A Pyramid Hill livestock and crop producer says he is perplexed by plans for a multi million dollar upgrade of an eight kilometre irrigation spur channel that services his property.
Andrew Christian, a wheat grower and livestock producer, said Goulburn Murray Water (GMW) had indicated it wanted to upgrade the Loddon Valley No. 24/1 channel, between Pyramid Hill and Cohuna.
But he said up to $5 million dollars of Federal and State funding through the GMW Connections program had been spent connecting all former users of the spur to alternate sources and points of supply.
Mr Christian said the premise of negotiations between all former users and GMW has been to rationalise the channel, saving up to 400 megalitres of water a year.
These savings would then be able to be distributed to entitlement owners as allocation.
"We have been informed, given the length of the spur, the cost to upgrade will be more than $2 million dollars, $2 million to service one customer," Mr Christian said.
"The GMW 24/1 spur channel should be rationalised, it is the single longest piece of GMW infrastructure to service one customer in the whole of the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID)."
During the summer months, when water is ordered it takes three days and 30 megalitres to fill the spur to supply, and only half a megalitre is used to fill a dam.
This process happens six to eight times over summer.
The Pyramid Hill property is currently serviced by the Goulburn system and is at the absolute extremity of Loddon Valley irrigation area, but adjoins the Murray system.
He said that would would allow connection to and alternate source and point of supply.
Mr Christian said the federal government had recently opened the Resilient Rivers Water Infrastructure Program (RRWIP), designed to facilitate rationalisation of parts of irrigation networks.
The GMW 24/1 rationalisation would be complementary to all RRWIP intended outcomes, he said.
"GMW have said they are going to spend a lot of money to upgrade the channel it's absolute bloody-mindedness," he said.
Mr Christian implored GMW to "achieve the original intent of rationalisation which benefits the whole GMID customer base with reduced fixed costs and increased water allocations".
But GMW Water Efficiency Project director Sean Tenace said the organisation had undertaken extensive engagement with landholders, serviced by the Loddon Valley No. 24/1 channel.
"The only source of water for the remaining properties is via the 24/1 channel." he said.
"A series of offers have been made in accordance with the relevant operational rules - the group of irrigators have not accepted any offer.
"The group of irrigators in the past sought a trade of water entitlements to accommodate their circumstances - this would involve a significant quantity of water and the cost of any reconnection works."
He said GMW believed it was important - in fairness to all landowners who participated in the successful modernisation programs - that any offers made were consistent with the same opportunities given to landowners across the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID).
"As the channel could not be rationalised through modernisation projects, GMW is investigating a scope of works (seven km in length) to be able to convey reliable irrigation service to the irrigators properties," he said.
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.
