NEWRY’s newly completed upgrade of its irrigation pipeline allows up to 130 megalitres of water per day to be distributed to local farms, saving time through a more efficient and faster system.
The Newry Pipeline upgrade, which was completed last month, is part of an infrastructure program to modernise farming in Gippsland. The $39.8 million pipeline is part of the $62.6 million Macalister Irrigation District Modernisation Phase 2 Project and replaces 100-year-old open channels with more than 17 kilometres of new pipeline and 50 automated outlets.
The Phase 2 program aims to deliver more than 7200 megalitres in water savings and drive vital investment in on-farm efficiencies, improve farm productivity and make businesses more climate resilient.
Water has been delivered to farmers through the new pipeline since August. With the decommissioning of legacy infrastructure now complete, Southern Rural Water managing director, Cameron FitzGerald, said this was a great modernisation milestone.
“This project has been a significant investment in Newry and the Gippsland farming community,” Mr FitzGerald said.
“It’s been a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernise infrastructure and provide tangible benefits to our customers well into the future.”
The new pipeline generates water savings, implements best-practice water use, invests in on-farm efficiencies, improves farm productivity, and enables businesses to be more climate resilient. The upgrades help save water that was lost due to evaporation and leakage from the old set-up. It also stops harmful nutrients from entering the local streams and the Gippsland lakes.
On the ground, farmers will save about 90 minutes a day from being able to access the water faster.
Mr FitzGerald said the Macalister Irrigation District Phase 2 modernisation works would not only deliver water savings but also encouraged farmers to implement best practice irrigation and increase their productivity.
Recently, the Newry pipeline’s system reached 130 megalitres – its peak flow. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water says that to maintain the system’s efficiency, users should plan ahead and cancel orders promptly to free up capacity; communicate early for order extensions; and order water through the night for efficiency.
Work on the Newry pipeline started in November 2022 and its completion marks a major milestone of a decade-long infrastructure program in the Macalister Irrigation District.
Mr FitzGerald said Gippsland is one of Victoria’s most important food bowls and there is now a chance to imagine what else could be achieved to secure the region’s long-term future.
“Work has already started to consider new opportunities through Southern Rural Water’s recently announced Macalister Fresh Strategy,” he said.
Mr FitzGerald said Southern Rural Water was committed to working with partners, customers, and the community to unlock further economic, cultural and environmental benefits in Gippsland.
The Macalister Irrigation District Modernisation Phase 2 Project is jointly funded by Southern Rural Water, the federal government through the National Water Grid Fund and the state government.
The Macalister Irrigation District Modernisation Project began in 2013 and was broken into two phases to focus on the most important work for water savings and service improvements.
Phase 1A included construction of the Willang Yarn balancing storage in Denison, the upgrade of regulators in the Nambrok-Denison supply system and upgrades to most Eastern system channels and all Heyfield channels.
Approximately 13.3 gigalitres in water savings was achieved. The works package started in 2013 and finished in June 2017. Phase 1B was delivered in four stages. This included a new offtake on the Main Southern Channel, installation of 38km of new pipeline in the Southern Tinamba supply zone, and the upgrade of 28km of existing channels at Riverslea. An estimated 9600 gigalitres in water savings was achieved. The works package commenced in 2017 and was completed in 2020.
Phase 2 of works commenced in 2020 and included channel upgrades at Stratford and Boisedale. Pipe was included in the vicinity of Boisdale-Newry Road and the Back Valencia Creek Road and old manual wheels were replaced with new modernised outlets at four locations.
Three regulators were also upgraded in the Main Northern Channel at Football Lane, Three Chain Road and Upper Maffra Road. The completion of the Newry Pipeline upgrades represent a major milestone for Phase 2, but works are ongoing, with more projects to be announced in the future.
