Zone 13 water price — Murrumbidgee
The Murrumbidgee (interstate trading zone 13) covers the regulated river below Burrinjuck and Blowering dams — Australia’s rice bowl, and an increasingly serious cotton and almond region. Allocation is quoted in dollars per megalitre, and because trade out of the valley is capped, Murrumbidgee water can price at a meaningful discount to the Murray zones. For today’s tradeable level, call (03) 5824 3833.
Need a Zone 13 quote?
Call (03) 5824 3833 or request a callback.
Where Zone 13 prices are published
We don’t display live Zone 13 figures on this page — recorded trade data for this zone is published by the sources below, and published prices can lag the live market by days. For today’s tradeable level, call the desk on (03) 5824 3833 for a quote benchmarked against current market depth.
- NSW Water Trade Dashboard (DCCEEW)
Official NSW register data — allocation and entitlement trade volumes and prices by water source, updated regularly. Prices are self-reported by applicants and include non-market and $0 trades, so read medians of commercial trades rather than single entries.
- WaterNSW — Murrumbidgee IVT account
Live balance of the 100 GL trade-out account — the number that determines whether allocation can currently leave the valley, and therefore whether zone 13 prices are converging with or discounting to the Murray.
- Bureau of Meteorology — water market information
National, standardised trade data compiled across all state registers, plus annual water markets reporting.
Zone 13 price at a glance
- • Quoted in: AUD per megalitre (ML) of allocation (water assigned from a licence account)
- • System: Murrumbidgee and Tumut rivers below Burrinjuck (1,026 GL) and Blowering (1,628 GL) dams
- • Entitlement categories: high security, general security, supplementary and conveyance
- • Main demand: rice (about half of Australia’s crop), cotton, and growing almond plantings
- • Trade limit: net exports to the Murray capped by the 100 GL Murrumbidgee IVT account — imports are back-trade only
What drives the Zone 13 water price?
Zone 13 (Murrumbidgee) allocation prices respond to a handful of forces specific to this system. Understanding them helps buyers and sellers time a trade.
Available water determinations (AWDs)
NSW DCCEEW announces allocations against each licence category — an opening determination on 1 July, then increases as resource assessments firm. High security conventionally opens near its full 0.95 ML per share; general security starts low and builds through the season. Each upward AWD adds tradeable supply and typically softens the price.
The 100 GL trade-out limit
Net allocation trade out of the Murrumbidgee is tracked in an IVT account capped at 100 GL — roughly what can be physically delivered out via Balranald without excessive losses. When the cap binds, Murrumbidgee water is locked in-valley and typically trades at a discount to Murray zones; when capacity is available, prices converge toward Murray levels.
Rice’s price-responsive demand
Rice is the valley’s swing water user. Growers plant area based on expected allocations and the temporary water price — when water is cheap they plant, and when it is expensive many sell allocation instead. That elasticity dampens extreme highs in the Murrumbidgee relative to zones dominated by permanent plantings.
Snowy releases into Blowering
Blowering Dam stores water released from the Snowy Mountains Scheme, so Tumut-side inflows depend partly on Snowy Hydro operations as well as rainfall. This gives the Murrumbidgee a supply profile that can hold up better than the NSW Murray in dry sequences.
Carryover positions
General security licences can carry over unused water up to 30% of entitlement, with total account credit capped at 100%. Heavy carryover into a new season reduces early-season buying urgency and moderates the opening price.
Temporary water vs allocation in Zone 13
The Zone 13 temporary water price and the Zone 13 allocation price are the same figure — the cost of one season’s water, quoted in AUD per megalitre. It is separate from the price of a permanent water entitlement in this zone, which is the ongoing asset that receives allocation each year. For the full distinction see entitlements vs allocations, or our overview of temporary water prices in Victoria.
Permanent water
Thinking of selling your Zone 13 (Murrumbidgee) water shares?
Watching allocation prices is often the first step in a bigger decision. Integra also brokers permanent water entitlement sales — high security and general security entitlements in Zone 13 (Murrumbidgee) and across the southern basin — appraised against recorded register transfers, not list prices.
An appraisal is confidential, obligation-free, and tells you what your entitlement would realise in today’s market — so the decision to sell (or hold) is made on numbers, not guesswork. See how a permanent entitlement sale works, or the difference between entitlements and allocations.
Zone 13 water price — FAQs
What is the current Murrumbidgee (Zone 13) water price?
Murrumbidgee allocation prices move with NSW available water determinations, the trade-out account balance and seasonal demand. The NSW Water Trade Dashboard publishes recorded prices from the register, but they are self-reported and can lag the live market. For a firm, current Zone 13 price before you trade, call Integra on (03) 5824 3833.
Is NSW general security the same as Victorian low-reliability water?
No — and the difference matters when comparing prices. NSW general security is a share-based product whose allocation typically builds through the season as inflows firm, and it carries 30% carryover. Victorian low-reliability water shares only receive allocation after all high-reliability commitments are met and receive nothing in many seasons. Murrumbidgee general security has historically received allocations even in years when NSW Murray general security opened at zero.
Why does Murrumbidgee water often trade at a discount to the Murray?
Because of the trade-out limit. Net allocation exports from the Murrumbidgee are capped by a 100 GL IVT account, reflecting what can physically be delivered out via Balranald. When that cap binds, sellers are locked into in-valley buyers and the Zone 13 price falls below Murray-zone levels. The discount is a delivery constraint, not a statement about water quality or reliability.
Can I buy Murray water into the Murrumbidgee?
Only as back-trade. The Murrumbidgee IVT account cannot go below zero, so allocation can move into zone 13 only to the extent that water has previously traded out. In practice, buying into the valley depends on the current account balance — check it before committing, or ask the desk.
How are Murrumbidgee allocations announced?
NSW DCCEEW makes available water determinations for each licence category — an opening determination on 1 July, then further increases whenever resource assessments show more water. High security conventionally opens near its full share; general security builds through the season. WaterNSW then credits licence accounts. Integra tracks each statement and what it means for the tradeable price.
Can Integra sell my Murrumbidgee permanent entitlement?
Yes. Integra brokers permanent entitlement sales in the Murrumbidgee — high security and general security shares — alongside allocation trades. Entitlements are priced per unit share and appraised against recent recorded NSW register dealings. If you are weighing up a sale, call (03) 5824 3833 for a confidential appraisal first.
Liz Johnston
Senior Water Broker
Indicative only. Not financial advice. Water trade involves risk of principal loss. Prices shown are indicative and may not reflect current market conditions. All trades subject to NSW water trading rules, the Murrumbidgee water sharing plan, and MDBA water trading rules.