Southern Rural Water is starting construction on the next stages of the $42 million Werribee Irrigation District modernisation project.
Jaydo Construction will undertake the $22 million stages 4 and 5, which will see a further replacement of 16.2 kilometres of channels to pipeline and the installation of 69 new automated customer outlets and flow metres, along with the upgrade to channel regulators at Werribee Weir and Conquest Drive.
Southern Rural Water Managing Director Cameron FitzGerald said this investment would increase the efficiency of how water is supplied, enhancing the reliability of local food production and improving the health of the Werribee River.
“Our Werribee Irrigation District customers use water from the Werribee River to produce local, nutritious and healthy food for our growing city and beyond,” Mr FitzGerald said.
Stages 1 to 3 were completed in 2019 and combined with Stages 4 and 5 will see a total of 5000 ML in water savings, which will be used to enhance local irrigation and environmental outcomes.
“Modernisation projects support the security of water, which in turn supports primary producers to be more climate resilient and secures the farming future of Victoria,” Mr FitzGerald said.
The Werribee Irrigation District is 30 kilometres southwest of Melbourne and specialises in growing vegetables and leafy salad with a farm gate value of more than $187 million per year.