Thursday, 17 October 2024

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:30): As we all agree, every week in the water portfolio is exciting, and today I want to update the chamber on some fantastic recent project announcements by the Allan Labor government in partnership with the Albanese Labor government. Recently it was a joy to join Senator Raff Ciccone and exceptional members from the other place Ms Emma Vulin and Ms Jordan Crugnale at Umet Farm in Cora Lynn to announce $113.2 million for the Western Port recycled water scheme. There is $66 million from the Allan Labor government via South East Water and $46.6 million from the Albanese Labor government’s National Water Grid Authority.

This is a project that is about connecting businesses and farms in Cora Lynn, Bayles, Catani, Garfield, Tynong South, Vervale and Iona and also those nearby areas to class A recycled water from the Pakenham recycled water scheme. This means around 4000 megalitres of water every single year will support the sustainability of the agricultural and horticultural industries, which are part of the food bowl in the south-east and in western Gippsland. It will include 49 kilometres of pipeline and is expected to create 118 jobs, and adding $104 million to the local regional economy is a significant part of this project. This is what integrated water management is all about: a reliable supply of water, a reduction in pressure on drinking water supply and important safeguards and protections for our waterways as climate change brings drier conditions.

Thank you to South East Water for this really wonderful project, to local industrial and agricultural stakeholders and to everyone else who has worked so hard on it as well. Again, further work, such as the work we are doing at Moonee Ponds Creek and with other partnerships, shows what really can be done with joined-up approaches between state and federal governments and our incredibly hardworking water sector.