Understanding and Accessing Water Entitlements

This is a long document, you may not need to read all of it. We have tried to provide useful information here and we encourage water entitlement holders to sift through it. The ‘quick links’ menu at the right-hand side of the webpage may help with locating specific information. As always, please contact us for assistance or clarification.

Quick links

Understanding Water Entitlements

  • General Overview

Accessing Water

  • Overview
  • Stream Flow Periods
  • In-stream Works

Ordering Water

  • Overview
  • Telemex
  • How to Place an Order
  • Notice Periods
  • Listing Current Orders
  • Cancelling or Amending Orders

Trading water

  • Overview

Understanding water entitlements

 

In Australia, a water entitlement may exist in a different form and/or be known by a different name depending on where the water entitlement exists. It is important to remember that a water entitlement in the Pioneer River Water Supply Scheme (PRWSS), may be very different to a water entitlement somewhere else.

Under the Pioneer Valley Resource Operations Plan (ROP) Pioneer Valley Water (PVWater) currently holds a Distribution Operations Licence (DOL) for distribution of water for irrigation purposes within the PRWSS. The following information is intended ONLY to relate to water entitlements currently distributed under PVWater’s DOL. These water entitlements are defined under the ROP as ‘Water Allocations’. Presently, if you are the owner of one of these water entitlements, your name is registered on the Queensland Water Allocations Register (WAR) as the title holder to that Water Allocation.

Accessing water

 

Unless otherwise exempted under the provisions of the Water Act 2000, or a Licence current under legislation, you must not access water within the PRWSS from either a regulated watercourse or PVWater infrastructure other than in accordance with the requirements outlined below:

  • you are the registered owner or legal lessee of a PRWSS Water Allocation supplied under SunWater’s Resource Operations Licence (ROL) outside of PVWater’s DOL (in which case arrangments for supply will be in accordance with arrangements between yourself and SunWater),

or;

  • you are the registered owner or legal lessee of a Water Allocation distributed under PVWater’s DOL, and;
  • taking water will not cause you to exceed either the current Announced Allocation or the nominal volume applicable to your Water Allocation, and;
  • you have placed a current and accurate water order with PVWater, and;
  • you have not been otherwise directed to cease taking water.

Stream Flow Periods

Water users are required to ring through their meter readings to PVWater’s offices on 07 4957 8481 prior to taking water during a declared stream flow period, and again at the end of any stream flow period in which the water user has taken water. Failure to do so will see the usage recorded against the Announced Allocation.

 

In-stream Works

Any in-stream works required to ensure that sufficient water depth is available for pumping installations are the responsibility of the water user concerned. This includes those customers taking supply from all regulated watercourses, PVWater channels, and the ponded sections of Mirani, Marian, Dumbleton and Silver McGregor Weirs. Consultation with PVWater staff is required prior to undertaking any works within the Palmyra or Silver McGregor supply channels, or the Silver McGregor Weir. Consultation with the relevant state government department is recommended in relation to works in other watercourses.

Ordering Water

 

Telemex

This information is provided to assist growers with placing water orders using the Telemex online water ordering system. When you place an order using Telemex, our staff are easily able to assess how much water is required, where it is required, and when. This enables informed decisions and more efficient water delivery, helping to keep costs and therefore water charges as low as possible. You can find out the answers to most water-ordering questions you may have under the following headings:

  • How to Place an Order
  • Notice Periods
  • Listing Existing Orders
  • Cancelling or Amending Orders

 

How to Place an Order

Using Telemex to place in order is incredibly easy and straight forward. With that in mind, there are a few basic pieces of information that you will need to place your order.

  • your ‘outlet number‘ (if you have more than one outlet).
  • your proposed ‘start time‘.
  • your proposed ‘start date‘.
  • the proposed ‘duration‘ of your order (in hours).
  • the ‘flow rate‘ at which you will be taking water (in litres per second).
  • the number of times you wish to ‘repeat‘ your order (if any).
  • the ‘interval‘ (in days) between repeats (if you are placing a repeating order).

These terms are explained below to help you work out how Telemex works.

Your ‘outlet number‘ will have been provided to you by our staff. If you have not received them, or have misplaced them, please contact our offices.

When Telemex asks you to enter the ‘start time‘, it is asking what time of day you intend to commence taking water. Telemex uses a twenty-four-hour clock system. For example; if you intend to start taking water at 4:00 pm, then you will need to enter ‘1600’.

When Telemex asks you to enter the ‘start date‘, it is asking for the date that you intend to commence taking water. Simply click the date box and a calendar will appear, allowing you to make a date selection Please keep in mind that you will need to allow for the required period of notice (refer below).

When Telemex asks you for the ‘duration‘ of your order, it is asking how many continuous hours you plan to be taking water. For example; if you intend to take water for 12 hours each night for any number of nights, then you will need to enter ’12’.

When Telemex asks you to enter your proposed ‘flow rate‘, it is NOT asking the volume of water you intend to use, but rather the rate (in litres per second) at which you intend to use it. There is also an option of “order volume” that is linked to the “flow rate” table. The “order volume” section is in megalitres, not litres. Entering the total amount needed over the period will convert to the flow rate and vice versa. If you are not sure how to calculate how many litres per second you will be using, a flow rate conversion sheet can be viewed/printed. If you cannot access this table or are still unsure, then please contact PVWater staff for assistance. For example; if your irrigator uses water at a rate of 25 litres per second, then you will need to enter ’25’ in the “flow rate” section or ‘0.36’ in the “order volume” section.

Telemex makes placing a “repeat” order easy. If you don’t wish to repeat your order, then you should select “Once Off Water Delivery” in the “Order Type” heading. If, however, you require your order to be repeated several times, then you should select Repeating Water Delivery” in the “Order Type” heading. Doing so will bring up two additional tables inside the “Order Particulars” section. In the “Number of Repeats” table, select the number of repeats that you want to order for. For example; if you are placing an order for seven consecutive periods then Telemex is expecting you to request that your order be repeated ‘7’ times.

If you have requested that your order be repeated, Telemex will also ask you to tell it the appropriate ‘repeat offset‘. This is the number of days between periods. For example; if your order is to be repeated each day (or night) at the same time, then the interval between repeats should be entered as ‘1 Day – Repeat Every Day‘. Another example might be an order which is to be repeated every Friday night. The interval in this case would be ‘7 Days – Repeat Every Week on the Same Day‘.

 

Notice Periods

Telemex will not accept an order if you attempt to give less notice than shown in the “Delivery Lag” section of your Holding Information found on your Telemex Profile.

These lead times are current minimum estimates of the time required by the Board to supply water in an efficient manner and are inclusive of notice periods required by SunWater. If, for a legitimate reason, you have not placed a water order in time please telephone our Operations staff. We will accommodate any water order if it is possible to do so without potentially affecting existing orders.

 

Listing Existing Orders

If you can’t remember exactly when you have water ordered for, you can find out by logging into Telemex and finding your existing orders under your user account.

 

Cancelling or Amending Orders

Once you have placed an order, it is simple to cancel or modify the order in Telemex. Simply log into Telemex, navigate to your existing orders, select the “Actions” dropdown box and then select to either “Modify” or “Cancel” your water order. Alternatively, please contact the office between 7a.m. and 7p.m. on 07 4957 8481 (this number will divert to the duty officer outside of business hours).

There are no notice requirements for cancellation of an order, but obviously the more notice you can provide, the better our staff can manage the resource. If you fail to cancel an order, then the water, and the electricity used to pump it, may very well be wasted. In the long run everyone pays for this, both in terms of increased water charges, and in potential under-supply during extended dry periods, i.e. a dry Teemburra Dam.

Please remember to cancel your orders if you don’t intend to use the water, no matter the reason. We can’t second guess growers’ irrigation decisions, and even if it is pouring rain where you are, we may be high and dry.

Trading water

 

Your Water Allocation is a tradable entitlement.

PVWater maintains a register of names and telephone numbers of individuals who have advised us of an interest in buying or selling Water Allocations on either a permanent or temporary basis. If you ask us to, we will add your details to our register, and pass them on to other interested parties on request.

At this time, PVWater will not enter into negotiations between prospective water traders but will certainly assist with provision of factual information regarding relevant water charges and access arrangements.