Murray-Darling Basin Environmental Regulations and Bendigo Irrigation Licence Reviews

The Victorian government has begun rolling out amendments to Murray-Darling Basin environmental regulations that tighten reporting on water extraction for irrigation and commercial use. These changes apply directly to licence holders in the Bendigo region who draw from connected catchments.

The updates follow a scheduled review of the Basin Plan and come into effect for the 2026-27 water year. Local water users must now align extraction records with new environmental flow targets set by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

Bendigo residents who operate farms or small businesses dependent on irrigation will face additional paperwork and possible metering upgrades. Properties along the Campaspe River corridor, for example, must demonstrate that water use does not reduce downstream environmental allocations.

Compliance steps for Bendigo licence holders

The legislation states that all existing licences in northern Victoria require a compliance plan lodged with Goulburn-Murray Water by the end of 2026. Farmers growing stone fruit or grazing livestock near Bendigo will need to install or recalibrate meters and keep digital logs of daily volumes.

The Productivity Commission has found that similar past reporting changes increased average administrative costs for regional irrigators by several hundred dollars per licence in the first year. Bendigo Health and La Trobe University regional campus staff who hold small horticultural allocations will also fall under the same requirements.

From January 2027 the authority will conduct random audits of records. Licence holders who do not submit plans on time risk temporary suspension of allocations, which could affect crop cycles for the following season. The government says the policy will be supported by online templates and regional workshops run by catchment management authorities.