Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have risen and spoken on numerous occasions about the need to prioritise water security in the south-west of Victoria. I have done this specifically calling on the federal government to make a contribution to the modernisation of the Werribee Irrigation District to ensure the environment remains resilient in the face of climate change, to ensure that our farmers, our growers, can continue to make the contribution that they are making by producing the fresh produce that Victorians' tables are reliant on.

I urge this on the government for several reasons—the first of which is the health of the Werribee River. Our irrigators in Werribee South use fresh river water. They also access groundwater from the Deutgam aquifer and because of the last drought began to use recycled water provided by Melbourne Water.

I ask that, given that Victoria is not receiving its share in the general infrastructure space, perhaps the Deputy Prime Minister might have a look at this situation and decide that the federal government can make a contribution to water infrastructure for the growers in my electorate of Lalor.

Over 40 years, the Werribee River has had historically low environmental flows. It has put considerable pressure on the Werribee Irrigation District with water flow allocations for agriculture only hitting capacity five times over the last 15 years. Today that allocation hits as low as 15 per cent of capacity, requiring new sources of water to meet demand. Traditionally, they have used the two sources of water and have now moved to a shandy using recycled water. This is admirable. It shows their agility. It shows their innovation. Our growers are producing four crop rotations a year. It is a fabulous area with very resilient soils, but what we need is a secure, sustainable water source.

Southern Rural Water and the state government have stepped up to the plate on this issue, both making commitments to redoing the irrigation system, which of course is ancient. It is dilapidated. It has concrete channels that are leaking, losing up to 40 per cent of the fresh water flowing through them. It needs to be modernised urgently.

I call on the member for New England, the Deputy Prime Minister, who I listen to every day in question time talk about water infrastructure spending and yet I have been calling for a commitment from this government. I call on them to match the state government funding of $11 million to upgrade both the Werribee Irrigation District and the Bacchus Marsh Irrigation District and secure water for the growers of vegetables in my electorate.