Trade reports
Water Market Trends
An updated report on water market trends in northern Victoria is now available, providing important insights into the changes in how water is owned, used and traded and the factors impacting the price of water on the market.
This is an update to the previous Water Market Trends report released in February 2016. It analyses data from the Victorian Water Register on trends in the northern Victorian water market since 2001. This new report includes additional information on the changes observed since 2014-15, and on trade patterns between different water users in recent seasons.
Five fact sheets provide simple and accessible information from the report on how entitlements are owned and water is being used in northern Victoria, the key factors influencing the price of water allocation on the market, how irrigators are sourcing their water, and carryover and how entitlement holders are using it.
PDF: Water Market Trends Fact Sheet 1 – Ownership of water entitlements (117 kb)
PDF: Water Market Trends Fact Sheet 2 – Water use in northern Victoria (119 kb)
PDF: Water Market Trends Fact Sheet 3 – Allocation prices, supply and demand (147 kb)
PDF: Water Market Trends Fact Sheet 4 – How are irrigators sourcing water (123 kb)
PDF: Water Market Trends Fact Sheet 5 – Carryover and who is holding it (182 kb)
The original report Water Market Trends: Trends in Northern Victorian Water Trade 2001-2015 provides an analysis of data in the Victorian Water Register on trends in the water market over the past 10 to 15 years, and trade patterns between different water users in recent seasons, providing important insights into current trends in water trade as well as factors impacting the price of allocation water.
PDF: Water Market Trends – Trends in Northern Victorian Water Trade 2001–2015 (5,603 kb)
DOCX: Water Market Trends – Trends in Northern Victorian Water Trade 2001–2015 (3,120 kb)Water Market Effectiveness
The first statewide review of the effectiveness of Victoria’s water markets has now been completed as part of the Victorian Government’s commitment under action 9.3 of Water for Victoria. This review covered all Victorian water markets, including the northern, southern and western regulated surface water markets; unregulated surface water markets; and, groundwater markets.
This first review was conducted by independent consultants (Aither, with DG Consulting) in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and a wide variety of stakeholders including water resource managers and market regulators (both state and Commonwealth); urban and rural water corporations; environmental water managers; Traditional Owner representatives; various industry representatives; and individual irrigators.
The independent report is accompanied by a short document which summarises the findings from the review and the next steps the Department will be taking to improve the effectiveness of water markets across the state.
PDF: Effectiveness of Victoria’s Water Markets (926 kb)PDF: Victorian Water Market Effectiveness – Findings and Actions (947 kb)Through this review, Victoria is continuing to demonstrate leadership in the active monitoring and development of water markets to make sure that they continue to work efficiently, with effective governance frameworks and trading rules in place to protect existing entitlement holders and the environment.
In addition to this first review of the effectiveness of Victoria’s water markets, two additional reports are now also available on the history and development of water markets in Victoria. These reports on Early Trends in Groundwater Trade in Victoria and The Evolution of Surface Water Markets are part of the Government’s commitment to improving information on water market trends and to improve confidence and understanding of water markets through greater transparency.
PDF: Early Trends in Groundwater Trade in Victoria (1,810 kb)PDF: The Evolution of Water Markets (1,900 kb)Victorian Water Trading Annual Report
The Victorian Water Trading Annual Report provides the definitive point for referencing Victorian water trade information. It provides data from the Victorian Water Register on trades of allocation, water shares, and take and use licences.
Copies of the Victorian Annual Water Trading Report for each year since 2007 are available below.
PDF: Victorian Water Trading Annual Report 2021/22 (3,298 kb)PDF: Victorian Water Trading Annual Report 2020/21 (11,627 kb)PDF: Victorian Water Trading Annual Report 2019/20 (2,315 kb)PDF: Victorian Water Trading Annual Report 2018/19 (3,190 kb)PDF: Victorian Water Trading Annual Report 2017/18 (2,300 kb)PDF: Victorian Water Trading Annual Report 2016/17 (3,420 kb)PDF: Victorian Water Trading Annual Report 2015/16 (5,640 kb)PDF: Victorian Water Trading Annual Report 2014/15 (2,180 kb)PDF: Victorian Annual Water Trading Report 2013/14 (1,470 kb)PDF: Victorian Annual Water Trading Report 2012/13 (1,521 kb)PDF: Victorian Annual Water Trading Report 2011/12 (1,920 kb)PDF: Victorian Annual Water Trading Report 2010/11 (431 kb)PDF: Water trade in Victoria 2009/10 (401 kb)PDF: Water trade in Victoria 2008/09 (718 kb)PDF: Water trade in northern Victoria 2007/08 (186 kb)Water Supply and Demand Reports
Victoria has released a new independent report by water market experts Aither, updating estimates of water availability and horticulture demands in the southern Murray-Darling Basin.
The updated report has been developed in close collaboration with the New South Wales and South Australian governments, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and industry experts to provide an up-to-date understanding of how horticultural water demands are changing.
The new report builds on analysis released in 2019 and 2020 and provides a greater level of confidence in the projected demand estimates through improved data accuracy. An additional baseline water availability scenario (similar to 2019-20) has also been included to make use of the most recent water data.
The report finds there will be increasing challenges for horticultural plantings to meet their water needs in dry years – particularly in the lower Murray region.
PDF: Fact Sheet – Water Supply and Demand in the southern Murray-Darling Basin (2022 Update) (173 kb)Post trade reports
PDF: Goulburn to Murray and Barmah Choke Post Trade Opportunity Opening Report (July 2024) (1.2 mb)PDF: Goulburn to Murray Post Trade Opportunity Opening Report (December 2023) (958 kb)PDF: Goulburn to Murray Post Trade Opportunity Opening Report (October 2023) (1.4 mb)
Other Water Trade Reports
The report Water Trading in Northern Victoria 1991/92 – 2005/06 (DSE 2008) draws together data to describe activity in Victoria’s water market over a 15-year period since trade was enabled.
PDF: Water Trading in Northern Victoria 1991–92 – 2005–06 (1,553 kb)PDF: WTNV Table of contents; Appendix A & B (511 kb)PDF: WTNV Appendix C (1,782 kb)PDF: WTNV Appendix D & E (137 kb)The Value of Water: a guide to water trading in Victoria was published in 2001. It explains how water trading developed since its origins, the benefits and hazards, the influences and participants, and the reasons behind various rules. It covers special situations like trade between States.