Flood recovery

Goulburn Valley Water / Community / Flood recovery

Supporting customers and communities affected by the October 2022 floods

We know the floods have impacted many across our region - so, we're here to help in any way we can.

We're supporting the Victorian Government's assistance program, which will see eligible, flood-affected customers receive a one-off bill credit on their upcoming bills (issued between December 2022 and February 2023). This is designed to take the pressure off your water bill over the next 12 months during flood recovery efforts, including clean-up and rebuild, which may be impacting customers financially.

All residents and businesses who were occupying a property during the floods in Mooroopna will receive either a:

$600 credit if they experienced flooding above floor level of their house or business premise; or
$300 credit in recognition of the widespread flooding impacts to the Mooroopna town and community.

Residents and building occupants in Nathalia will also be eligible for a $300 credit in recognition of the ongoing, intermittent impact on water quality resulting from the floods.

For all other towns across our service area where flooding was localised to specific properties, residents and building (including business) occupants may be eligible for a:

$600 credit if they experienced flooding above floor level of their house or business premise; or
$300 credit if they are in a part of a town which experienced significant disruptions to water or sewer services.

We're working with local councils and using our own databases to identify affected properties so we can proactively apply the credit to impacted customers - if you're eligible, you won't need to do a thing. If you believe you're eligible but didn't receive a credit on your bill issued before March 2023, you can submit your application.

You can check if the bill credit has been applied to your account (this will happen just before you receive your next bill) through our myGVW account portal. You can log in or sign up here.

Share your thoughts!

Tell us what you thought about how we provided information to you during the floods. We'd love to know what worked, what didn't, or how we can improve. Take our short survey here.

Additional support

We can support our customers in other ways if you're experiencing financial pressure, or if you were affected by the floods but are not eligible for the bill credit. Find out more about the options on our Support page.

GVW's flood response

Find out more information about our response to the October 2022 floods on this page. You can also learn how best to protect your property in case of any future emergencies.

Need more information?

We've listed some more information and Frequently Asked Questions below.

If you still have questions, we're happy to chat further about your situation or property. Register your details here and a member of our friendly Customer Accounts and Services team will call you back.

If I'm eligible, how do I get my bill credit?

There is nothing you need to do. If you are eligible, the credit will be automatically applied to your Goulburn Valley Water account and shown on your next bill.

What if I didn't receive a bill credit and I think I am eligible?

If there is no credit on your next bill and you believe you should be eligible, please fill out this application form. The application will be assessed against council and GVW data.

When will bill credits be applied?

Bill credits will be issued with your next GVW bill, if you're eligible. These will be issued between December 2022 and February 2023.

Does the credit go to tenants or landlords?

The credit is targeted to support people directly affected by the floods. For rental properties the credit will be applied to tenant bills as tenants are the ones affected by the floods.

In circumstances where we only have accounts for landlords, we expect landlords to pass the credit onto their tenants.

Am I eligible for a bill credit if I'm a tenant in my business premise?

Credits will be applied to non-residential water bills. If you are a tenant responsible for paying a water bill, you will notice the credit on your next water bill. Refer to your landlord for further information.

Am I eligible if my town didn’t experience flooding but my house or business premise did flood in the wet weather?

If you are a Goulburn Valley Water customer and your home or business premise was flooded above floor level in October 2022, you may be eligible for a $600 credit on your account. Please submit an application form so your claim can be investigated.

Am I eligible if my town was flooded but my property wasn’t impacted?

The $300 credit will be applied to the accounts of all residents and building (including business) occupants in Mooroopna, recognising the widespread flooding impacts to their town and community.

For all other towns across our service area where flooding was localised to specific properties, residents and building (including business) occupants may be eligible for a $300 credit if they are in a part of town that experienced significant disruptions to water or sewer services.

How will you know if my house or business premise was flooded?

We are working with councils in flood-affected areas to assess the full extent of the damage. We know which areas have been affected and will cross-reference this against our billing data.

While this approach will identify the majority of eligible residents and building (including business) occupants, there may be a small number of customers who are missed. We will manage these accounts on a case-by-case basis.

How will you know if I experienced significant water or sewer disruptions?

We can track our water and sewer outages via data collected from our water and wastewater supply network, which helps us to identify which properties were affected.

While water remained connected for all Goulburn Valley Water customers during the flooding events, there were some areas which experienced significant sewer issues as a result of sewer pump stations impacted by flood water.

Can I get cash instead of a credit to my bill?

The funding is specifically a credit applied to your account. The credit is intended to support customers to pay their future water bills, and so refunds will not normally be possible. If you have a credit balance, it will carry over to your next bill.

Am I able to get further financial assistance?

Call our Customer Accounts and Services Team on 1300 360 007 to find out about other ways we may be able to help you We can support our customers in other ways if people are experiencing financial pressure or were affected by the floods but not eligible for the bill credit. You can find out more about the different options on our Support page.

What if I had to move out of my house or business premise because of the floods?

Where ownership or tenancy of a property has changed recently, we will use the date of the floods (14^ththrough to the 20^th October) to determine which residents are eligible to receive the bill credit.

This means if a tenant of a property was flooded and has since vacated their property and their lease, we will still apply the rebate to the tenant who was occupying the property at the time of the floods.

Will I still get a bill from Goulburn Valley Water if my property is uninhabitable?

Yes, you will still receive a bill for water and sewerage service charges, and also any water usage charges while your premise is considered uninhabitable. This is because water and sewerage is still connected and available to the property. The bill credit goes towards paying these fixed costs.