A landowner working group is one of a number of groups that provide invaluable support and feedback on key regional issues to the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline Project and GWMWater.

Landowners

Tapping points, channel decommissioning and on-farm work are among the issues that the stage one Wimmera Mallee Pipeline landowner working group discusses.

The group of Wimmera landowners Roy Rogers, Jim Sleep, Laurence Hedt, Graeme Maher, John Saxton, Marshall Rodda, Wayne Beddison and Rob Robinson also discusses sourcing materials such as pipes and tanks, contractor availability for on-farm work and easements on properties.

The group meets every three months to provide landowner feedback to GWMWater on pipeline construction. Similar landowner groups will form in other areas as pipeline construction progresses across the region.

Off-stream environmental water allocation

Another group is a joint catchment management authority working group, with representatives from Wimmera, Mallee and North Central CMAs. This group has developed criteria for allocating off-stream environmental water that will become available as a result of the pipeline savings.

The 1,000 megalitre (ML) allocation will be used to maintain and support habitat and wetlands impacted by the loss of farm dams and the channel system.

Fire fighting

Country Fire Authority officers and council officers worked together to review location of fire hydrants and tanks in the pipeline construction, and have successfully sourced additional funds from the Victorian Government to supply fire services within the pipeline.

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Recreational water

Working through recreational water allocations, costings and future management arrangements has brought together local committees of management, councils, CMAs and government agency representatives. Eleven lakes and weirs will benefit from the 3,000ML allocation for recreational water.

Storage review

GWMWater Board member Frank McClelland chairs a storage review working group, investigating future management options for the region’s water storages. This investigation has involved review of technical and engineering options, as well as consideration of environmental and social issues.

Changing the management of reservoirs in the Wimmera Mallee system, given that water requirements of urban and rural customers will be much less with a piped system, will be balanced with the increase in the security of supply and maintaining improved water quality.

Tariff structure

Another working group has been addressing the need for a new tariff structure under the pipeline system, when ‘dam fill‘ charges will no longer be relevant. Customer representatives have been working through different tariff options, including volumetric charges.

Maximising opportunities

GWMWater has also facilitated a group of regional agency representatives planning to maximise the economic and social opportunities arising from pipeline construction activity.

This group resulted from a regional strategic planning process and has successfully lobbied for support for on-farm diversification. This group has also received support for regional businesses to provide goods and services to contractors during the construction phase.

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