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Melbourne Water

Melbourne's water
storages are currently

35.9%

Waterways Charge


What is the waterways charge for?

The waterways charge provides funding for:

  • Grants for the community to improve their rivers and creeks
  • River health improvements
  • River health investigations to better understand our waterways
  • Stormwater management and Water Sensitive Urban Design to improve waterway water quality
  • Urban development planning and approvals to ensure sustainable growth
  • Flood protection and flood warning systems
  • Drainage maintenance and improvements.

It is a charge for property owners within our boundary area.

About 1.5 million property owners, in our old area of responsibility, have paid a similar service charge (previously referred to as the drainage rate) since the 1920’s. Properties in our new area of responsibility are now also paying this service charge.

Who collects the waterways charge?

The water corporations within Melbourne Water's boundary area collect the charge on behalf of Melbourne Water from all rateable properties within this area.

Water CompanyContact number
Barwon Water1300 656 007
Central Highlands Water5320 3111
City West Water9313 8555
South East Water131 851
Western Water1800 805 301
Westernport Water1300 720 711
Yarra Valley Water13 1721

What will it cost?

The Board of Melbourne Water Corporation has resolved to set the following waterways and drainage fees for the 2010/11 financial year, applying to all rateable properties located within its waterway management district. Fees are based on the 1990 Net Annual Value (NAV) or Site Value (SV) of the property, subject to a minimum.

Part A - General Fees Rate in $
NAV 		Minimum Fee
All properties located within the area designated as the Urban Growth Boundary, except those specified in Part B    
Residential Properties 0.8699˘ $72.80
Non-Resitential Properties 0.9521˘ $89.40
Part B - Special Area Fees Rate in $
NAV 		Minimum Fee
1. All properties included in the waterway management district as a result of extending Melbourne Water's operating area in November 2005 (including all properties within the Shire of Mornington Peninsula), except those specified in 2    
Residential Properties N/A $72.80
Non-Residential Properties N/A $89.40
2. All properties located outside the area designated as the Urban Growth Boundary, except those specified in 3 N/A $42.72
3. All properties in the following parts of the area of the former Dandenong Valley and Western Port Authority as at 5 November 1991, which up to 1997, were subject to a special drainage and river improvement rate:    
Koo Wee Rup - Longwarry Flood Protection District    
Division A 3.649˘ $56.40
Division B 2.0274˘ $56.40
Part C - Extra Fees at Patterson Lakes Rate in $
SV 		Minimum Fee
Tidal Waterways properties 0.6219˘ N/A
Quiet Lakes properties 0.5014˘ N/A

Note: The waterways charge was set by the Essential Services Commission.

Why are there different charges for rural customers?

Urban areas within the Urban Growth Boundary generally benefit from our drainage and flood protection services as well as our waterway services. Most of the major pipe and channel drainage systems benefit properties within the Urban Growth Boundary.

Rural areas mostly benefit from our waterway services and some aspects of flood protection. The lower charge for rural customers reflects the lower level of drainage and flood protection services compared to urban customers.

For more information on the Urban Growth Boundary, download our Essential Facts sheet (PDF, 473kb).

What's happening in my local area?

These downloads contain specific information on services and works we are carrying out in your local area.

I want to talk to someone - who can I call?

The water corporations in the Port Phillip and Westernport catchment bill and collect the charge for Melbourne Water. Their customer service staff have a good understanding of Melbourne Water’s services in your local area. If you would like more information, please call your water company for more information:

Water Company Contact number
Barwon Water 1300 656 007
Central Highlands Water 5320 3111
City West Water 9313 8555
South East Water 131 851
Western Water 1800 805 301
Westernport Water 1300 720 711
Yarra Valley Water 13 1721

Why have a waterways charge?

Catchments are geographic areas that drain rainwater from land into rivers, creeks, oceans and bays.

Wherever a property is located, run-off from its surfaces inevitably ends up in the drainage system and in our rivers, creeks and bays.

The waterways charge provides funding for a wide range of waterway management, flood protection and regional drainage services in Melbourne Water's area of responsibility, the Port Phillip and Westernport region.

Our work varies from localised projects to extremely large projects that benefit the entire region.

Spreading the cost of these services across all properties in the region is the fairest possible approach, given that everyone benefits either directly or indirectly from healthy waterways and a safe reliable drainage system.

2008 Waterways Water Plan

The Melbourne Water Waterways Water Plan summarises the outcomes, activities and expenditures Melbourne Water proposes to deliver and the prices it proposes to charge for the next five years.

Waterways Operating Charter

The Waterways Operating Charter establishes a blueprint for Melbourne Water's management of rivers, drainage and floodplains over the next Water Plan period. It sets out our responsibilities and priorities over the 2008/09 to 2012/13 Water Plan period and supports the detailed financial and pricing information outlined in the 2008 Waterways Water Plan.

More information

Downloads

You will need Adobe Acrobat to access the above PDF documents.