RECORD low irrigation delivery losses of 380 gigalitres in the Goulburn Murray system this year have delivered yet another blow to the State Government’s claim modernizing the system will deliver 425GL a year in water savings.
It has also raised concerns the Federal Government’s $1bn investment in the second stage of the project – intended to realize 200 of the 425GL - may be jeopardised if it emerges the savings are not achievable.
While Water Minister Tim Holding and Northern Victorian Infrastructure Renewal Project chairman Richard Guy seized on the high percentage of losses – 37.5pc of water sent into the system – as evidence of the urgent need to modernize, Plug the Pipe campaigners said the low volume losses showed the claimed savings were ‘a mirage’ and plans to pipe them to Melbourne should be scrapped.
Goulburn Murray Water chairman Stephen Mills said on Thursday ongoing drought last season resulted in its lowest ever annual deliveries to customers of just 633GL and record low losses of just 380GL.
This is less than half the estimated losses of 850GL a year on which the State Government has premised its projected modernization savings of 425GL and its plans to take 75GL a year for Melbourne down the controversial Sugarloaf Pipeline connecting the Goulburn River to Melbourne’s water supply.
GMW data shows the average losses over the past 10 years were 683.20GL, roughly the same as losses in the full allocation years of 02/03 and 03/04 seasons when both systems were on 100pc but had no sales water. Taking the last 15 years, including the 94/95 season when the Goulburn was on 200pc and the Murray on 220pc and deliveries were four times those of last season, losses average 745GL.
The Government hopes to boost efficiency from 70pc to 85pc and is seeking a third of the projected 225GL first stage savings to bolster Melbourne’s water supply in return for $600m Government and $300m Melbourne Water funding toward the $1bn first stage project costs.
Boort irrigator and member of Plug the Pipe Ken Pattison said with climate change indicating dry years were the shape of things to come, low deliveries and losses would be more common and farmers would need improved efficiencies just to offset lower allocations.
“This fundamentally destroys one of the main pillars of their plan that everyone will be a winner and share in savings,” he said. “If Melbourne takes water, irrigators and the environment will be the losers.”
The Government has insisted that water for Melbourne will not impact on Melbourne as improved efficiency will mean savings accrue in Eildon to be shared between irrigators, environment and the city.
Mr Pattison said even if the system did lose 850GL a year in seepage and outfalls, to call capturing them ‘savings’ or ‘new water’ was to overlook the fact a lot of that
water currently replenished acquifers or flowed on into rivers.
“The only loss is when it flows into the sea,” he said. “The rest goes into acquifers, flows between channels and into rivers. A savings in water lost from the channels is a loss to the acquifer.”
GMW systems manager Graeme Hannan said the low losses were in part attributable to low deliveries, but the authority had also worked closely with customers to minimize losses by choosing not to run some channels, running others at lower levels, pooling orders to enable pulsing of water and trucking in some stock and domestic.
Mr Hannan said reduced losses had meant more water for customers as water not required for operating systems could be reassigned to boosting allocations.
“It meant 7pc to customers on the Goulburn,” he said. “It was a lower number on the Murray.”
Water Minister Tim Holding said the modernization and pipe plan was built around long term averages not the results from a single year.
“Over the past 15 years, which includes 12 years of drought, annual losses from Goulburn Murray Water’s six irrigation districts have averaged 745GL,” he said.
Mr Holding said the high proportion of water lost running the system was not sustainable.
“For every two (megalitres) that arrived on farm this year, one was lost to get it there,” he said.
“Irrigators need help and they are getting it in the form of the Food Bowl modernization Project.
“This project will provide on average an additional 175 billion litres of water for irrigators and reduce the unacceptable losses that are occurring.”
Mr Mills said modernization would reduce system losses and free up water earmarked to cover them, allowing earlier allocations.
“We will be able to make allocations earlier in the season, allocate more water to farmers and deliver these resources at flow rates and service levels that enhance on-farm labour and water efficiency, even with a third of the savings redirected to Melbourne,” he said.
Federal Water Minister Penny Wong’s office did not respond to calls querying whether Federal funding was contingent on 200GL a year of water savings being achievable in the second stage.