Bendigo City Council Murray River Water Sharing Update: Residents Face Staged Bill Adjustments from January 2027

The Bendigo City Council released its Murray River Water Sharing Implementation Timeline on 8 July 2026, setting out three phases that directly affect water billing for properties connected to the Loddon Campaspe supply network. Phase one begins with mandatory smart meter registration for all agricultural and commercial users by 30 November 2026. Phase two introduces revised allocation caps for residential properties from 1 January 2027. Phase three applies full cost-recovery pricing from 1 July 2027.

Why the timeline was issued now

The Victorian Government’s 2025-26 Budget Paper 3 allocated $62 million for Murray River environmental flow upgrades, requiring local councils to finalise their metering and charging rules before the 2027 water year. Bendigo’s council document states that the city must align its rates notices with the new state framework to avoid penalties under the Water Act 1989. Local advocates note that the timing coincides with the end of the current three-year drought relief rebate scheme on 31 December 2026.

Bendigo residents will first notice the changes through their quarterly water bills. Households using more than 180 kilolitres per year will move to a two-tier tariff from January 2027, with the higher rate applying to excess usage. Farmers on the outskirts of Bendigo will receive separate allocation statements each quarter instead of annual summaries, requiring earlier decisions on crop planting and stock numbers. La Trobe University’s Bendigo campus will also fall under the commercial metering rules, affecting its irrigation for sports fields and research plots.

Budget figures and expected rollout steps

The council’s 2026-27 draft budget, published in May 2026, lists $1.8 million for smart meter installation across 4,200 properties in the Bendigo East and Huntly wards. The Productivity Commission’s 2025 regional water report recorded that Bendigo’s average household water bill stood at $1,142 in 2024-25. The new policy projects an average increase of $87 per household once full pricing begins in July 2027, according to the council’s modelling document.

Next steps include a 28-day public consultation period opening on 15 July 2026, followed by council adoption of final charges at the September ordinary meeting. Meter installation crews are scheduled to begin work in the Bendigo CBD postcode 3550 from October 2026, with rural properties scheduled last in March 2027. Residents will receive individual notices 60 days before their property’s metering date.