Increased funding and opportunity to guide the entire Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project (NVIRP) program are the key benefits for local communities and irrigators across Goulburn-Murray Water's (G-MW) irrigation areas following an in principle agreement that will see G-MW's Reconfiguration Programs move under the direction of the NVIRP. All reconfiguration business cases received from Monday 3 November will now be progressed by NVIRP.
According to G-MW Managing Director David Stewart the new arrangements will ensure the existing Programs' momentum and experience guides the delivery of NVIRP and will provide a massive boost to the funding available for reconfiguration initiatives. Under Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the NVIRP around $1.4 billion will be available to fund improved access arrangements (connections) for customers across the region.
"Our Reconfiguration Working Groups and G-MW recognised early on that funding would be the greatest obstacle to achieving a more efficient delivery network that allows our customers to pursue more efficient on farm operations. Today's announcement confirms the once in a lifetime opportunity available to our region to rethink, redesign and renew our existing network," said Mr Stewart.
"Water Service Committees and Working Groups have already been consulted on the proposed transfer of the Working Groups and the Program and we will confirm further details of the new arrangements with them over coming weeks," said Mr Stewart.
The water savings achieved and funds spent by G-MW as part of the reconfiguration program will be audited as at 31 October, with the balances transferred to NVIRP.
G-MW's existing Reconfiguration Program is on track to deliver 25,000 ML of water savings by May 2009 to the Victorian Government's Living Murray Initiative in return for their $50 million investment.
Reconfiguration Program Achievements to date
"We ramped up our reconfiguration team from 7 to 17 staff last year in response to the growing interest from customers who want to improve the delivery onto farm. As a result we have achieved agreements with customers that will see more than 143 km of channel and 355 structures such as culverts, bridges and regulators decommissioned, generating more than 12,500 ML of water savings," said Mr Stewart.
"A really important outcome is that the agreements will see more than 700 meter outlets decommissioned, but only 194 new meters need to be installed - this really illustrates the changes that are happening on farm and the benefits to all customers that will come from avoiding the costs associated in operating and maintaining these unnecessary assets," said Mr Stewart
"These results clearly show that with the leadership of the Working Groups and the growing momentum for change from our customers. Reconfiguration can and will transform irrigation in our region - ensuring the long term viability of sustainable irrigated agriculture and the many communities and industries that rely on it," said Mr Stewart.
Since 2004 local committees with representatives from the local community and customers have been working to streamline their local irrigation delivery network to boost system efficiency and assist farmers to achieve more efficient on farm water use through better farm layouts.
Under the new arrangements:
- § G-MW's reconfiguration working groups will transfer to NVIRP and will be renamed as Modernisation Committees and will advise on the total NVIRP Program.
- § G-MW's reconfiguration staff will be seconded to NVIRP.
- § G-MW will remain responsible for all reconfiguration agreements signed or verbally accepted as at 31 October 2008.
- § NVIRP will assume responsibility for delivering the remaining commitments to G-MW's existing reconfiguration Program by May 2009.
G-MW, NVIRP and DSE will jointly appoint an auditor to verify water savings of 25,000 ML from the Reconfiguration Program upon completion.