About the area
The West Campaspe groundwater management area (GMA) extends from north of Bendigo to Torrumbarry and Cohuna on the Murray River. The boundary of the GMA ranges between the Loddon and Campaspe groundwater catchments that form parts of the Murray-Darling Basin.
Rural centres within the GMA's boundary include Huntley, Gunbower and Leitchville.
The water authority responsible for managing groundwater in the West Campaspe GMA is Goulburn-Murray Water.
The West Campaspe Local Management Plan details 2 management zones; where it applies to groundwater resources for all formations below the surface.
More information on the GMA can be found on the Goulburn-Murray Water
Groundwater level trends
Table 1: Groundwater level trends, West Campaspe GMA
Response to water availability
Groundwater restrictions
There were no restrictions on licensed use in the West Campaspe GMA in 2024-25.
Entitlements and use
Groundwater is available for licensed (non-urban) supply and for domestic and stock use.
Entitlement volumes
Table 2: Groundwater entitlements at 30 June, West Campaspe 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: Available water and take, West Campaspe 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 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
There is no permissible consumptive volume (PCV) that applies to the West Campaspe GMA; however, the management plan states that licence volumes from Deep Lead resources within the Gunbower Zone are subject to an annual limit of 5,200 ML. Applications for licences in the Gunbower Zone that exceed the annual limit will require detailed technical investigation.
Total volume extracted under licences was within the available volume
The total volume extracted under licences (1,104 ML) was within the volume available for the year (2,453 ML).
Table 4: PCV vs total entitlement volume, West Campaspe GMA
Management responsibilities
Management of water in the West Campaspe GMA is undertaken by Goulburn-Murray Water.
| Authority | Management responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Goulburn-Murray Water |
|
