The state government has announced a new study to investigate options for drought affected south Gippsland dairy farmers.
Visiting a property in Yanakie, Water Minister Lisa Neville has announced $50,000 for a feasibility study to look at the construction of a new pipeline for the area.
She said the study would look at long-term water supply options for farmers, facing the combined impacts of dry conditions and lower-than-expected milk prices.
“This is about investigating how best we provide greater water security to an important area of Victoria's dairy industry,” Ms Neville said.
“The feasibility study will look at practical solutions and report back to the community with options. It also shows the value of the Victorian water grid to provide security to regional communities like Gippsland.”
Among the options the study will consider:
the best ways to increase on-farm storages, including rainfall run-off modelling and climate change scenarios to check reliability,
and a 23km pipeline from Foster, extending Victoria’s water grid to include the Yanakie area, just north of Wilson’s Promontory.
South Gippsland dairy farmers have welcomed the decision.
United Dairyfarmers of Victoria president Adam Jenksins said the pipeline project, if successful, would help improve water security in the area after farmers were last year forced to construct their own temporary pipelines for stock and domestic use.
”It’s great to see the State Government investing in a permanent solution for what has been a frustrating situation for dairy farmers,” Mr Jenkins said.
“These are tough times for dairy farmers everywhere with extremely poor seasonal conditions and catastrophic price cuts from major processors, so now more than ever we need to invest in water security.
“But this study, and the pipeline if it goes ahead, will go some way to relieving the pressure facing dairy farmers in Gippsland.”
Ms Neville said the local community would have an opportunity to review the options, when the study was completed.
The funding came as Victorian water corporations announced initiatives to help their customers deal with the effects of drought and reduced milk prices.
Goulburn Murray Water and Southern Rural Water will introduced delayed payment plans, to reduce cash-flow risks to farmers.
