The Deputy Prime Minister has sought to allay fears the government is seeking an engineering solution to bypass the Barmah Choke on the Murray River.
The Victorian government has previously poured cold water on the possibility of building a pipeline to bypass the Barmah Choke.
The Choke restricts the Murray River flow to about 7000 megalitres a day, limiting the delivery of irrigation water during periods of peak demand, usually during spring and summer.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack told a Rural Press Club of Victoria lunch there were no easy solutions, to resolving issues around the Choke.
"But it's not about sending more water downstream, it's not about a super pipe, or engineering works," Mr McCormack said.
"It's about managing existing requirements, better, its about better optimisation of existing flow rates."
He said it was about minimising overbank flows, and the loss of hundreds of gigalitres of water.
"If we get it right, we will see more water left upstream of the Choke and possibly more water for the consumptive pool," Mr McCormack said.
"Thereare never any easy solutions, when it comes to water - everyone will have different views, but rest assured we know Water Minister Keith Pitt has been down there, making sure his listens and that people's voices are heard."
Victoria's Water Minister Lisa Neville has previously said projects to reinstate capacity could not just shift environmental problems elsewhere or result in higher costs to irrigators.
"The proposal for a pipeline around the Choke has been raised before and we are not convinced it's one that stacks up," Ms Neville said.
"We have agreed to the Commonwealth undertaking a feasibility study into this issue, but would like to see alternative options explored in the first instance."
Mr McCormack said he'd also like "a bit more" support from Victoria, for the National Water Grid
The grid is a series of region-specific water storage and distribution solutions to secure predictable water supplies.
"We can't build dams, weirs or pipelines, without state help," he said.
" I would like to see a little bit more help from Victoria, but I will work towards that.
"I am very collegiate, very bipartisan but I understand how important it is to have water."
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
