Waterproof future

By Kath Gannaway
AN UNTAPPED water supply could future-proof agriculture in the Coldstream-Gruyere corner of the Yarra Valley.
Yarra Ranges Council wants the federal and state governments to bankroll a $10 million pipeline which will deliver 725ML (megalitres) of treated water from the Lilydale Wastewater Treatment Plant to 15 farmers in the region.
The proposed pipeline was hailed as a win/win for farmers, industry workers and the environment when councillors unanimously supported the idea at their 14 August meeting.
The proposal follows a survey by Agribusiness Yarra Valley of 114 landholders with water entitlements. Of the 80 who responded, 46 said they would be interested.
While three pipeline scenarios were costed, the most feasible was the Coldstream Gruyere model, which would ultimately have the potential to deliver 1250ML to about 40 businesses.
The report estimated capital and operating costs over 25 years at $13.6m with benefits to farmers over that time of $46m, but the addition of public benefits in environmental terms were even more promising at an estimated $58.6m.
Releasing less wastewater to Olinda Creek, which results in 7.5 tonnes of nitrogen ending up in the Yarra River and ultimately Port Phillip Bay, would save $15.3m in the cost of dealing with that problem alone, the report stated.
“The economic benefit stands up on its own without any of the public benefit, and when you look at the public benefit it also stands up alone,” C r Graham Warren said.
“You would think doing something as good as this would be a no-brainer.”
Cr Samantha Dunn said Yarra Ranges had fought very hard to protect its green wedge areas and took pride in its place as Melbourne’s food bowl.
“We have been in drought for many years and know that climate change will bring water shortages,” she said.
“This is an easy way to tackle those issues because the sewerage plant is so close,” she said.
Cr Jeanette McRae said it was a great investment for farmers in the Coldstream-Grueyer area which embraced new technology to future-proof the valley.
“We don’t often think that far ahead,” she said. “This is a very small amount of money to invest in terms of security food security.”