A Fernihurst mixed farmer has said an end may be in sight to seven years of unreliable irrigation supply.
Adam Wright, who has a prime lamb and cropping operation, said it appeared Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) had finally acknowledged it could not provide a reliable irrigation supply to his property.
“They couldn’t guarantee to keep a consistent supply level - one minute water is flowing nearly over the top of the Magflow meter, the next minute it’s running backwards, out of the meter, up our channel,” Mr Wright said.
But he said the latest offer to resolve supply issues meant moving the current Magflow outlet – at a cost of around $40,000.
“They are now talking about shifting Magflow 2027, physically pulling it out of the ground, and putting it on the other outlet on our Number One channel, on the eastern side of our block.
“They basically can’t get their delivery reliable on 2027 on Channel Two.”
Mr Wright said he was unsure whether putting the new outlet on Channel One would solve the problem.
“The channel has never been pressured and tried to a high demand, so we really don’t know what’s going on down there,” he said.
“I am coming up for seven irrigation seasons and it’s still an unreliable system.”
He said unreliability was costing him dearly, in fuel costs, time and lack of sleep.
“It’s dollars, it’s fodder for stock, as I usually have barley, canola or faba beans on that block – it’s a production nightmare.
“It’s lost tonnage on crops, whether they be overwatered, and too wet, or under watered. In a dry season, the crop fails to produce.”
Mr Wright said it was hard to get answers out of GMW.
“It’s a software failure in the system, I think they know what the answer is, but they are loathe to say it,” he said.
“I should be getting a reliable water supply, that’s what I pay for, the same as everyone else.”
Fernihurst mixed farmer Ken Pattison said the Loddon Valley appeared to be hardest hit, because of the long distances between regulators.
He said the automated Total Channel Control (TCC) system was supposed to have resolved issues of reliability.
“We have had five channels taken out of TCC and operated manually, by our local water distribution staff,” Mr Pattison said.
Connections Project director Frank Fisseler confirmed a solution was in sight for Mr Wright.
“We are relatively close to resolution for him,” Mr Fisseler
“The challenge we have on his channel is there is an eight metre height differenced, over 5.5km channel, it is very unusual in a gravity irrigation network.’
“I almost couldn’t believe the height difference, so I looked at it myself.”
He said TCC was “challenged” by the height difference, compounded by the property being near the end of the channel.
“The team has worked, in the background, on a solution, by the end of July, we will have something.”
“It is a very unusual circumstance, I am not aware of any other circumstance like this, in the whole Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID).”
Mr Fisseler said GMW was talking to the channel control supplier, Rubicon, about software solutions, or giving Mr Wright access through a new channel.
“There are different solutions, for us, its really what’s the most effective solution for him, so we don’t have another issue, every month or two – I am really interested in a permanent solution, to fix those legacy issues.”
Mr Pattison complimented the work being done by Mr Fisseler.
“Frank has been over, had a look around, and it’s changed really quite completely
“We are starting to get an interaction with Connections – we want an interaction, at the right time, to have an input, to have a proper look at it.
“We are not about baseball bats; we are about getting a good outcome.”
