Latest News
- Water for supply to Melbourne in 2010
- Sugarloaf Pipeline officially opened
- Progress on the Food Bowl Modernisation Project
- Further information
Water for supply to Melbourne in 2010
22 February 2010
The allocation of water for the Sugarloaf Pipeline is subject to strict legislative requirements from the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments.
The 75 billion litres of water that will be allocated to Melbourne via the Sugarloaf Pipeline in 2010 will be sourced from:
- Water savings from the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline project
- Water savings from the Eildon Water Quality Reserve
- Water savings from the Central Goulburn 1234 Modernisation Project and the Shepparton Irrigation Modernisation Project
- Water savings from Stage One of the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project – pending the necessary approvals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth)
The Australian Government has accepted the advice of an independent auditor that these sources of water fulfil the requirements of Condition 11 of the approval granted for the Sugarloaf Pipeline under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth).
The following explains in further detail how these sources of water comply with the legislative requirements from the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments.
Water savings from the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline project:
- The Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline project is ahead of schedule. This means that water from the Goulburn River system that was previously required to supply some Wimmera towns and farms before the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline was built has now been freed up.
- This water has been set aside for urban use through a temporary qualification of rights in response to a declared water shortage in the Goulburn River and Melbourne water systems.
- Testing and commissioning of the Sugarloaf Pipeline commenced in December 2009 using some of this water.
Water savings from the Eildon Water Quality Reserve:
- 30 billion litres of water is set aside in the Eildon Water Quality Reserve at the beginning of each irrigation season. The reserve is not cumulative, but rather ‘reset’ to 30 billion litres each year.
- The reserve was set up in 1995, in case of events linked to poor water quality, such as algal blooms and fish kills in the Goulburn River and Broken Creek.
- Water from the reserve has never been required for the Goulburn River. Between one and three billion litres a year has been used in the Broken Creek since 2005 for this purpose.
- 10 billion litres has been set aside from the reserve to supply to Melbourne in 2009-10. A further 10 billion litres will be set aside to supply Melbourne in 2010-11. This has been authorised through a temporary qualification of rights in response to a declared water shortage in the Goulburn and Melbourne systems.
- Under previous qualifications of rights, 10 billion litres from this reserve was set aside for supply to Ballarat, Bendigo and surrounding towns in 2007-08 and again in 2008-09; and seven billion litres from this reserve was used for supply to irrigators in 2006-07. There was more than sufficient water left in the reserve to manage minor water quality issues that arose in the Broken Creek during this time.
Water savings from the Central Goulburn 1234 Modernisation Project and the Victorian Government’s investment in the Shepparton Irrigation Modernisation Project:
- Water savings have already been achieved from these projects in the 2008-09 water year. The volume of savings has been confirmed by independent audit. This water will be available for use in the first half of 2010.
- Further water savings will be achieved from these projects in the 2009-10 water year. Once the volume of savings is confirmed by independent audit, this water will be available for use in the second half of 2010.
- Savings from these projects after 30 June 2010 will be transferred to the Snowy and Victorian environmental reserves.
Water savings from Stage One of the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project (NVIRP):
- Water savings for Melbourne from Stage One of NVIRP are subject to Commonwealth assessment and approval of NVIRP under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth). This process is expected to be completed by mid-2010.
- The early works for NVIRP have already delivered water savings in the 2008-09 water year. The volume has been confirmed by independent audit and this water will be available for use, subject to Commonwealth approval of NVIRP under the EPBC Act.
- Further water savings will be achieved from NVIRP in the 2009-10 water year. Once the volume is confirmed by independent audit, this water will be available for use in the second half of 2010, subject to Commonwealth approval of NVIRP under the EPBC Act.
Sugarloaf Pipeline officially opened
10 February 2010
Water from the Sugarloaf Pipeline has started flowing into Melbourne’s reservoirs five months ahead of schedule, providing the biggest single boost to the city’s water supply system in more than a quarter of a century.
The $750 million pipeline project, a key part of the Victorian Government’s Water Plan, will bring 75 billion litres of water to Melbourne this year and a third of water savings from Stage 1 of irrigation upgrades in northern Victoria every year after that.
The Premier John Brumby and Water Minister Tim Holding today turned on the pipeline at Sugarloaf Reservoir. Mr Brumby said the project was part of the Government’s record investment in water projects to ensure there was enough water for farmers, cities and rivers.
“Our major water projects, including this pipeline and the desalination plant are the roadmap back from severe water restrictions,” Mr Brumby said.
“The Sugarloaf Pipeline will provide the biggest single boost to Melbourne’s water supplies since the Thomson Dam was built more than 25 years ago.
Progress on the Food Bowl Modernisation Project
The Sugarloaf Pipeline Project will deliver Melbourne's share of water savings from the $2 billion Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project. This project will make the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District the most sophisticated and efficient of its kind in the world. Stages One and Two of the irrigation renewal project will save a total of approximately 425 billion litres of water by improving the efficiency of the ageing infrastructure in the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District.
See the latest information about the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project.
Further information
See past Newsletters and Bulletins for earlier news items.
See Media Releases for further news items.
