Collective call for recreation water

Awimmera sporting club has launched a campaign to secure regular recreational and environmental water allocations for Horsham district lakes.

Horsham Yacht Club has earmarked Green Lake southeast of Horsham a priority, but is also targeting Lake Toolondo south of Horsham and Natimuk Lake in its push.

The group, based at Green Lake and working on rebranding itself as Green Lake Water Sports Club, wants broad community support and has organised a public meeting at Horsham Showground on April 28.

President Ian Ruwoldt said the club was confident its push reflected broad community sentiment.

He added the club believed what it was asking for was achievable through a change in water-allocation assessment and process.

“We need to get greater consistency in water allocation for Green Lake in particular, and also Toolondo,” he said.

“And, as part of broad district analysis of recreation water needs, we also need to lobby to ultimately get regular supply to Natimuk Lake.

“For our club and many others, Green Lake is a priority, but we clearly understand the need for other lakes around Horsham, so we’re taking a collective approach.

“Anyone who lives in Horsham or visits regularly would be well aware that we need Green Lake full and firing – not just in the odd year – but every year.

“As a club we’re only one voice in asking for change and it is clear we can’t do on our own. So we’re appealing for other user groups and individuals, including everyone from angling and ski clubs to bird watchers, picnickers, highway travellers and of course environmentalists to help us.

“It is not just about recreation, but also, importantly, the environment.

“We’re confident that finding an annual 5000 megalitres, which the lake holds when full, is not that big an ask and 100-percent full isn’t even what we’re after.

“We also know Toolondo has a release trigger point at Rocklands and believe that might need further investigation.

“In Natimuk Lake’s case, it might be about developing a serious recreationenvironment plan based on infrastructure and regular supply.

“Overall it needs a fresh perspective so we can try to enjoy recreation water in Horsham district while looking after our environmental assets. We’re open to ideas.”

Formal entitlements govern water supply across the region, underpinned by a need to maximise supply security.

Entitlements

Gwmwater storage manager Kym Wilson confirmed in February that all water held in reservoirs was allocated under an entitlement agreement.

He said Green Lake, formerly part of the storage system and now a recreation lake, only filled when surplus supply was available.

Lake Toolondo is also a former supply lake, but is reliant on transfers of water from Rocklands Reservoir and from a storage perspective holds considerable ‘dead water’. This means water can only be pumped out if needed elsewhere. Dry Natimuk Lake has never been part of the region’s water-supply system and is a recognised boom-andbust wetland naturally reliant on runoff.

Yacht club secretary Justin Brilliant said the new push was primarily about acknowledging a need for future liveability in the region.

“The socio-economic value of recreational and environmental water assets have been well documented,” he said.

“We’ve seen northern Mallee towns undergo transformation through piped recreation water. We feel it is Horsham’s turn to have priority.

“To put it in perspective, there are Natimuk Ski Club members, some of whom are also members of our club, who travel to Hopetoun to use Lake Lascelles – supplied with piped water.

“We also understand Horsham has spent a considerable amount of energy in focusing on the Wimmera River, and rightfully so, but it has serious recreation limitations and we draw a line at suggestions that Taylors Lake, which has safety issues, is another appropriate alternative.

“We’re keen to work locally on something that satisfies everyone, but we’re also prepared to take our claim to a higher level.”

Mr Ruwoldt said anyone seeking more information or details about the April 28 gathering could call him on 0428 504 172 or Mr Brilliant on 0418 361 268.

Many lakes and weir pools across the Wimmera-mallee receive piped recreation water as part of a business-case commitment involving construction of the Wimmera-mallee Pipeline.

The issue of supply for Green and its wetlands neighbour Dock, Toolondo and Natimuk lakes, based on environmental as well as socio-economic reasons, has long been a heavily debated issue in Horsham district.

The regional storage system to March 25 was holding 176,250 megalitres or 31.46 percent of capacity.

The Wimmera-mallee water-storage system has experienced a 60 percent decline in inflow in the past 30 years.