Victoria Connections package

Water infrastructure projects under the Victoria Connections package include a new recycled water pipeline and upgrades to existing channels. This projects will deliver water savings and help support the agricultural industry during drought conditions. Collectively, these benefits will contribute to delivering secure, affordable and reliable water for rural and regional Australia.

Victoria water infrastructure projects under the Connections pathway include:

• Kyneton Recycled Water Irrigation project
  • A 14 kilometre recycled water pipeline will be constructed, which will initially provide up to 300 megalitres per annum of recycled water to irrigate 60 hectares of previously dry farmland.         
• Gisborne to Sunbury Recycled Water Interconnector: Stage 1
  • The first stage of a two stage interconnection for the Gisborne and Sunbury recycled water schemes. Stage One will construct a 3.8 kilometre transfer pipeline into the existing Sunbury recycled water scheme seeing water use of 200 megalitres per annum for irrigation.  
• Horsham Agriculture SmartWater for Grains project
  • Municipal wastewater will be converted into high quality irrigation water to secure and expand vital agricultural research and innovation, and enhance the water security of agriculture and high value amenity users in the Horsham region.
• Victoria’s Emergency Water Supply Point Network
  • At least twelve Emergency Water Supply Points will be either constructed, repaired or upgraded to support the agricultural industry during drought conditions and other emergency periods.
• Bacchus Marsh Resilience and Critical Infrastructure
  • Channels will be upgraded with new pipelines providing improved water security and water saving of up to 100 megalitres per annum.
• Macalister Resilience and Critical Infrastructure
  • Pipes will be upgraded to transfer water between channels, creating a more resilient delivery system for up to 80 per cent of Macalister Irrigation District customers.
• Sunday Creek Irrigation and Reconfiguration project
  • Sunday Creek Irrigation Scheme will be reconfigured by constructing a new pipeline to directly supply water from the Murray River through Sunday Creek. This will provide improved water security for irrigators and  enable recovery of an estimated 668 ML of system losses per annum from Lake Moodemere.
• Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District Channel Embankment Infrastructure Improvement project
  • Up to 50 kilometers of the existing channel system will be upgraded across the Goulburn-Murray Water Irrigation Supply District providing reliable irrigation supply to 11,000 irrigators. 
• Critical Headworks Infrastructure for the Modernised Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District
  • Critical components of headworks infrastructure will be upgraded to support improvements to the delivery of high reliability water to irrigators in northern Victoria.

Collectively, these projects are expected to deliver:

• Up to 100 jobs during construction and more than 125 ongoing jobs
• 900 megalitres in additional storage capacity
• 1700 megalitres per annum increased water availability
• 10 new customers or properties connected to water supply and an additional 13,000 existing customers to benefit from improved water outcomes
• 664 hectares of additional irrigable land

More information on national Connections packages.