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Loddon HERALD Vol 5 No 4, THURSDAY JANUARY 30, 2025 ISSN 2653-1550
AUSTRALIA DAY IN OUR COMMUNITIES - PICTURES, STORIES PAGES 9-11
WATER CURB THREAT
IRRIGATORS across Loddon communities will be hit with water rationing within weeks.
Goulburn Murray Water is blaming “one of the busiest” irrigation seasons in its 30-year history for the decision. But former GMW board member and Fernihurst irrigator Ken Pattison warns rationing is an ominous sign for the future as the Federal Government persists with water buybacks across the region. GMW has called pop-up briefings in Boort next week. Water delivery services general manager Warren Blyth said it was “likely some irrigation systems within northern Victoria would enter a rationing cycle in early 2025”. “We have delivered a significant amount of water to irrigators throughout the 2024-2025 irrigation season so far, and with conditions remaining dry, this is likely to continue,” he said. “Water orders tend to peak in
By CHRIS EARL
autumn, and we expect that in some parts of our system, orders may exceed what our channel network is capable of delivering.” Mr Pattison slammed GMW for failing to consult with irrigators before raising the spectre of rationing. “It’s a disaster. There’s no details but the fear is we will get just 10 per cent of the water we have already paid for,” he said. “The threat of rationing shows GMW is totally removed from its customer base and is being driven by the 450GL buybacks. “These disasters facing gravity irrigators in northern Victoria will be to the serious detriment of food and fibre production. “We have already had the irrigation entitlement for the Boort and Pyramid Hill district halved in the past decade and now GMW can’t meet current demand ... before there are more buybacks.”
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Thumbs up to Australia Day weekend hay run ... Adam Ford, Glenn Grima, Aaron Grima and Hayden Underwood prepare to leave Bridgewater on Saturday morning. LH PHGOTOI
Hay! It’s true Aussie spirit
MORE than 2000 hay bales rolled out of Bridgewater on Saturday morning bound for South Australian farms gripped by drought. Trucks loaded with the round bales had come from across central Victoria to the staging point at the town’s recreation reserve on Friday. Aussie Hay Runners co-ordinator Pete Wuthrich said the bales had been bound for Peterborough, three hours north of Adelaide, for the Australia Day weekend delivery.
“Bridgewater was a central staging area before we set off on the 10-hour plus drive to Peterborough. “We’ve had trucks and hay come in from 100km around Bridgewater.” Mr Wuthrich said more than 100 farmers in South Australia would receive hay deliveries to help them feed stock impacted by the prolonged drought. “The paddocks over there ... there’s nothing on the ground,” he said. Mr Wuthrich said the past
two years had seen Aussie Hay Runners transporting donated wheat and oaten hay to New South Wales farmers hit by floods and fires. “Now the deliveries are being made into South Australia - Peterborough Ceduna. We made a run before Christmas and we’re now heading back.,” he said. Truck drivers in the convoy were given a cooked breakfast by Bridgewater Football Netball Club before setting off soon after 7am on Saturday. Local businesses donated the food.
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