31st May 2022
Long-term water security, efficiency and infrastructure investment have been the key themes discussed between East Gippsland Water and the Parliamentary Secretary for Water, Harriet Shing during the official opening of the corporation’s covered water storage tank at Wy Yung on Tuesday.
Ms Shing, who is also the Member for Eastern Victoria, was in East Gippsland for a two-day regional visit themed around water and catchments.
The new 36 mega litre covered concrete tank was completed in 2021 for $14M, replacing an existing 90ML open storage.
The facility supplies water to some 22,000 customers across the Bairnsdale area and a number of communities eastwards through to Nowa Nowa, including the larger commercial centres of Paynesville and Lakes Entrance.
This water is fed from an 88 million litre covered storage basin on the site and also from a recently completed 36 million litre, enclosed water storage tank – made from reinforced concrete with a steel roof – brought into service to bolster drinking water supplies.
Water is drawn from the Mitchell River at Glenaladale and pumped 2.5 kilometres into two storages at the Woodglen water treatment plant, before being transferred 25 kilometres via a single pipeline to the Wy Yung water storage site.
Ms Shing was also given a tour of East Gippsland Water’s nearby Woodglen facility, where East Gippsland Water plans to build a new water off-stream water storage to secure regional potable water supplies to meet the needs for growth and climate resilience.
East Gippsland Water, in partnership with the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) are also working together to look at options to create a multiple benefit water storage at Woodglen. The project will consider ways to provide greater community, cultural and environmental benefits.
The concept will advance Aboriginal self-determination and aligns with many of the objectives of Water for Victoria – the State Government’s vision for sharing Victoria’s Water. Specifically, the partnership has the potential to advance the following Water for Victoria objectives;
- Climate Change resilience
- Waterway and catchment health
- Water for agriculture
- Resilient and liveable cities and towns
- Recognising and managing Aboriginal values
- Water entitlements and planning
- Jobs, economy and innovation
Quotes attributable to East Gippsland Water’s Managing Director, Steve McKenzie:
“The aim with the proposed Woodglen storage and the recently constructed tank is to provide a strategic investment to help maintain the security and reliability of the water supply to customers well into the future – taking into account the effects of climate change and population growth, and the increasing demands this will place on water services.
Quotes attributable to East Gippsland Water’s Deputy Chairperson, Angela Hutson:
EGW and GLaWAC are very excited about this opportunity to work together to advance Aboriginal self-determination and secure long-term community water resources. We believe it will create opportunity for everyone now and into the future.
