The project was announced in 2007, with an Environment Effects Statement prepared in 2008 in parallel with a tendering process to award the contract, which was signed in July 2009.
Construction began in September 2009 and commissioning was completed in 2012.
The timeline for the project is as follows:
| 18-Mar-19 | Desalination Water to Protect Supply After Dry Summer |
|---|---|
| 29-Mar-18 | Desalinated Water To Boost Supply And Protect Victorians |
| 29-Jun-17 | Victorian Desalination Project Proves its Capability |
| 19-Mar-17 | Desal Flows To Secure Melbourne’s Water Supply |
6-Mar-16 | Government Provides water storage security |
| 6-Mar-16 | Government acts to provide Geelong with water security |
| 6-Mar-16 | Government acts to provide Ballarat with water security |
| 8-Apr-15 | A New Vision To Manage And Preserve Our Water Supplies |
| 1-Apr-15 | Victoria's Water Storages Currently Secure |
| 19-Mar-15 | Listed Species Monitoring Report |
| 15-Oct-14 | AquaSure Board Announces Appointment of New Chair |
| 27-Mar-14 | $1.2 billion desal savings and 0GL order for 2014-15 |
| 13-Jan-14 | New 225ha VDP Ecological Reserve Opening for Local Community |
| 15-Nov-13 | VDP wins Australian Water Association (Vic) 2013 Project Innovation Award |
6-Nov-13 | Planting Complete on Ecological Reserve |
| 29-Jul-13 | AquaSure announces new CEO Appointment |
| 22-Apr-13 | Received Global Water Intelligence 2013 Desalination Plant of the Year Award |
| 17-Dec-12 | Desalination plant achieves Reliability Testing Finalisation |
| 30-Nov-12 | EPA Discharge Licence Issued |
| 30-Nov-12 | Desalination plant achieves Commercial Acceptance |
| 30-Nov-12 | Desal Community Information Centre demobilises |
| 29-Sep-12 | Desalination plant achieves Preliminary Commercial Acceptance |
| 26-Sep-12 | Drinking water from desalination plant starts flowing into Cardinia Reservoir |
| 6-Sep-12 | Desalination plant produces first samples of drinking water |
| 20-Jun-12 | Seawater Starts Flowing Into Pump Station |
| 4-Jun-12 | Desal workers commended for saving a life |
| 17-May-12 | Planting Complete on Reverse Osmosis Building Roof |
| 1-Apr-12 | First annual water order placed |
| 7-Mar-12 | Power cable live |
| 24-Feb-12 | Flooding of marine tunnels completed |
| Jan-12 | Fibre optic cable installation completed |
| Nov-11 | Hydrotesting of transfer pipeline completed |
| 24-Oct-11 | Transfer pipeline installation completed |
| Sep-11 | Power cable installation completed |
25-May-11 | More Locals Join Desal Team |
| 16-Mar-11 | Outlet tunnel completed |
| 3-Feb-11 | Jack up barge departs |
| 1-Dec-10 | Intake tunnel completed |
| 22-Oct-10 | Project named Project Finance Deal of the Year at the CFO Awards |
| 11-Oct-10 | Jack up barge arrives on site at Wonthaggi |
| 27-Sep-10 | Jack up barge arrives at Western Port |
| 16-Sep-10 | Job opportunities grow from desalination green roof |
| 6-Sep-10 | Start of Tunnel Boring Machine 2 for Outlet Tunnel |
| 27-Jul-10 | Start of Tunnel Boring Machine 1 for Inlet Tunnel |
| Jun-10 | Project named on Infrastructure Journal's Infrastructure 100 list |
| May-10 | Power infrastructure installation begins |
| 26-Apr-10 | Project named Desalination Deal of the Year at Global Water Awards |
| 31-Mar-10 | Project named Infrastructure and Project Finance Deal of the Year (Asia) by The Banker (Financial Times) |
| 17-Mar-10 | New Car Parking Facilities Funded by Desalination Project at Koo Wee Rup |
| 11-Mar-10 | Project named Global Deal of the Year and Deal of the Year - PPP (2009) at the Infrastructure Journal Infrastructure Awards |
| 11-Mar-10 | Project wins Infrastructure Partnerships Australia Financial Excellence Award |
| 26-Feb-10 | Thiess Degremont Welcomes Locals to Workforce |
| 10-Feb-10 | Project awarded Australian & NZ Deal of the Year (2009) by International Financing Review Australia |
| 8-Feb-10 | Project named Best Finance Project Finance Deal in Australia (2009) by Asia Money Magazine |
8-Feb-10 | Project named Best Finance Project Finance Deal in Australia (2009) by Asia Money Magazine |
| 6-Feb-10 | New Community Information Centre opens in Wonthaggi |
| 4-Feb-10 | Project wins Asia Pacific Project Financing of the Year and Best Australasia Deal of the Year at EuroweekAsia Pacific Loan Awards |
| 4-Feb-10 | First pipe laid at Clyde North |
| 20-Jan-10 | Project awarded PPP Deal of the Year Asia Pacific (2009) by Project Finance International |
| 23-Dec-10 | EBA Signed for Victorian Desalination Project |
| Jan-10 | Offers of compensation sent to landowners on the Cranbourne easement |
| Dec-09 | Offers of compensation sent to landowners on the pipeline and power easement |
| 26-Nov-09 | Project Summary tabled in Parliament. Project contract released |
| 19-Nov-09 | Syndication of debt completed. Government guarantee no longer required. |
| 30-Oct-09 | Independently Chaired Community Liaison Group meetings commence |
| 30-Sep-09 | Construction starts |
| 2-Sep-09 | Financial close |
| 30-Jul-09 | Contract awarded to AquaSure |
| 28-May-09 | Government announces underground power option preferred |
| 27-Mar-09 | Request for Proposal closes - bid assessment begins |
| 19-Mar-09 | Federal Minister for Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts approves project under EPBC Act |
| 3-Mar-09 | EPA Works Approval Application approved |
| 9-Jan-09 | EES Assessment by Planning Minister announced and Inquiry Finds Desalination Project Site Acceptable (PDF, 32.0 KB) |
| 4-Dec-08 | EES Inquiry Panel submits report to Planning Minister (PDF, 2.7 MB) |
Oct/Nov 2008 | EES Inquiry Panel Hearing |
| 30-Sep-08 | Requests for Proposals for construction and operation issued to two shortlisted bidders |
| 30-Sep-08 | EES and WAA public exhibition closed |
| 20-Aug-08 | EES report and EPA Works Approval Application (WAA) submitted and exhibited for public comment |
| Aug-08 | Formal Council Liaison Group meetings commence |
| 24-Jul-08 | Expressions of Interest closed |
| 4-Jun-08 | Invitation for Expressions of Interest to bid for project issued |
| 4-May-08 | EES Scoping Requirements released |
| 19-Mar-08 | Public comment on Draft EES Scoping Requirements |
| 7-Feb-08 | Commonwealth Government accredits EES process assessment under Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999(EPBC) |
| 28-Dec-07 | Planning Minister announced EES to be undertaken |
| 30-Nov-07 | EES Referral submitted by DEPI |
| 19-Sep-07 | Government announces desalination project will be delivered as a PPP and Project Information Office opens in Wonthaggi |
| 19-Jun-07 | Next Stage of the Government's Water Plan announced |
| Jun-07 | Feasibility Study completed |
Page last updated: 25/07/19