The Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline and the Wimmera-Glenelg system

This action assessed how well the operation of the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline system met its storage management objectives and provided an opportunity to refine management of the system.

A review of bulk entitlements in 2014, to which all stakeholders contributed, found the headworks system had largely been managed in line with the objectives of the Storage Management Rules for the Wimmera-Mallee System Headworks set in 2010.

The review made several recommendations to improve the efficiency of the system.

Action status (5-yearly assessment): Achieved and completed

Delivery period: March 2014

This ongoing action contributes to collaboration for managing and operating the supply system. A review of bulk entitlements operations in 2014, to which all stakeholders contributed, recommended periodic reviews with the next due to commence in 2019. The ongoing review requirement includes the participation of all stakeholders.

Action status (5-yearly assessment): Achieved and ongoing

Delivery period: Ongoing

This ongoing action contributes to the direction and process for making growth water available for sale to new and existing water users.

This action provides for GWMWater to sell growth water — 20 GL water savings from the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline which is included in GWMWater’s entitlement and which is identified for regional development and farm diversification — to recover some of the cost of its investment in building the pipeline.

GWMWater has sold about half the growth water it held to interested parties.

GWMWater reports sales of this water in its annual report. There are ongoing opportunities to sell growth water as a result of pipeline extensions and new pipeline systems (such as the South West Loddon Rural Water Supply Project and the East Grampians Water Supply Project).

Action status (5-yearly assessment): Achieved and ongoing

Delivery period: Ongoing

This action considered options for more efficiently managing the headworks. The action considered options for managing storages that do not contribute to efficient water capture, storage and delivery. In exploring storage options, the potential benefits to system operations and entitlement holders and implications for other users (such as recreational users) were investigated.

Changes were subsequently made to storage management rules.

Action status (5-yearly assessment): Achieved and completed

Delivery period: 2014

This ongoing action contributes to ensuring additional water savings from the supply system are shared equitably. Additional water savings have been managed in line with the WRSWS: they are shared by the organisations that invest in works; the rights of existing entitlement holders are protected; and the effects on third parties are evaluated and addressed.

The Wimmera Irrigation District was decommissioned in line with the principles in the WRSWS. The decommissioning resulted in the saving of 23 GL of long-term cap equivalent, which was purchased by the Commonwealth Government. The water entitlement is now held by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder.

Action status (5-yearly assessment): Achieved and ongoing

Delivery period: Ongoing

This ongoing action contributes to establishing a framework for managing the Wimmera and Glenelg Rivers Environmental Entitlement 2010. When the WRSWS was developed, people along the Glenelg River were concerned about the equitable, objective and transparent management of the entitlement.

The entitlement was transferred to the VEWH on its creation in 2011 and a consideration of the benefits of separating the entitlements was undertaken during the Bulk Entitlement Operations Review in 2014. It was decided to keep it as a single entitlement, to maintain the flexibility required to achieve the best environmental outcomes.

The single environmental entitlement is held and managed by VEWH and its use is prioritised to deliver environmental outcomes. This fully addresses the intent and specifics of the action described in the SWS.

Action status (5-yearly assessment): Achieved and ongoing

Delivery period: Ongoing

This action helped to allow for water to be managed to enhance recreational benefits in wet years. The storage management rules were revised in line with the principles of WRSWS policy 6.3.

Action status (5-yearly assessment): Achieved and completed

Delivery period: March 2014