The project will be implemented in two stages. Stage 1 of the project has been funded by contributions from the Victorian Government ($600 Million), Melbourne Water ($300 Million) and Goulburn-Murray Water ($100 Million).
Stage 1
The first stage of the project will secure estimated long-term savings of up to 225GL annually, with the second stage to capture the remaining 200GL. The first available savings from the project will partly contribute to the 75GL delivered to Melbourne, from 2010, via the 70 kilometre Sugarloaf Pipeline.
Objectives of Stage 1:
- deliver a long-term average of 225GL of water savings by December 2012 to be shared equally between the environment, irrigators and Melbourne
- by June 2010, partly contribute to the 75GL of saved water from early modernisation work that will be transferred to Melbourne. Deliver a renewed backbone for the water distribution system
- modernise 25 per cent of delivery shares not on the backbone by the end of 2012
- upgrade metering (including real time measurement) on up to 50 per cent of customer supply points, by December 2012.
Stage 2
Business Case
The business case for Stage 2 of the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project has been submitted to the Commonwealth Government. The Commonwealth has committed up to $1 billion for Stage 2, as part of its $3.7 billion commitment to Basin State Priority Projects.
Stage 2 is expected to deliver around 200 billion litres of water savings a year, which will be shared equally between irrigators and the environment.
The Business Case is subject to a due diligence process which is expected to be completed by mid 2010.