The announcement follows from the August 15 review of all available water.

"August 15 is the traditional start of the irrigation season for channel-supplied customers," G-MW managing director David Stewart says.

"With the low resources, we are delaying channel operations until there is confirmed demand.

"Inflows to storages have remained well below average despite the rainfall of recent weeks.

"The shortfall to meeting our operating requirements, however, is slowly reducing."

Last week, in a similar review, South Australian farmers received 6pc of their entitlement.

NSW irrigators with the more reliable high-security Murrumbidgee licences can access up to 40pc of their water entitlements.

The August 15 decision on allocations is the first time the northern Victorian irrigation season has started with zero allocation.

The Vic decision applies to the Murray, Broken, Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon rivers, and to Biullarook Creek.

It's the first time the irrigation season has started with zero allocations.

Last year, water allocations moved from zero up to 5pc in the Murray system and to 15pc in the Goulburn system in the middle of August

David Stewart says, "The qualified essential needs and carryover in the Broken, Campaspe, Loddon and Bullarook systems are secured, but based on current inflows, we are still a long way from being able to operate normally in those systems."