Information about Permanent Water Saving Rules (PWSRs) and staged water restrictions. Find the current restrictions for your town.
Current water restrictionsWater restrictions are a necessary part of a sustainable future for our region and wider community. It's everyone's job to use water in a responsible and fair manner. |
Permanent Water Saving RulesYou need to be vigilant in your water use at all times, even when you're not under water restrictions! That's why all Victorian towns are subject to Permanent Water Saving Rules. |
Staged water restrictionsWater restrictions have one primary purpose - to conserve water! The health of the water supply dictates the level of restrictions, Stage 1 being the most mild and Stage 4 being the most severe. |
Information and books about the history of our headworks, the Historic Wimmera Mallee Channel System and constructing the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline.
A history of our headworksThe 'No Water No Life' series is an historic look at our headworks system. |
The Historic Wimmera Mallee Channel SystemThe Wimmera Mallee Domestic and Stock Channel System, covering 2.9 million hectares, was one of the largest water supply systems in the world. |
Constructing the Wimmera Mallee PipelineThe Wimmera Mallee Pipeline Project was one of the largest water infrastructure projects in Australia, replacing 17,500 kilometres of inefficient open channels with 9,159 kilometres of rural pipeline. |
Books about our water supplyInformation about the history of our water supply and constructing the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline is available from these books and articles. |
Apply for water carting standpipe access. Find emergency water supply points in our region.
Emergency water supply pointsOur region has multiple water supply points that provide water for emergency stock and domestic purposes during severe dry seasonal conditions, surface water scarcity, and bushfires. |
Apply for standpipe accessStandpipes have long been an important resource for our region, providing access to water where it is otherwise scarce. |
Electronic standpipe locationsFind out where our electronic Standpipes are located around our region. |
How to use a swipe card standpipeOur new swipe card standpipes are very easy to use! As well as more accurately recording your water usage, they allow you 24-hour access and are solar powered. |
Welcome to Phil the Bucket's fun activities page!
Phil has created lots of fun water activities, experiments, puzzles and more for you to do.
The West Wimmera GMA incorporates the area west of the Wimmera River to the South Australian border, and north to the Big Desert.
The area is essentially dependent on groundwater for urban and agricultural water supply, the main resource being the Tertiary Limestone Aquifer. This aquifer - or underground lake - is the primary supply for stock, irrigation and town supplies across the area.
View a map of the West Wimmera GMA
Local Management Plan
In 2011, GWMWater published the West Wimmera Groundwater Management Strategy. This Strategy was devised to ensure that the precious groundwater water resources in the region are managed with the goal of long-term sustainability. The management arrangements set out in the Strategy have been further refined and simplified in the 2019 West Wimmera GMA Local Management Plan.
West Wimmera Groundwater Management Area - Local Management Plan (1.6MB, 48 pages)
West Wimmera GMA Management Strategy (4.5MB, 65 pages)
West Wimmera Information Sheet (0.4MB, 2 pages)
Trading rulesThe West Wimmera area is managed by rules according to the West Wimmera Groundwater Management Strategy.
Restrictions on issuing TWEs and groundwater licences: GWMWater won't approve a TWE or groundwater licence if it: a) exceeds the PCV for a zone; b) exceeds the Permissible Annual Volume (PAV) for a Border Zone; c) poses an unacceptable risk to surrounding groundwater usesr including the environment. GWMWater also won't approve a TWE or groundwater licence if it results in water being moved into any of the following sub-zones:
Border Groundwaters AgreementAll groundwater resources along the Victorian-South Australian border are also subject to the Border Groundwaters Agreement. This agreement takes precedence over local water licensing authority policies (such as GWMWater's). Find out more about the Border Groundwaters Agreement (external webpage). |
Annual report
Further information...Annual seasonal restriction announcement for season 2020/21 The seasonal restriction for licensed groundwater users in Neuarpur Sub-zone 1 will remain restricted to 80% of their licence volume for the 2020/21 season. This is in accordance with the West Wimmera Groundwater Management Area Local Management Plan. Licensees have been advised that the restriction levels remains the same as last season.
Groundwater is an essential resource for our community, especially in the western parts of the region.
If you're planning to construct or alter a groundwater bore, you need to apply for a licence before you can start works.
Apply for a 'take and use' groundwater licence To use groundwater for irrigation or other commercial purposes, you must have a ‘take and use’ licence. |