VICTORIA'S Goulburn and Murray districts have been identified as ''high priority'' regions for returning water to the environment, just weeks before the north-south pipeline takes water away from those areas to Melbourne.
Farmers in the districts, along with those in the Campaspe, Kiewa and Loddon regions, were nominated by the Federal Government as the latest focus of the $3.1 billion buyback of irrigation water for the Murray-Darling river system.
The Government opened the new round of buybacks yesterday, as part of Canberra's staggered outlay on returning flows and environmental health to the river system.
On releasing the tender, Canberra discouraged farmers in other Victorian districts - including the Ovens, Wimmera-Mallee, Broken and Avoca - from applying, because it wants water from specific ''high priority'' regions, such as the Goulburn and Murray.
This preference was explained because of the ''number and significance of environmental assets within these catchments that need watering, or are expected to need watering in the future''.
Environmental assets in the region include the significant red gum community at Gunbower, which the Victorian Government recently protected within a new national park.
Canberra considers water from those districts to be more reliable and easier to transport than water from the discouraged districts.
The rush to get water back into the Goulburn and Murray regions sits awkwardly next to the Brumby Government's plan to take water out of those districts through the north-south pipeline.
The pipe is promised to carry 75 billion litres to Melbourne before December 31, and is expected to take its first water to Sugarloaf reservoir in coming weeks.
The Government has defended the pipe on the grounds it will take only a third of water saved in the food bowl modernisation project, with equal portions going to the environment and farmers. But different arrangements are in place for 2010, when much of the guaranteed 75 billion litres for Melbourne will not come from the food bowl project, but from various sources in northern Victoria.
Farmers and the environment will not get a matching 75 billion litres in 2010, and it is likely to be several years before the food bowl project is finished and delivering significant amounts of water to farmers and rivers.
Environment Victoria spokeswoman Kelly O'Shanassy said it was ironic Canberra had noticed the plight of the Goulburn river yet Victoria was about to pump more water out of it.
The State Government declined to comment yesterday.
Despite fears Victorian water rules would prevent the Commonwealth from buying back local water, a deal struck last year is allowing Canberra to breach purchasing limits in certain regions deemed unsuitable for long-term irrigation.
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