Macalister Fresh is a region-building water strategy that will deliver a vision and plan to drive future investment in Gippsland.
Over the past two decades, Southern Rural Water, the Victorian Government and the Australian Government through the National Water Grid Fund have invested nearly $200 million in a program of modernisation works across the Macalister Irrigation District.
We have an opportunity to maximise the benefits of this investment to identify more water savings, deliver best practice irrigation and find innovative solutions to emerging challenges.
The $660,000 Macalister Fresh project, funded by the Victorian Government and Southern Rural Water, will be delivered over 18 months in four phases.
Phase one involves collaborating and co-designing a vision for the region with customers and our key partners.
Designing principles for use and distribution of water savings, decision making frameworks, project prioritisation and project pipeline will also be developed with customers and key partners as part of phases two and three of the project.
Phase four of the Macalister Fresh project will deliver an investment prospectus that will identify the value of reliable and secure rural water management in Gippsland, and investment opportunities.
More information
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How we will involve customers and stakeholders in the process
We will work with customers, stakeholders and the community to develop a shared vision of what the future looks like and investment opportunities that deliver economic, environmental and cultural benefits for the region.
We will use a range of communications channels to promote and inform stakeholders about consultation opportunities throughout the project.
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Who we will consult as part of the Macalister Fresh project
We want to include a wide range of people and perspectives to inform what the future of the Gippsland area looks like and how we deliver it.
We will consult with our customers from across the Macalister fresh region as well as Traditional Owners, relevant Victorian and Australian government agencies, local government, relevant water agencies, agricultural industry peak bodies and environmental community groups.
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How we will deliver the Macalister Fresh project
The Macalister Fresh project will be delivered over 18 months in four phases.
Phase one will involve working with customers, stakeholders and communities across Gippsland to develop a collective vision for the future of the Macalister Irrigation Area.
Phase two will involve working with key stakeholders to develop principles and frameworks to guide water sharing and investment decisions.
Phase three will involve working with key stakeholders to develop project opportunities that aligns with the Macalister Fresh Vision, our business plan and regional strategic priorities.
Phase four is the final stage of the Macalister Fresh project and will involve bringing all the elements together into a high-level investment proposal. This will play a key role in attracting business and government to partner with us on water projects that will help grow Gippsland’s multi-billion-dollar food and fibre sector.
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Why we need a vision for the Macalister Irrigation Area
Over the last decade, we have already delivered huge benefits to farmers through modernising infrastructure in the Macalister Irrigation District.
Works on the last stage of modernisation will be completed in 2024. We now have an opportunity to think about how we maximise the benefits of this once-in-a-generation investment and ensuring a thriving region long into the future.
To do this, we need to develop a vision for the Macalister Fresh area that’s informed and shared by customers, businesses, government agencies and the community. This vision will crystallise our collective priorities and allow us to make decisions that align with it and what we all want to achieve.
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How we will allocate water savings from modernisation
The Macalister Fresh project will be used to develop and define the principles and frameworks to guide future water sharing and investment decisions to 2050.
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How we will decide what projects to prioritise
We will use the feedback we receive from customers and stakeholders during consultation, the Macalister Fresh vision and our capital expenditure plan to inform and prioritise projects.
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Why we need an investment proposal for the Macalister Irrigation Area
The Macalister Fresh area is one of Victoria’s most important food bowls and a thriving agricultural region. Compared to other parts of the nation this area is well placed to adapt to climate change. Together with the combination of ample water savings and modern infrastructure in place this is a unique opportunity to grow the region.
An investment proposal, informed by the Macalister Fresh project, will articulate the value of reliable and secure rural water management in the region and identify public and private sector investment opportunities.
Phase one
We conducted a six-month consultation with our customers, stakeholders and the community to understand their aspirations for the Macalister Fresh area and incorporate their knowledge and expertise in the developing a vision.
We distilled this feedback into a high-level vision that aligns with business and government regional strategies which set the policy direction for securing long-term water supplies.
We believe the Macalister Fresh Vision will lay the foundations for this region-building project that will inform new projects and drive future investment in the region.
For more information on how we developed the vision read A vision for the Macalister Fresh area’s thriving future.
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Macalister Fresh Vision Statement
The Macalister Fresh irrigation area develops into a climate resilient Gippsland province with a shared ambition of innovation and partnerships that enable our community, region and environment to flourish.
The region will achieve this vision through:
More water
Maximising water security and managing water efficiently to enable a productive irrigation region.
Great partnerships
Nurturing strong partnerships with government, industry, community and Traditional Owners to create opportunities to flourish for all who live and work here.
Best practice and innovation
Valuing innovation and applying best practice water management to deliver social, environmentally and economically sustainable outcomes with acceptable risk.
Telling the region’s story
Recognising what is special about the region and embracing opportunities to share its story as a place of prosperity to attract new investment for long-term growth.
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December 2024 project update
Since we formed the stakeholder reference group in March 2024, we’ve held three workshops to bring the region’s diverse voices together.
Our first big win came in May when we agreed on a vision for the Macalister Fresh area that was informed by the aspirations of customers, businesses, government agencies and our community.
The vision underpins the plan and crystallises the collective priorities of stakeholders to allow us to make decisions in line with what we all want to achieve for a thriving future.
It has been rewarding to work with such passionate stakeholders and see them work together to identify new opportunities that could attract both public and private investment, and importantly deliver lasting benefits for the Gippsland community. Throughout the workshops, there’s been a strong sense of optimism and energy, and we’d like to thank everyone involved for their time and hard work this year.
We have recently finalised the decision-making framework that helps us identify potential projects that align with the Macalister Fresh vision and project pillars, our operating framework and government requirements.
Our decision-making framework sets out a process to ensure we apply a consistent set of rules when considering opportunities and projects. We will use this framework to guide us in our thinking and to show the community how we will assess projects objectively and prioritise them.
The next step is to develop a consultation paper to invite discussion with customers and stakeholders about the future of the irrigation area. We’re aiming to complete this work early next year and we’re on track to deliver a Macalister Fresh proposal that brings together all our work, highlights the opportunities, and the investment proposition in mid-2025.