Victoria's stressed northern rivers will require good fortune and wily management to benefit from increased environmental flows, after the State Government's major water document of 2008 failed to guarantee new sources of water for waterways like the Murray and Goulburn rivers.
The draft 50-year water strategy for the state's north was criticised by environmentalists for focusing too much on farmers' needs, amid warnings about the future of rivers under climate change.
Significant reform of irrigation practices was flagged in the Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy, with farmers asked to consider shorter irrigation seasons with lower water allocations to ensure the system could operate every year.
The concept would mean farmers put aside extra water in a reserve during irrigation season to prevent future dry years halting irrigation flows.
More than 12 months in the making, the strategy conceded that environmental water was "highly vulnerable" under climate change, and had been sacrificed more than farming and drinking supplies.
But rather than buy back water entitlements, as the Federal Government has done this year, the strategy aims to improve environmental assets using water already promised by projects like the foodbowl modernisation project, which will save water by lining and covering irrigation channels.
The Government believes that prioritisation of environmental assets and more professional management of water flows — under the watch of a full-time "water holder" — will improve environmental results.
Under a new approach dubbed "water-en-route", authorities will attempt to increase environmental flows without allocating more water, by transporting drinking or farm water to consumers through natural river channels needing increased flows.
The strategy also indicated increased limits could soon be imposed on farm dams and groundwater usage.
It urged the Federal Government to avoid distorting the water market with its $3 billion buyback plan and defends existing barriers to water trading, arguing that reforms in other states are required before Victoria would drop its 4pc limit of water being traded out of individual districts.
Environment Victoria chief executive Kelly O'Shanassy said the Government had given up on the waterways, which it dubbed "working rivers".
"By failing to deliver environmental flows in its '50-year plan', the State Government is effectively washing its hands of its responsibility to safeguard the future of Victorian rivers and river communities. We won't have functioning rivers in 50 years if we continue to ignore their environmental needs."
Water Minister Tim Holding stressed that the strategy was still at draft stage and public submissions would be considered.
He said the strategy would play an important role in protecting the health of the Murray-Darling Basin.
In a swipe at the Government's north-south pipeline, Victorian Farmers Federation spokesman Richard Anderson said he was disappointed the strategy did not promise to keep all water savings from irrigation upgrades in northern Victoria.
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