GOULBURN Murray Water's (G-MW) plans to modernise irrigation infrastructure have progressed but some irrigators remain cautious about purported benefits.
G-MW project director George Warne and managing director Gavin Hanlon were in Swan Hill on Monday to brief those affected by the project, including accountants and real estate agents.
"We were talking about the reconnection, reconfiguration, and what that will mean for their customers and the sort of questions that might be asked," Mr Warne said.
Mr Warne said plans were being prepared for the Goulburn Murray Water Board, and if successful would go to the Commonwealth for approval.
"In the middle of next year, if approved, we should be out there negotiating with farmers about what it means for them," he said.
Studies commissioned by G-MW recommended the operating level of the Little Murray Weir and weir pool be lowered and parts of channel nine be decommissioned within the Swan Hill precinct, replaced with pipelines/channels to reconnect the northern section of channel nine to channel 10.The local section of the G-MW Connections Project, formerly the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project, from Torrumbarry to Swan Hill is projected to save 1600ML to 2000ML water per year with $22 million of investments.
But Fish Point dairy farmer Grant Davies said irrigators were awaiting key information on savings, costs and impacts, ahead of a meeting with the water authority in coming week.
For more of this story see Wednesday's Guardian (November 21).
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