Why Water Restrictions Can't be Eased for the Sunday Creek System

14 March 2008

Goulburn Valley Water acknowledges the Member for Northern Victoria Region, Donna Petrovich’s statements in the local media and in Parliament are correct about the southern towns in the Mitchell Shire being on Stage 4 water restrictions whilst other towns only 13 kms away are on Stage 1 water restrictions. 

Goulburn Valley Water’s General Manager Technical Services, Mr Allen Gale explained that the reason for this is because Broadford, Kilmore, Clonbinane and Wandong-Heathcote Junction are on a totally separate system to Seymour, Tallarook etc.  “The towns Ms Petrovich is concerned about are supplied from the Sunday Creek Reservoir system and, unfortunately, the catchment for this system has very little rainfall over the last few years.”

“We have been supplementing the water supply system for in-house use in these towns by pumping water from the Melbourne System to Kilmore and tankering water from the Goulburn System in Seymour to Broadford,” said Mr Gale.  “However, we cannot risk our customers running out of water for essential in-house use by allowing garden watering.”

Mr Gale said that before water restrictions can be eased for this system there needs to be a significant break in the weather.  “We appreciate that our customers living in these towns have been doing it tough for a long time and that is why we have fast tracked the Broadford pipeline project,” he said. “The pipeline from the Goulburn River near Tallarook to Broadford will increase the security of the water supply in the Sunday Creek System and will ensure that long-term severe water restrictions will be a thing of the past.”

“The program is for the pipeline to be in place by 1 December 2008.  All the engineering and physical aspects of the project are in place,” said Mr Gale. “Our biggest concern with timing is the inordinate time to obtain planning and other approvals such as Aboriginal Affairs Victoria.”

“We do sympathise with our customers and acknowledge Ms Petrovich’s concerns and we would greatly appreciate any support to accelerate the approvals process so that we can meet our 1 December timeframe,” said Mr Gale.  “We don’t want our customers to go through another summer on severe water restrictions.”

Authorised By L.J. Gleeson, 104-110 Fryers Street Shepparton