OPPONENTS of the north-south pipeline show no sign of easing their campaign, writes LYNDAL READING
Just west of Jarklin in central Victoria, patches of bare earth are showing through the grass.
Irrigation channels are empty, dams are just puddles of mud and farmer Ken Pattison is facing another failed cereal crop.
The poor season underlines why Mr Pattison and lobby group he is a member of, Plug the Pipe, is furious about any water from northern Victoria's irrigation region being piped to Melbourne.
The lobby group has been a thorn in the side of the Brumby Government and shows little sign of letting up after more than a year of protests, letter writing and political activities.
The group was formed when the Victorian Government announced a $1 billion upgrade of the Food Bowl in Victoria's northern irrigation region.
The Government also announced the building of a 75-gigalitre pipe between the Goulburn River and Sugarloaf Reservoir.
The Government argued the project would bring greater security to irrigators through capturing 450GL of losses, the first 75GL of which will go to Melbourne, with the remainder shared between irrigators and the environment.
However, Plug the Pipe reject the Government's estimates on how much water can be recovered.
More than a year after the announcement, hopes of a good season in the north are vanishing.
On Mr Pattison's property, owned by his family since 1881, crops are withering in the heat.
He has reduced stock numbers, sending 800 ewes and lambs to Shepparton on agistment.
"Last year I sent sheep to a Wycheproof property to be agisted on failed crops," Mr Pattison said.
"I've heard that property might be available again this year."
Mr Pattison was expecting to put sheep out on his barley and oat crops.
Plug the Pipe member Chris Harrison, from Durham Ox, said the small allocation of 12 per cent on the Goulburn system was too little, too late.
He said the average water licence was about 400ML so the allocation would equate to just over 40ML.
"That's enough to water one small paddock once," Mr Harrison said.
Mr Harrison said the Sugarloaf pipe was a catalyst for drawing together people concerned about the future of irrigation.
"It's a honey pot in bringing all the issues together because people are very worried," he said.
Mr Pattison said while he had been involved in water politics before, as a member of the Goulburn Murray Water board, many people in Plug the Pipe were new to it.
"I'm seeing all the things that we have fought for being taken away," Mr Pattison said. "All these things are being brought on were not being driven by the grass-roots people."
Mr Harrison said Plug the Pipe could lobby more aggressively than the Victorian Farmers Federation and other irrigator bodies.
However, despite Mr Pattison running for National Party preselection years ago, Mr Harrison denied the group was a mouthpiece for the National and Liberal parties.
"Plug the Pipe is irrigators, landholders, environment groups and tourist operators who all have a common view, that taking water will be detrimental to this area," Mr Harrison said.
"People from very dissimilar backgrounds and objectives have come together.
"The Nationals and the Greens are natural enemies but (Greens MP) Greg Barber is making moves to deny the bulk entitlement for the pipe."
The group's website has internet links to all the major parties.
Mr Harrison said the group would work with anyone to get their message out.
"If the pipe starts and they pump 75 gigs to Melbourne and this drought continues, with all the social trauma that causes, as a state can we say this is fair?" he said.
