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THE Wimmera River will receive a boost in water security as the Victorian Environmental Water Holder steps in to help the drought stricken region.
The authority has bought 5000 megalitres of water from the Donald Mineral Sands mining company and will deliver it into Wimmera-Glenelg system as a way to combat severe environmental damage.
Authority chairman Denis Flett said the extra water would make a significant difference in protecting the Wimmera and Glenelg rivers.
“Even though so far this winter we have seen either above or close to average rainfall, opening allocations for all entitlements in the Wimmera-Glenelg system are zero per cent, with entitlement holders currently relying on water carried over from 2015-16,” he said.
“The Wimmera River has been dry below Dimboola for months.”
Mr Flett said the water would provide a lifeline for the Wimmera and Glenelg rivers.
“The concerns about dry weather tend to be in summer and autumn – that’s when the rivers stop running, water quality deteriorates and native fish die,” he said.
“We are in reserve and protect mode, monitoring and responding to try to avoid poor conditions.
“We are always looking ahead, planning for the worst but hoping for the best, so we will deliver the water when it most needs it.
“If conditions swing around, we can still reserve the water in case of a dry future or use it to create better flows for fish.”
The water authority was originally trying to buy 10,000 megalitres for the Wimmera-Glenelg system.
“The outlook is more optimistic now and we aren’t as concerned as we were previously,” Mr Flett said.
“We are happy with the outcome.”
Wimmera Catchment Management Authority chief executive David Brennan welcomed the announcement.
“It will give ourselves, along with various other community groups, an opportunity to plan for the next year around the use of the Wimmera River and the many recreational activities that we enjoy,” he said.
“This comes on the back of a very dry period and while it is raining now, it’s a good insurance policy to underpin the health of the Wimmera River for the community.”
This is the first time in the Victorian Environmental Water Holder’s history that it has bought water allocations in the Wimmera-Glenelg system.
Donald Mineral Sands general operations manager Tim Chase said the company had chosen to make the trade in the hopes it would help protect the region’s wildlife and help keep communities thriving.
“We agreed to this transaction at $25 a megalitre, well below our cost of the water,” he said.
“We had a quantity of carryover water surplus to our requirements, which we believe will have a greater benefit supporting western rivers,” he said.
The Victorian Environmental Water Holder will pay for the water with money gained from previous water sales in northern Victoria.
