The Community Rebate Program was created to administer the following community Guaranteed Service Level breach payments:
- Protecting the environment is important to us. Sewer spills can impact the local environment and waterways and may also affect public amenity. If we don’t contain a sewer spill that’s caused by a fault in our system within five hours, we’ll make a $2,000 payment to the affected community.
- Our customers rely on us providing water services they can trust all the time. We’ll make a $15,000 payment to an affected community if a Boil Water Notice is issued that is caused by a fault in our system.
The Community Rebate Program is a way for us to recognise that we didn’t meet the expectations we have set for ourselves, or that customers expect from us. It also helps us remain accountable to our promised standards, and allows us to give something back to the affected community in a way that will create local benefits.
In 2025/26 there have been three breaches identified, two for the issuing of Boil Water Notices and another related to a sewer spill.
This year these amounts are available through the Community Rebate Program to the following towns, due to a sewer spill not being contained within the agreed time in Kilmore and because of two boil water notices being issued - to Murchison and Longwood:
- Longwood: 1 breach - $15,000 (boil water notice, 10 January 2026)
- Murchison: 1 breaches - $15,000 (boil water notice, 5 Septemer 2025)
- Kilmore: 1 breach - $2,000 (sewer spill not contained within 5 hours)
There were no GSL breaches in 2024/25.
GSL payments for five breaches related to sewer spills (not contained within 5 hours) were identified in 2023-24 in the following towns:
- Grahamvale: 1 breach - $2,000
- Marysville: 1 breach - $2,000
- Mooroopna: 2 breaches - $4,000
- Shepparton: 1 breach - $2,000
At the end of each financial year, we identify if any breaches have happened, along with the impacted town/s and payments to be delivered through the Community Rebate Program.
A program round is then opened and eligible communities are invited to submit funding applications.