South-west Victoria is an agricultural powerhouse, producing 22 percent of Australia’s milk, and significant amounts of vegetables, prime lamb, and high-quality beef. It’s also home to half of our 8,000 groundwater and rivers customers, most of whom produce the wonderful food and fibre that comes from this region.
Groundwater is the major source of water in south-west Victoria, in contrast to the rest of the state. Currently, groundwater provides 50 percent of the total water used for farming, industry and potable water supplies for cities and towns in the region.
The South West Limestone aquifer is the source of this groundwater and is located between Port Campbell and the Victoria and South Australian border.
We aim to balance the productive use of groundwater with the protection of high value environmental values and the rights of domestic and stock users. No significant additional allocation is proposed in the South West Limestone Groundwater Management Area. Trade is the main way new users gain access to groundwater.
To help irrigators and potential investors understand the water opportunities available and encourage easier trades we have developed the South West Limestone Local Management Plan, an annual groundwater condition summary and an interactive groundwater map.
The South West Limestone Local Management Plan contains details about the physical properties of the South West Limestone Aquifer, the permitted water allocation intensities for different geographic areas and the trading rules including a simplified assessment of what is now required to apply to trade.
The groundwater condition summary contains information on licence numbers, allocation volumes, usage volumes, the number of temporary and permanent trades each year along with the volumes of water changing hands. This provides a clear picture on the groundwater levels across the aquifer, the level of activity in the market, and how much water is potentially available to trade.
The interactive groundwater map allows people to quickly locate their area of interest, work out which Groundwater Management Area (GMA) they are in and click on it to access the relevant regulatory information and trade rules.
Good water resource management underpin south-west Victoria’s prosperity and good relationships with the right people are vital for ensuring long-term security of supply.
Our partnerships with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Food and Fibre Great South Coast, and the Glenelg Hopkins and Corangamite catchment management authorities allow us to work in a joined-up way to deliver great outcomes for customers, the community and the environment.
As an example, we know access to water is important for new and existing water users who want to invest and grow their business. Right now, we’re working with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action on resource appraisals to find areas that still have additional water to allocate to productive uses.
We have also worked with Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority and Agriculture Victoria to make it easier for landholders to know what information and licences are needed to sustainably develop new or expanded irrigation projects. Providing clear and simple advice on the regulations and streamlining the application process helps everyone involved understand how to complete it efficiently.
We're working with Wannon Water on integrated water management and broader sustainable water opportunities. Integrated Water Management (IWM) is a collaborative approach to the way we plan for and manage all elements of the water cycle. IWM considers how the delivery of water, wastewater and stormwater services can contribute to water security, public and environmental health and urban amenity. And in a time of climate change and increasing urbanisation it’s vital we work together to consider all water sources to service the community.
South-west Victoria is also renowned for its lush forests, heathlands, wetlands, rivers, and coastal dunes. Water is the life-blood of these precious habitats and we work with Glenelg Hopkins and Corangamite catchment management authorities to protect these environmental values.
We continue work with catchment management authorities on releases of water for the environment from reservoirs to ensure these flows on the Glenelg, Moorabool and Barwon Rivers achieve good environmental outcomes.
Our partnership with Food and Fibre Great South Coast supported them in developing an 18-point plan for water policy reform to drive jobs, growth and sustainability.
Food and Fibre Great South Coast represents many of our customers and actively advocates for initiatives to realise the benefits of the region’s water resource opportunities. We will continue to work with them to explore how we can support their recommendations and drive more great outcomes for customers, the community and the environment.
We’re proud of what we’re achieving with our partners and believe that many hands can make light work and help drive real value for our customers and the community in south-west Victoria.