The project will adhere to the following seven core guiding principles which formed part of the Food Bowl Modernisation Project Steering Committee report that was endorsed by the Victorian Government on 30 November 2007.
| 1. | Focus on economic development |  |
| 2. | Strive for efficiency in both water supply and farm watering systems |
| 3. | Provide different levels of service to meet the needs of different customers and customer types |
| 4. | Strive for an on-demand water delivery service |
| 5. | Develop system components that ensure cost and service competitiveness in water supply |
| 6. | Develop policies to support and guide decisions |
| 7. | Stage project delivery to match funding availability |