WATER is too precious for political fights, argues Victorian Water Minister TIM HOLDING.
Victoria is at a crossroads. With inflows at record lows, the state could continue to rely on water sources that depend on rainfall, such as dams, and pray for rain to fill them.
Or we can diversify Victoria's water sources to reduce our dependence on rainfall and the diminishing run-off into our catchments.
The Victorian Government is not prepared to gamble with water security. It is simply too precious a resource. Drought and climate change have been challenging enough, but nobody predicted the record low inflows of 2006. Further decisive action was essential.
That is why we are building Australia's largest desalination plant, saving water by upgrading irrigation channels, connecting Victoria in a state-wide water grid, increasing recycling and emphasising water conservation.
These projects will boost Melbourne's total potential supply by 240 billion litres a year by the end of 2011 - more than half the city's current annual water use.
Regional Victorians and our stressed rivers will also receive a massive boost to their current water availability.
The National Party has been a vocal and divisive critic of the Government's water plan, shamelessly exploiting country versus city tensions.
This is not the time to play politics.
When it comes to drought and climate change, we are all in this together.
Last week's backflip on the Sugarloaf Pipeline by the Liberal Party showed Victorians that Opposition leader Ted Baillieu does not have a coherent plan to secure Victoria's water future.
The coalition has been caught out trying to be all things to all people.
Strong opposition is healthy but it is time to end the parochialism.
The Government has a plan and we are putting it into action. We are making difficult decisions because the situation requires leadership.
The desalination plant near Wonthaggi will provide up to 150 billion litres of water to Melbourne, Geelong and towns in Western Port and South Gippsland every year, regardless of rainfall, from 2011.
Just as all Victorians have a stake in modernising northern Victoria's leaky, old irrigation system, so too will Victorian benefit directly and indirectly from this project.
The Sugarloaf Pipeline will secure water supplies on both sides of the Divide.
Melbourne will benefit from access to another water source, but more than 80 per cent of the savings will remain in northern Victoria for use by farmers and stressed rivers.
Sugarloaf is one of many pipelines moving water around the state.
The Goldfields Superpipe, for instance, is already completed and providing much-needed water to Bendigo and Ballarat.
Had the National Party had its way, the Superpipe would never have been built, leaving Victoria's two largest regional cities to run out of water.
Water is the lifeblood of country towns. It underpins industry, households and the local footy club.
This is what the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project is all about - renewing and reinvigorating rural and regional Victoria.
We face a future with less rainfall.
The Government's water Plan is a vote of confidence in your future, wherever you live.
Tim Holding is Victorian Water Minister.
