Graham Nesbit says the new South West Loddon pipeline project will be “a game changer”.
Mr Nesbit is the third generation of his family to farm cropping and grazing land on the Calder Highway at Glenalbyn between Wedderburn and Inglewood.
He said the system would also encourage other alternative enterprises to populate the area through the guarantee of surplus water.
Running a 50:50 cereals and grazing operation on what he calls tin-roof country, the family has since 1927 had to rely entirely on harvesting and storing their own run-off water in order for their livestock operation to prosper.
However a combination of changes to rainfall patterns and changes to tillage practices had meant runoff into dams and storages had steadily fallen.
Mr Nesbit said the prospects of the South West Loddon pipeline system would bring some degree of certainty to their mainly wool growing and sheep breeding operation.
“The pipeline will allow us to run stock where we can't sink dams and store water,” he said.
Mr Nesbit said once the pipeline was connected there was no sense in running two systems and he would let some of the smaller dams fill in while maintaining some of the larger storages as a backup and for firefighting purposes.
Conducting their business over 1200 hectares - 730ha owned and about 470ha leased - Mr Nesbit said the set-up costs of around $1200 per property would be worth every cent invested just to improved quality water the pipeline will deliver.
Mr Nesbit said that five to six years ago he was forced to cart water into the property in order to maintain his stock numbers and keep alive their domestic garden.
He runs 2000 mostly Merino ewes joined to One Oak Poll rams. A small flock of first cross ewes were being phased out and Merino numbers increased.
The pipeline will allow us to run stock where we can't sink dams and store water
- Graham Nesbit, Glenalbyn
He said that with the thriving wool market and water security, some landholders might consider running a few more sheep in their enterprises after m,any had let sheep numbers slide in favour of cropping in recent years.
Areas of the farm were not suitable for cropping and the sheep enterprise played an important part in the business, he said.
The $80.6 million project budget combines contributions of $40 million by the Victorian State Government, $20m from Federal Government, $15m from GWMWater and the balance from contributions made by customers connecting to the pipeline and Coliban Water.
The pipeline is a joint initiative of the Loddon Shire, GWMWater, Coliban Water and Goulburn Murray Water and when complete will provide a reticulated water supply to the farm gate of more than 600 rural properties.
According to GWMWater, the pipeline would also provide environmental benefits to local rivers, streams and wetlands from the decommissioning of farm dams.
