Published by: GWMWater
Date: April 2020
View our 
Compliance and Enforcement Strategy
Compliance and enforcement are two separate concepts that work together to maintain the integrity of water markets and sustain public confidence in Victoria’s water management.
- Compliance is proactive regulatory activity to prevent breaches or offences from occurring in the first place.
- Enforcement is a reactive regulatory activity that is triggered when breaches of the law are detected. Enforcement actions under the Victorian Water Act 1989 include warning notices, suspension or cancellation of an authorisation (e.g. Take and Use Licence), and prosecution.
This Compliance and Enforcement Strategy applies to surface water (including farm dams) and groundwater resources. This Strategy does not directly apply to GWMWater’s urban customers and rural pipeline customers, who are subject to the respective Urban Customer Charter and Rural Customer Charter. However, we do still undertake compliance and enforcement activities across our urban and rural pipeline districts.
Our Role
Water is a precious and limited resource. It is critical to our economy, environment and communities. This is why water needs to be managed fairly for all water users.
GWMWater has responsibilities under the Victorian Water Act 1989 to manage the compliance and enforcement of water taken from the water sources within its jurisdiction. The Water Act 1989 operates to promote fair, efficient and sustainable use and management of Victoria’s water resources for the benefit of water users, communities, the environment and the State.
Our Strategy
GWMWater’s Compliance and Enforcement Strategy provides details our approach to compliance and enforcement across (non-urban) surface water and groundwater sources. The Strategy outlines the range of compliance and enforcement tools available to us, and our risk-based approach to Compliance and Enforcement activities.
We have also produced a summary Compliance and Enforcement Factsheet.
Letting us know about misconduct
You can report any suspected non-compliance with the Water Act 1989 or suspected water theft across our urban and rural pipeline districts by contacting our Water Investigations Officer through any of following:
Mail: PO Box 481, Horsham, VIC, 3402
Telephone: 1300 659 961
Email:
Reporting on Compliance and Enforcement Activities
Each year we report on our Compliance and Enforcement activities through our Annual Report.
To find out more see our Compliance and Enforcement Strategy
