COLIBAN Water should be given control of Lake Eppalock to secure Bendigo’s future water needs, Federal Member for Bendigo Steve Gibbons said this week.
Mr Gibbons believes the construction of the Waranga to Eppalock pipeline offers the opportunity to strategically rethink the way water is delivered and used in central Victoria.
The proposal is based on the pipeline being completed and catchment inflows returning to sufficient levels.
"The Eppalock pipeline will substantially change the options for the delivery of
water throughout central Victoria in the future," he said.
Mr Gibbons said the proposal could increase Coliban Water’s full capacity in normal conditions without the need for additional infrastructure.
"For example, Goulburn Murray’s current full capacity is almost 12 million megalitres, Coliban Water’s current full capacity is just 137,485 megalitres," Mr Gibbons said.
"A reduction of just 2.09 per cent of Goulburn Murray’s total capacity would result in an increase in Coliban Water’s capacity of the order of 280 per cent".
"This could be achieved by lifting Coliban Water’s Eppalock allocation from 18 per cent to 100 per cent by rellocating management responsibility for Lake Eppalock from Goulburn Murray Water to Coliban Water.
"Obviously this proposal could only be considered seriously now because of the decision to construct the pipelines".
Mr Gibbons said Campaspe irrigators would not be disadvantaged by the plan, as they would receive their allocations from the Goulburn Murray system via the Eppalock pipeline instead of the current arrangements of drawing water directly from Lake Eppalock.
Mr Gibbons said the state government’s Our Water Our Future – Regional Action Plan states the strategy will allow communities to make decisions about water challenges across a broader regional perspective.
State Water Minister John Thwaites yesterday said he would seek advice on the suggestion.
"A number of suggestions have come in from a number of sources," he said.
"We will consider all of these suggestions."