About the area
The Central Victorian Mineral Springs groundwater management area (GMA) covers parts of the upper Loddon and upper Campaspe groundwater catchments.
Rural centres in the area include Daylesford, Trentham, Tylden, Woodend, Newstead, Maldon, Castlemaine, Harcourt, Malmsberry, Kyneton, Redesdale and Heathcote.
The water authority responsible for managing groundwater in the Central Victorian Mineral Springs GMA is Goulburn-Murray Water.
The Central Victorian Mineral Springs GMA Local Management Plan applies to groundwater resources up to a depth of 200 m below the surface, or to 50 m below the base of the basalt or deep lead, whichever is greater.
More information on the GMA can be found on the Goulburn-Murray Water
Groundwater level trends
Table 1: Groundwater level trends, Central Victorian Mineral Springs GMA
Response to water availability
Groundwater restrictions
There were no restrictions on licensed use in the Central Victorian Mineral Springs GMA in 2024-25.
Entitlements and use
Groundwater entitlements have been issued for licensed (non-urban) use and urban supply to Daylesford and Trentham in the Central Victorian Mineral Springs GMA. Groundwater is also available for domestic and stock use.
Entitlement volumes
Table 2: Groundwater entitlements at 30 June, Central Victorian Mineral Springs GMA
Available water and take
The table below shows the total water available and taken under entitlements, and estimated domestic and stock use in 2024-25. Total water available under entitlements is calculated as the sum of: opening carryover from the prior year (where available), allocation issued during the reporting year, and the net trade in or out of water, across all entitlements. The level of allocation issued is reduced if there are any restrictions in place.
Estimated domestic and stock use is calculated based on an assumed usage per registered bore per year. In this GMA, the assumed usage is 2 ML per bore per year.
More information on groundwater use and availability has been detailed in How we account for
Table 3: Groundwater availability and take, Central Victorian Mineral Springs GMA
Compliance
Compliance against water entitlements is reported for this groundwater management unit (GMU) in 2 areas:
- entitlement issued: that the volume of entitlements issued in the GMU does not exceed relevant permissible consumptive volumes (PCVs) or has not increased without appropriate approvals
- water extracted: that the volume of water taken under entitlements during the year does not exceed the total water available to licence holders.
Key points on compliance against entitlements in 2024-25
Entitlement volume did not exceed the PCV
The volume of entitlements (5,232 ML) in the Central Victorian Mineral Springs GMA did not exceed the PCV (6,024 ML).
Total volume extracted under licences was within the available volume
The total volume extracted under licences (1,243 ML) was within the volume available for the year (5,242 ML).
Table 4: PCV vs total entitlement volumes, Central Victorian Mineral Springs GMA
Management responsibilities
Management of water in the Central Victorian Mineral Springs GMA is undertaken by Goulburn-Murray Water.
| Authority | Management responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Goulburn-Murray Water |
|
