The Victorian Government is looking for opportunities to save water which could go towards the federal government’s targets, without having to give up the water through random buy-backs.
The Victorian Government is looking at improved efficiencies, rationalising infrastructure and reduced local delivery losses.
Irrigated agriculture in the Campaspe contributes about $372 million in annual agricultural production, largely through cropping, dairy and livestock.
The Campaspe district was closed in 2010 after about five years of low or zero allocations, and some irrigators moved to secure supply through the Goulburn system.
One of the concerns of the Victorian government is that a random buy-back of water entitlements would result in a ‘swiss cheese’ effect, leaving gaps in the water delivery infrastructure, which remaining irrigators would have to support.
The government is asking communities to consider rationalising or reconfiguring irrigation infrastructure.
Minister for Water Harriet Shing published Planning Our Basin Future Together: A prospectus to safeguard Victoria’s environments and communities across the Murray-Darling Basin.
The prospectus has been developed following engagement with Victoria’s Basin communities. It details the next steps Victoria will take following the Commonwealth Government’s decision to buy back up to 450 GL of additional water.
Following the release of the prospectus, community engagement will continue across Victorian Basin towns, with industries and stakeholders to identify innovative new alternatives to open tender water purchases – projects and outcomes that deliver healthy waterways and resilient environments – without causing harm to communities.
These community-driven options will then form the basis of negotiations with the Commonwealth Government on delivery, to ensure Victorian Basin communities’ priorities are front and centre in the Commonwealth’s delivery of the Basin Plan.
Victoria remains opposed to buybacks and has not signed any agreement with the Commonwealth Government in exchange for this funding.
The Rochester-Campaspe district has 14,000 Ml high reliability water shares and annually trades out about 4,274 Ml of water.
Have your say
Feedback can be given through our Basin future together.
You can also contact the Victorian DELWP through rural.water@delwp.vic.gov.au
