By Charmaine Quick, Goulburn-Murray Water managing director

The start of 2026 has been an incredibly stressful time for many, as fires have raged across the state and caused significant damage in communities.

My thoughts are with everyone that’s been impacted by these fires and I hope you and your loved ones are safe.

As always, the tireless work of emergency services to keep people safe and to fight these fires has been extraordinary.

The support community members are providing each other has also been wonderful to see, including all the generous donations for those in need.

For people and communities affected by the fires, important recovery support information is available on the Victorian Government and Vic Emergency websites. That includes information about emergency relief payments.

At the federal level, people who have been impacted may be eligible for an Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment. More information about that can be found on the Services Australia website.

Our staff members are also working hard to respond to inquiries from customers in impacted fire areas, including around any damage done to fencing along channel banks and licences and service points for diversions customers.

I strongly encourage anyone impacted by the fires to view the ‘bushfire recovery’ page on our website, which includes information on how to contact us and how we can help.

All of this recovery support is going to be crucial for some time — not only in helping community members get by in the short term but also to build back their lives in their communities.

Another reason why this is crucial is that the fires are unfortunately not the only significant issue communities are having to grapple with.

The other big issue is the ongoing dry conditions we’re seeing across the state.

Inflows into our storages have been below average for over a year now. We’re seeing lower availability for water allocations and higher trade prices.

We might also see lower allocations in the Goulburn system at the start of the next irrigation season — and it’s likely not going to be the only one.

The Broken and Bullarook systems are highly dependent on inflow each year, so the next several months will determine availability at the start of the new water year.

Some groundwater systems have been impacted as well, and there’s potential for next season’s availability to be impacted.

Given all of this, it’s important to be prepared for whatever lies ahead.

Planning for lower water availability over the next several months will be crucial. Keep in mind that water allocation increases may come later than you think. Pay attention to the Northern Victoria Resource Manager’s seasonal determination updates when they’re released.

I encourage everyone to view the ‘seasonal preparedness’ page on our website as well.

There you will find links to Agriculture Victoria’s drought support information and the Rural Financial Counselling Service, as well as where you can find the NVRM’s seasonal determination updates.

The ‘seasonal preparedness’ page also includes a link to frequently asked questions about the subject, including what Goulburn-Murray Water’s role is in dry conditions and how G-MW prepares for and responds to those conditions.

As always, our staff will do what they can to maximise water availability for customers, including looking at options to conserve water wherever possible.

In mid-February we’ll also be releasing the preliminary outlook for the 2026/27 irrigation season, which will help customers with their planning. We’ll provide an update on that soon.

In the meantime, I hope community members stay safe and continue that great support for each other — whether that’s support for people impacted by fires or for those doing it tough during the dry conditions.

Here’s hoping the rest of 2026 can provide welcome respite for us all.

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Wednesday, 22nd February 2023

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