IT IS only fair that Melbourne share the benefits of irrigation upgrades, writes DUDLEY BRYANT
The completion of the north-south pipeline is a chance to move forward for many irrigators in Northern Victoria.
Up until now, drought and politics have got in the way of what is actually part of a good story for irrigators in the north.
And because of that, the whole story about the north-south pipeline isn't always told, which is a great pity.
The pipeline is a by-product of a much-needed massive overhaul of the old, leaky Goulburn Murray Irrigation system.
Irrigators are the ones who pushed for this overhaul. We needed to find some type of security in a time when our irrigation-based livelihood was threatened.
The price of water had doubled in the three years before modernisation and with the previous pricing system we were guaranteed further massive increases.
This wasn't a positive outlook for farmers who were already doing it tough.
The problem we faced was, where was the money going to come from to fund this enormous project?
The Victorian Government offered up the funding with part of the money to come from Melbourne water users. The deal was that Melbourne would share in the water savings.
Without the pipeline bringing water to Melbourne - from water saved through irrigation upgrades - irrigators wouldn't have got the much needed upgrades. We just could not have afforded to pay for it all on our own.
So if Melbourne water users are paying for part of it, we understand they would probably want something out of it as well.
There are a lot of satisfied irrigators in the north of Victoria despite being only at the early stages of irrigation modernisation.
Irrigators who have been part of modernisation so far are boasting increased flows, consistent supplies, shorter watering times and significant water savings on farm.
Irrigation will never be the same again - climate change or not, the demand for water is increasing because of a growing population and irrigators need to be able to cope with this change as well.
Irrigation modernisation will set us up for a more positive future.
The amount for Melbourne, 75 billion litres, is such a small proportion of water that is held in the district. And it is a tiny bit of what is already wasted through an inefficient system.
There are greater risks to the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District than the north-south pipeline.
We are at the risk of a powerful South Australian lobby group who seem hell bent on getting water to the Lower Lakes, a lot of which is simply lost through evaporation.
Another risk we are facing is through the Murray Darling Basin Authority's Sustainable Diversion Limits.
NSW and Queensland see these as an opportunity to claw back Victoria's more secure water supply.
The completion of the pipeline will allow people to see irrigation renewal for what it is.
It is not a grab by Melbourne for our water, but an opportunity to upgrade a centuries old irrigation system that desperately needed to be fixed to support farmers providing food for all over Australia.
I am just glad the time has come when we can start seeing the good irrigation modernisation is doing for communities both north and south of the Great Divide.
I see the north-south pipeline as insurance for Melbourne's water supplies and the $1 billion upgrade to the irrigation system as insurance for our district.
- Dudley Bryant is an irrigation farmer from Kaarimba and president of the Northern Victorian Irrigators.
