The Bureau of Meteorology has said a Wimmera radar should be up and running within two years.
A spokesman said it was expected the Doppler radar would be operational “by the second quarter of 2020, if not sooner.”
Wimmera Development Association executive director Ralph Kenyon said five sites had now been shortlisted for the proposed $8.25million radar.
“We understand the weather bureau has been purchasing equipment, or undertaking contracts for equipment,” Mr Kenyon said.
“Once a site has been determined, we expect things to move fairly quickly.”
Committee meets:
A steering committee, made up of WDA and BoM, has met for the first time since the plan was announced in 2016.
Mr Kenyon said it was hoped the steering committee would now meet every two to three months.
“The date is certainly an outlying target - we would hope it is in place a lot sooner than that.”
The Victorian Government will provide funding for the capital costs of the radar and the Australian Government, through the BoM will fund the running costs for its operation and maintenance.
Mr Kenyon said the original business case for the radar indicated predicted benefits of $3.5 million a year, over its 20-year life.
Significant benefits:
In announcing $5 million in State government funding, Premier Daniel Andrews said the Wimmera Doppler Weather Radar Project had the potential to deliver significant economic benefits to the region.
Access to within-day forecasts would help primary producers make better decisions about time-critical activities, such as fertiliser and herbicide applications.
The need for improved weather services, including a radar station had been identified as a priority at all levels for many years.
“The flow-on effect will mean higher crop yields, improved returns on-farm investment and larger export volumes,” Mr Andrews said.
Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford Agriculture Minister told State Parliament the project was one of the first to be funded from the government’s Agriculture Infrastructure and Jobs Fund.
“The construction of weather radar facilities is the responsibility of the Federal Government, but we committed this money to the project because of its clear economic merits to Victorian farmers and strong regional benefits,” Ms Pulford said.
“The Federal Government need to find $3.25 million along with all annual operating and maintenance costs.
Progress urged:
“Unfortunately, progress has been slow,” Ms Pulford said.
“It has been like a very slow moving cold front across the Wimmera in winter.”
She urged the BoM to move quickly to establish a location, order the radar and get better forecasts out to farmers, emergency service workers and communities in the Wimmera.
“It has been like a very slow moving cold front across the Wimmera in winter.
- Jaala Pulford, Agriculture Minister
A BoM spokesman said it understood the importance Australian communities placed on radar coverage, particularly rural and regional communities.
“The Victorian Government signed the contract with the BoM on 27 April 27, 2018 to commit funding for the capital costs for the project,” the spokesman said.
“Since the original announcement, we have been working closely with the Victorian government to negotiate the funding for capital costs and the local community to determine an appropriate site for a radar for the Wimmera region.”