THE $27-million Swan Hill Modernisation Project, approved last week, will see
three major redevelopments in the region, aiming to improve environmental
outcomes and water quality, while offering irrigators year-round water
supply.
The first major redevelopment will begin in July next year, with work
starting upstream from Swan Hill on two Little Murray River weirs, which will
result in a lower water level and the installation of a fish ladder to ease fish
migration.
Little Murray River work will include constructing a water pump
station to transfer water to the channel.
The other two major works will see
9.6km of the channel removed between Werril and Karinie Street in Swan Hill and
a Woorinen pipeline extension to supply irrigation water from the number nine
channel.
A water pump will be constructed in Swan Hill to compensate for the
channel’s removal, allowing water to be supplied to the town’s
pipeline.
Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW) spent almost 18 months drafting the
project and negotiating with local stakeholders, Swan Hill Rural City Council
(SHRCC), and state and federal governments to get funding approvals.
As a
local dairy farmer and Little Murray River Landowner Committee member working on
the project to voice irrigation concerns, Grant Davies wanted to see a plan that
does not increase farming costs.
He said the main contention for farmers
would be the greater energy cost to pump water from low-lying water to land, as
they could be lifting river-water up to four metres rather than one.
For more of this story, see Wednesday’s Guardian (September 10).
