A 50-year water strategy released by the Brumby Government today will help safeguard water supplies for towns, farms and the environment in northern Victoria.
Water Minister Tim Holding said the Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy would see changes in seasonal allocation policies so that water is set aside in reserve for drought years.
The Strategy also confirmed changes to carryover rules for the 2010-11 irrigation season, so that entitlement holders would only lose carryover water if the major dams physically spill.
“With climate change meaning we face a future with less rainfall and reduced streamflows, the Strategy provides a framework for improved certainty and flexibility for all water users,” Mr Holding said.
“By developing a long-term management strategy and investing in major water savings infrastructure projects such as the $2 billion Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project, the Brumby Government is supporting the future growth and prosperity of regional communities.”
“Northern Victoria’s system reserve and seasonal allocation policies will change so that critical human needs can be met and irrigation systems can operate even in the driest years.”
"The new reserve system means irrigators will get a head start each year on allocations, and this means they can plan ahead with more certainty."
The Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy details 52 actions and 17 policies to manage the consequences of prolonged drought and climate change.
The Strategy will improve the management of rivers, wetlands and floodplains with clear objectives for using environmental water and tools such as carryover, reusing return flows, and structural works to make the best use of the environmental water available.
Mr Holding said the Strategy also recognised that increased use of groundwater and a proliferation of domestic and stock dams in rural residential subdivisions had the potential to affect the security of supply for existing water users.
Mr Holding said the Strategy outlines measures to protect existing water users, including:
- All new domestic and stock dams in rural residential subdivisions to be registered;
- Guidelines to better define the size of dams for ‘reasonable’ stock and domestic use; and
- Improved monitoring to measure the growth in domestic and stock consumption.
Mr Holding said the release of the Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy followed 18 months of consultation and collaboration between the Government, farmers, environment groups, businesses, communities, local government and other stakeholders.
The Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy is available at:
http://www.ourwater.vic.gov.au/resources/news_items/news_items_folder/northern-region-sustainable-water-strategy-released