber production in the south-east to dairying and fruit production in the north. Sheep and cropping are important in dryland and irrigated areas.

More information on water management and accounting is detailed in Water explained.

When compared to the previous year, in 2023-24:

• less rainfall was received, catchment inflow was lower and storage levels peaked and declined at lower levels
• there was a similar level of restrictions on licensed diversions from streams
• high-reliability entitlements reached 100% allocation about two months earlier
• low-reliability entitlements received 77% allocation, less than the previous year
• about the same volume of water was diverted from the basin for consumptive purposes
• less water was diverted for environmental purposes.

Rainfall

In 2023-24, less rainfall was received in the Goulburn basin than the previous year. Rainfall was:

• below average over the Yea and Acheron catchments in the south-west, encompassing Kinglake National Park, Marysville and Taggerty
• average across most of the basin
• above average in the north over Kyabram and in an area near Seymour.

Figure 1 displays the rainfall received in 2023-24 compared to the long-term average (1975-2024).

Wastewater treatment plants

Water treated at wastewater treatment plants can be used to supplement water available in the basin. Water discharged to waterways from treatment plants is included as an inflow to the water balance.

Information on treatment plants is reported in the water supply local reports for the water corporation responsible for managing the plant.

In this basin, wastewater treatment plants are managed by Goulburn Valley Water.

Compliance

Compliance against water entitlements is reported for this basin in 3 areas:

• entitlement issued: that the volume of entitlements issued in a basin does not exceed formal caps, and has not increased without appropriate approvals
• water taken: that the volume of water taken during the year does not exceed the volume considered to be available for consumptive and/or in-stream use during that year
• bulk entitlement provisions: that holders of entitlements do not breach any provisions that are documented in their bulk entitlement orders.

Note to increase in entitlement volume:

• Water share volume increased by 3,750 ML (high-reliability) and 1,115 ML (low-reliability); issued for Goulburn-Murray Water Water Efficiency Project. Water share volume also decreased by 194 ML (high-reliability) following surrender/cancellation of water shares
• A new Mitigation Water environmental entitlement was issued to the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (1,506 ML high- and 749 ML low-reliability entitlement). This is from water savings from the Goulburn-Murray Water Connections Project. These entitlements replaced the Environmental Entitlement (Goulburn System – NVIRP Stage 1) 2012 which was repealed on 20 June 2024.
• Take and use licence (TUL) entitlement volumes and small catchment dam (SCD) entitlement volumes changed following conversions from one type to the other (e.g. 107 ML converted from SCD licence entitlement to TUL and 43 ML converted from TUL to a SCD). Multiple TULs were also cancelled, surrendered or revoked. This resulted in a net increase of 28 ML in TULs and a net decrease in SCDs of 64 ML.
• More information on the Goulburn-Murray Water Connections Project and Goulburn-Murray Water Water Efficiency Project can be found in the Statewide Surface Water Entitlements and compliance section.

Notes to exceptions to compliance:

• Goulburn-Murray Water reported that losses in Central Goulburn were 2 GL higher than the loss provisions in Schedule 1. This was within the annual headroom allowance. The combined Goulburn component of the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District loss was within loss provisions.
• The Victorian Environmental Water Holder reported the operating arrangement for the Goulburn System Mitigation Water Environmental Entitlement Order 2023 was incomplete at the time of the deadline in the environmental entitlement order. The operating arrangement was reviewed and implemented in 2023-24 during delivery under the entitlement. The associated documentation was updated in April 2025.

Environmental watering sites

Environmental watering sites in the Goulburn basin that depend on water for the environment include:

• wetlands of national significance, significant areas of intact riparian and floodplains vegetation and endangered flora and fauna species, including trout cod and Murray cod
• the lower Goulburn River floodplain (downstream of Goulburn Weir), which is listed as a wetland of national significance and is a native fish habitat and floodplain national park
• Reedy Swamp, a regionally significant wetland that is part of the Lower Goulburn National Park, which contains drought refuge and significant habitat for colonial nesting birds
• water from the Goulburn basin that also flows into the Murray, Campaspe and Loddon basins, helping to maintain internationally significant environmental assets (such as Gunbower Forest and the Hattah Lakes in the Murray basin).

Environmental water reserve

In 2023-24, water sourced from the Goulburn basin for the environment comprised:

• the Environmental Entitlement (Goulburn System - Living Murray) 2007, which includes 39,625 ML of high-reliability and 156,980 ML of low-reliability entitlements held by the VEWH
• the Goulburn River Environmental Entitlement 2010, which includes 26,426 ML of high-reliability and 5,792 ML of low-reliability entitlements held by the VEWH
• the Environmental Entitlement (Goulburn System - NVIRP Stage 1) 2012, which includes allocated mitigation water for the purposes of watering specific environmental sites that have been identified through the Goulburn-Murray Water Connections Project environmental approvals processes. This entitlement was repealed on 20 June 2024 and replaced by the Goulburn System – Mitigation Water Environmental Entitlement 2023 below
• Goulburn System – Mitigation Water Environmental Entitlement 2023, which includes 1,506 ML of high-reliability and 749 ML of low-reliability entitlement, replacing the repealed Environmental Entitlement (Goulburn System - NVIRP Stage 1) 2012
• the Bulk Entitlement (Goulburn System - Snowy Environment Reserve) Order 2005, which includes 30,252 ML of high-reliability and 8,156 ML of low-reliability entitlements
• up to 7,490 ML of water each year, as part of the Bulk Entitlement (Loddon River - Environmental Water Reserve) Order 2005
• 334,605 ML of high-reliability water shares and 61,032 ML of low-reliability water shares held for the environment
• water set aside for the environment through the operation of passing flow conditions:
  • on consumptive bulk entitlements (regulated and unregulated systems) held by Goulburn Valley Water and Goulburn-Murray Water
  • on licensed diversions
• the Silver and Wallaby Creeks Environmental Entitlement 2006, which provides passing flow rules on Silver and Wallaby Creeks
• all other water in the basin not allocated for consumptive uses: this water also provides social, recreational and cultural benefits.

Environmental water use

A total of 430,418 ML of environmental water was sourced from the Goulburn basin in 2023-24. Of this, 300 ML was diverted off-stream to be delivered in-stream in the Campaspe River. The remaining 430,118 ML was delivered in-stream in the Goulburn River and Lower Broken Creek.

Management of water in the Goulburn basin is undertaken by various parties