With the 2024/25 irrigation season approaching, Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) is bringing the curtain down on its 2024 Winter Works program.
The 2024 Winter Works program was ambitious, with a huge swath of work undertaken during the three-month period between irrigation seasons.
GMW Infrastructure Delivery Services general manager Warren Jose said the water corporation had finished what it set out to achieve.
“It has been a great effort from our staff and our contractors throughout the winter to complete all the work we had planned,” he said.
“They have often worked from sunrise to sunset in some pretty icy conditions, but their efforts have helped ensure we can offer customers a high level of service in the years to come.”
The highlights from the program include:
- More than 270km of channels have been treated for aquatic weeds using environmentally friendly herbicide.
- Channel refurbishments were completed at 19 different sites – the largest involved remodelling 6km of the Waranga Western Channel near Rochester.
- Completion of 15 structure refurbishments, including bridges, regulators and culverts.
- Replacement of three rail culverts.
- More than 30 flume gates having been replaced by gates GMW had repaired at its Cussen Street, Tatura depot.
With the final works now being completed and the new irrigation season about to start, GMW’s Water Systems Operators are now drawing the channels back up in preparation for delivering water orders.
The irrigation season begins on Thursday 15 August.
Mr Jose thanked people for their patience during the program.
“We also greatly appreciate people’s cooperation where we have had to change traffic conditions or lower channels.”