Allocation trading
Allocation trade involves transferring a volume of water allocation from a seller to a buyer. Allocation trade is only permitted when the volume of unused allocation available in the seller’s allocation account is greater than or equal to the volume of the trade.
Holders of water allocation are able to make an application to their water corporation to trade it. The water corporation will approve the application if it is complete and meets local trading rules.
Permitted trades include allocation trades between trading zones within Victoria and interstate. Trading rules are assessed based on the source of the water allocation. This may be different to where the allocation is used depending on whether the allocation is tagged to a different location.
Prior to unbundling the concept of allocation did not exist, although temporary trade of entitlement is often used as a comparable measure for historic trade of allocation in declared systems in Victoria.
Allocation trading history
You can get summary information here about the trading of water allocations for a given trading zone within the regulated water systems.
For example, you can find volumes traded within, into and out of the trading zone in the current season, the number of trades, price statistics on those trades, and a list of all trades.
Allocation trading history
Notes and disclaimers
- These statistics are by trading zone source, rather than trading zone use. This means that they show the direction of trade according to where the trader is storing the water rather than using it.
- Only regulated trading zones are shown as it is only these trading zones which receive allocation.
- The statistics show approved trades only and are grouped by the date the trade was approved.
- In the Register, trades through a pool are administered as two trades: one to the pool and one from the pool. To avoid double counting, trades out of the pool are excluded. The pool accounts are held by G-MW, therefore all G-MW trades to and from the pool are classified as within authority trades. No adjustment has been made for this.
- The total volume traded and total number of trades are defined as the sum of trade within the selected trading zone and into the selected trading zone.
- Net trade is defined as the sum of trade into the selected trading zone less the sum of trade out of the selected trading zone.
- If an interstate trading zone is selected only trades to and from Victoria are shown.
- Median price is the median price of trades within and into the selected trading zone. Some transactions do not involve change of allocation ownership or are otherwise non-monetary - these zero priced trades have been excluded from the calculation of the median price. Pricing data is based on data supplied by applicants on their trade applications and is only as good as the data
- If there are issues with this report, please click here to let us know.
Allocation trade opportunities and limits
This table indicates available opportunities for trade and back-trade in Victoria as set by the Victorian Trading Rules.
Select the trading zone INTO WHICH you may wish to trade.
Allocation trade opportunities and limits
Notes and disclaimers
The calculation uses data current at time of execution. If there are issues with this report, please click here to let us know.
Click here for the data that leads to the limits above. This data may be up to 15 minutes older than the data from the above report.
Click here for a map of the trading zones
Trading Rules generally permit trade of allocation from one trading zone to other trading zones provided that the traded water can readily flow to the destination trading zone. The trading rules also permit trade in the opposite direction ("back-trade") if previous forward trade has opened up an opportunity.
In order to protect third parties and the environment, some trade limits apply. You can find some information on limits on trade between valleys in the fact sheet and explanatory note available below.
Fact Sheet: New controls on allocation trade (PDF - 297kb)
Victoria refines controls on allocation trade between valleys (PDF - 89kb)
Allocation trade from New South Wales to Victoria is limited to a net annual volume of 200 GL, or the volume that keeps the risk of spill in the Murray system below 50%, whichever is the lesser.