Water For River Flows on Track to Exceed Targets

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• News & Events
• Media Releases
• Work Started on New Pipeline for Hay Irrigation Area
• Water For River Flows on Track to Exceed Targets
• Coalition Commits to Snowy Environmental Flows
• Pipeline to Secure Water Supply in Hay PID
• 15 Gigalitres of Water to be Returned to Snowy System
• Snowy Health Check-up
• Primary Industry Minister Views Water Recovery Challenges
• State Government on Track to Meet Water Savings Targets
• Victoria on Track to Meet Snowy River Water Commitment
• First Projects For Water Savings Identified
• Snowy Joint Government Enterprise Now Open For Business
• Agreement On The Management Of Snowy's Future

Despite the continuing drought, NSW expects to exceed its targets for returning water to the Snowy and Murray Rivers for environmental flows by up to 10 percent, Minister for Energy, Ian Macdonald said today.

Minister Macdonald said Water for Rivers had successfully demonstrated the benefits of investing in infrastructure as a means to save water for the environment as well as achieve economic benefits for local communities.

"It was originally hoped to deliver a total of 282 gigalitres of water to the Snowy and Murray Rivers by 2012 - that's the equivalent of 282,000 Olympic Swimming pools," Minister Macdonald said.

"Due to the Iemma Government's water saving initiatives and the on-going success of innovative programs, the Water for Rivers scheme is on track to deliver 158 gigalitres to the environment by July 1 and reach its target of 212 gigalitres by July, 2009.

"This is at a cost of $1004 per megalitre - a great figure.

"And with additional funding promised by the Commonwealth, the Water for Rivers scheme could exceed the original 2012 target of 282 gigalitres by just over 10 percent.

"Water for Rivers has invested more than 80% of its funding in infrastructure and this has clearly paid off. Water for Rivers did not take the easy road but the results are obvious - a win-win situation for the environment, the long-term health of the river systems and local economies.

 "Water for Rivers has been able to achieve these savings because of a pre-eminent focus on infrastructure that saw savings achieved before time and well within budget. It has demonstrated that replacing decades-old water infrastructure can create substantial environmental flows while at the same time maintaining and increasing regional employment and economic activity.

"Projects such as the Barren Box scheme near Griffith, for example have seen better management and reduced areas exposed to evaporation save 20 gigalitres of water - the equivalent of 20,000 Olympic swimming pools.

"The Forrest Creek Stage 2 project has reduced the volume of water required over Warrison Weir through the provision of alternate stock and domestic water supplies have saved 23.35 gigalitres."

Minister Macdonald said the Water for Rivers scheme identifies and implements water savings projects, particularly from infrastructure improvements and on-farm reconfigurations.

Jointly funded by the NSW, Victorian and Commonwealth governments, the scheme originally received $375 million in funding to deliver environmental water to the Murray River and a target of returning the Snowy River to 21 percent of its average natural flow by 2012.

"That the Water for Rivers scheme is not just on  track, but likely to exceed the target is a credit to the hard work and initiative of irrigators, industry and the people of NSW, who have embraced the water-saving measures necessary to get through the worst drought in living memory," Mr Macdonald noted.

"Not resting on its laurels, the Water for Rivers scheme is continuing to investigate potential new water-saving projects to increase the water available for environmental flows in the Snowy and Murray Rivers."