Agribusiness & Food

South West Loddon Pipeline project rolls on

300 kilometres of main pipe will soon be laid on the South West Loddon Pipeline in northern Victoria, an $80.6 million project to secure water supplies for local communities and farmers.

The second stage of the South West Loddon Pipeline stretches across the towns of Skinners Flat, Fiery Creek, Arnold, Bridgewater, Powlett, East Gowar, Wedderburn South and Kurting.

Victoria invested $40 million towards the 1,300-kilometre project, with additional investment from Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water and the Commonwealth Government.

Now the State Government says the pipeline is on track to be completed on schedule mid-next year, servicing up to 630 rural properties and farming enterprises over a 2,900 square kilometre area, with a reticulated water supply.

Victorian water minister Lisa Neville this week met farmers at Richmond Plains to discuss the pipeline’s benefits, and how are using the water to benefit their farming enterprises across the region.

“This project is providing water security for farmers and the agriculture sector – which is good for the wellbeing of agriculture communities, for jobs, and for liveability,” the minister said.

“Many farmers have had to rely on rainfall and catchment dams for their water – we’re in a better position to deal with dry conditions because of the investments we’ve made in pipelines and modernisation projects.”

Farmers in the region currently rely on water carting at times.

The government hopes water supplied by the pipeline will also make it easier for farmers to invest in and expand their operations, supporting employment in the local farming sector and providing broader economic benefit.

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