• About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Events
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Newsletter
SUBSCRIBE
  • News
    • Contracts awarded
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Events
  • Features
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Gas
  • Electricity
  • Civil Construction
  • Events
No Results
View All Results
  • News
    • Contracts awarded
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Events
  • Features
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Gas
  • Electricity
  • Civil Construction
  • Events
No Results
View All Results
Home

Connections Project moves forward

by Lauren Cella
September 9, 2016
in Features, Irrigation, News, Stakeholder Engagement, Water
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Victorian and Commonwealth Governments have approved the reset of the $2 billion Connections Project following a decision on the best way to secure the future of irrigated agriculture in the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (MGID).

The Connections Project aims to save 429GL of water and improve the Goulburn Murray district’s agricultural productivity and efficiency. It is estimated about 4150km of channel will be modernised during the project including the installation of new water meters.

The key feature of the reset is a publicly available channel-by-channel assessment, categorising channels in terms of water savings, water use and potential efficiency gains for the district. An online portal will also be publicly accessible.

Minister for Water Lisa Neville announced the reset plan at the Victorian Farmers Federation water forum (VFF) in Rochester in Victoria, which also includes an improved delivery model that uses local input and increases transparency for landowners.

To ensure there are checks and balances in place, the model includes an independent review, a landowner submissions process and provision of a ‘reasonable time’ to reach agreement.

“This is a significant day as we announce a real pathway forward for Connections – one that will produce water savings as part of our commitment to the Murray Darling Basin Plan and secure the future of irrigated agriculture in the Goulburn Murray region,” Ms Neville said.

“We were determined to get this reset right, and now we have a clear plan for this once-in-a-generation project to benefit irrigators and the environment.”

The Victorian Government has worked closely with Goulburn Murray Water, the VFF, local councils and water services committees on the Connections Project reboot, building on work from the Project Control Group (PCG) to roll-out $47 million in winter works and resolve more than 100 cases experiencing delays.

Planning has also begun on the 2017 winter works package – worth more than $100 million – including meter upgrades, new regulators, channel remediation and pipeline construction.

The PCG will contact landowners throughout September 2016 to discuss the timing of works in their area.

The Connections Project remains on budget, with the timeline for completion of physical works extended to October 2020. Connections will deliver 204GL of water to the Commonwealth, in line with the Basin Plan requirements.

The reset follows the mid-term review released in 2015, additional consultation with irrigators and the establishment of the PCG to drive the future of the project.

Related Posts

Access Detection offers specialised training to empower regional councils and water authorities to play a more proactive role in leak detection. Image: Access Detection

Supporting boots on the ground

by Katie Livingston
June 13, 2025

Detecting small water leaks in challenging environments requires a highly skilled technician – and it’s vital that these operators are...

Burkert’s water analysis system provides Veolia with precise and reliable data to help it reduce waste at its Ireland treatment facility. Image: Burkert

A sustainable water future

by Katie Livingston
June 13, 2025

Australia’s water sector is facing unprecedented challenges and innovation holds the key to building a resilient and sustainable industry. Climate...

AS4044:2024 sets the benchmark for critical power systems. Image: Century Yuasa

Compliance for critical power

by Katie Livingston
June 13, 2025

As the demand for resilient power solutions grows, ensuring battery charger safety, compliance and reliability for stationary applications is critical....

Read our magazine

Join our newsletter

View our privacy policy, collection notice and terms and conditions to understand how we use your personal information.
Utility is the title of choice for decision makers at all levels of water and energy utilities, as well as other major players like consulting engineers and first-tier contractors. Utility is integrated across print and online, and explores the biggest news and issues across the utility industry. It is Australia’s only dedicated utility magazine, and covers all areas of the utility sector, including water and sewer, gas, electricity, communications and the NBN.

Subscribe to our newsletter

View our privacy policy, collection notice and terms and conditions to understand how we use your personal information.

About Utility

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Digital magazine
  • Events
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Collection Notice
  • Privacy Policy

Popular Topics

  • News
  • Water
  • Electricity
  • Projects
  • Water and Wastewater Treatment
  • Spotlight
  • Civil Construction
  • Renewable Energy

© 2025 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited

No Results
View All Results
NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE
  • News
    • Contracts awarded
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Events
  • Features
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Gas
  • Electricity
  • Civil Construction
  • Events
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

© 2025 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited