fifteen celebrating fifteen years of Southern Rural Water 1989/90 the beginning • Drought continued to be a daily reality for most of our customers. The Werribee Irrigation District relied almost entirely on recycled water supplies, whilst emergency water supplies were able to In the eary 1990s, major independent rural water provide some certainty for Bacchus Marsh irrigators change was afoot in authorities – including Victoria’s water sector. Rural Water • Bushfires threatened, but did not damage, assets. Many of our Authority and Southern customers were affected by the Gippsland and Black Saturday fires. Irrigator protests over the Rural Water Authority in Rural Water Corporation’s southern Victoria. • Work continued on the Western Irrigation Futures project including charges led to the customer consultation and technical workshops establishment of the On 1 July 1995 Gippsland McDonald Review. Rural Water Authority and • Unbundling of water entitlements began. A project team was Southern Rural Water established to manage the migration of bundled entitlements to In 1992 the Review set Authority combined to the Victorian Government’s Water Register in train the dissolution of form what is today known the RWC by establishing as Southern Rural Water, • We launched our new logo, values and positioning statement – regional advisory boards. the trading name of the Managing Water, Serving Communities On 1 July 1994, the RWC Gippsland and Southern was separated into five Rural Water Corporation. • We farewelled our long-serving Managing Director, Dr Martin Kent 1994/95 1995/96

• Gippsland Rural Water Authority operated under Board Chairperson • Mr Allan Pappin was appointed inaugural Board Chairperson and Allan Pappin and Chief Executive Officer Mr John Boehm Mr Ian Wilson joined the organisation as Chief Executive Officer in November 1995 • Southern Rural Water Authority operated under Board Chairperson Dr Greg Walsh and Chief Executive Officer Mr John McDonald • The Board and staff met the challenge of merging two separate organisations to form Southern Rural Water • Near record water was delivered in the Macalister Irrigation District due to dry conditions coupled with good water availability • A cool and wet year had significant impact on water demand, revenue and operating results • Our first “Waterline” interactive voice response telephone technology was introduced • Severe flooding in the Werribee catchment in November 1995 proved both the capacity of our storages and , and the • We established our first Groundwater Consultative Committee sound operation of warning and information systems

• A comprehensive program of asset inspection and condition • Bulk entitlements were proclaimed for the Latrobe and Tanjil Rivers, assessments was completed and Blue Rock

• Gippsland Rural Water Authority reached agreement with Wellington Shire to purchase the previous Maffra Shire Offices, which continues as our head office today

• Minister for Natural Resources, Hon Geoff Coleman MP, announces Gippsland Rural Water Authority and Southern Rural Water Authority to merge on 1 July 2005 1996/97 1997/98

• A dry year saw almost unprecedented demand for water supply • Dr Martin Kent was appointed Chief Executive - the highest deliveries for 10 years in Bacchus Marsh, record deliveries in the Macalister Irrigation District, and the highest • Winter rains and river flows both failed as drought hit southern deliveries in Werribee in 15 years Victoria. Almost all the southern rivers were subject to long irrigation bans throughout summer. Lake Glenmaggie reached only 60% • We installed new computer and communications networks to capacity by October 1997 and was empty by May 1998, and link all offices Blue Rock Lake fell to its lowest level since construction

• A temporary wave wall at Rosslynne Dam was installed to improve • An historic agreement was negotiated with Water to flood safety levels supply water from the to the Macalister Irrigation Area • Recreational facilities at Melton Reservoir were upgraded in partnership with Melton Shire and Melbourne Parks and Waterways • Groundwater licence applications doubled as farmers sought alternative water supplies, but caps were introduced for many • New operating and management frameworks were established groundwater areas across the organisation • Severe flooding devastated the East Gippsland region in June 1998

• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the State Government for $3 million to assist with dam safety improvements and resource management 1998/99 1999/2000

• Reasonable and regular rains resulted in lower-than-normal • The first works in the $5.5 million dam safety program were demand for water for most areas, although Bacchus Marsh and completed, including the embankment raising and spillway Werribee continued to experience lower rainfall and water allocations upgrade at Rosslynne Reservoir

• The creation of Groundwater Supply Protection Areas heralded our • All of our irrigation districts were allocated 130% of water right, determination to manage groundwater in a sustainable way despite below average rainfalls and ongoing dry conditions

• The first Streamflow Management Plan in Victoria, for the Merri River, • Groundwater Management Committees were established and was completed and implemented began development of management plans for the first three Groundwater Supply Protection Areas • We negotiated new entitlements in the Thomson Dam to create additional security for irrigators • We invested $1 million to acquire and install 1300 meters, in the first stage of a multi-year metering program

• The Macalister Irrigation District Nutrient Reduction Plan was approved and implementation commenced 2000/01 2001/02

• Previous conditions reversed, with the Werribee and Bacchus • Mr Rob Skinner was appointed Chairperson of the Southern Marsh irrigation districts experiencing a reasonable year, but Rural Water Board the Macalister suffering a late season water supply shortage • We led the development of a generic Water Services Agreement, • Lake Glenmaggie and the Macalister Irrigation District celebrated detailing mutual obligations of the Authority and of Government their 75th birthday. The first major valve refurbishment was also successfully completed • Our first Communication Plan was developed, based on findings from our Stakeholder Survey • The Lerderderg and Cowwarr Weirs withstood flash floods in October 2000 and April 2001 respectively • We implemented our largest ever capital works program, costing $7.7 million. This included Stage 1 refurbishment at Narracan Dam, • A new water quality monitoring station was commissioned the replacement of Little Weir, and pipelining of channels at Nuntin in the Werribee Irrigation District and Werribee

• Work continued on Streamflow and Groundwater Management • Public consultation processes were introduced for major licence Plans applications and additional licensing field staff were appointed 2002/03 2003/04

• Ongoing drought led to significant increase in demand for water • Continued drought placed strain across our entire region but most from already stressed rivers, streams and aquifers particularly in the Werribee basin, where the seasonal allocation for irrigators dropped to an unprecedented 40% • We introduced a new seasonal allocation model based on actual volumes in storage, rather than predicted inflows • A ban on groundwater pumping in Werribee South was introduced because of sharply dropping aquifer levels • A Dam Safety Design Review was completed on all of our seven storages • In January 2004, the Werribee Irrigation District Recycled Water Scheme was born • Southern Rural Water commissioned a Total Channel Control feasibility study for parts of the Macalister Irrigation District and • Southern Rural Water entered the jurisdiction of the Essential a pipelining feasibility study for the Werribee Irrigation District Services Commission, and began development of its first Water Plan • Staff worked hard to raise awareness of amendments to the Water Act regarding farm dams. By 1 July 2003, we had received • The Total Channel Control project began in the Macalister Irrigation approximately 3700 farm dam registration applications District 2004/05 2005/06

• Ms Jan Greig was appointed Southern Rural Water’s Board • Drought continued to cause stress to customers. In the Macalister, Chairperson an early end to the spilling period and very limited summer/autumn inflows reduced water availability. In the Werribee basin, opening • Drought conditions eased somewhat, but still placed considerable allocation began at 55% but a storm in late summer lifted it to 80% stress on our customers and impacted on irrigation sales • Much effort was spent in preparing for the Essential Services • Work began on metering the remaining unmetered surface and Commission’s first price determination for rural water authorities groundwater licences of significant size • Work continued on the Macalister’s Total Channel Control automation • We opened our Warrnambool office, strengthening connections project on the Main Northern Channel system with south-western Victoria • Southern Rural Water was a keen participant in the Central Region • Our draft Water Plan was completed, to be the basis for the Sustainable Water Strategy and the unbundling of water entitlements scrutiny by the Essential Services Commission

• We joined with the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria and other partners in the Macalister Irrigation District Water Leaders Course 2006/07 2007/08

• The drought continued to worsen. Seasonal allocations struggled • Our emergency management capabilities were further tested by major to reach 60% in the Macalister and 10% in our Western districts, flooding in November 2007 in the Macalister catchment, and the which caused great hardship for customers and a heavy workload collapse of the Latrobe River into the Yallourn Mine in December 2007 for staff • Repairs totalling around $4 million were completed in the Macalister • Bushfires threatened the Macalister Irrigation District and a number after the June and November 2007 floods of key facilities, peaking with the passage of fire through Cowwarr Weir on 14 December 2006 • Emergency water supplies were secured to provide limited production in Werribee and Bacchus Marsh in the face of protracted and • In June 2007, the Macalister catchment experienced record flooding. deepening drought Inflows into Lake Glenmaggie peaked in excess of 250,000 ML per • The 2008-13 Water Plan was developed and approved, setting day and releases peaked at 147,000 ML per day strategic priorities and financial plans for the next five years • The MID2030 Project was launched to map out major investment • The MID2030 Plan for the modernisation of the Macalister Irrigation required in the Macalister to modernise its irrigation systems District was completed

• We developed the scope for the Western Irrigation Futures project to examine long-term options for Werribee and Bacchus Marsh

• Work began on our Southern Groundwater Futures project to consolidate groundwater knowledge and management through hydrogeological mapping of Southern Victoria

• We prepared for unbundling of water entitlements in our irrigation districts to start on 1 July 2008 2008/09 present

Recently we launched a new • Drought continued to be a daily reality for most of our customers. t t fact shee fact shee logo and visual identity, along The Werribee Irrigation District relied almost entirely on recycled fact sheet water supplies, whilst emergency water supplies were able to with revised values, and our provide some certainty for Bacchus Marsh irrigators mission of “Managing Water, Serving Communities”. • Bushfires threatened, but did not damage, assets. Many of our customers were affected by the Gippsland and Black Saturday fires This reflects what we do - but also why we do it. We never • Work continued on the Western Irrigation Futures project including forget that our purpose is to customer consultation and technical workshops serve communities throughout Southern Victoria. • After more than 12 months of preparation and communication, Water Entitlements for Regulated Irrigation Districts were unbundled This very clear mission, along on 1 July 2008. A project team was established to manage the with the leadership of our Board migration of bundled entitlements to the Victorian Government’s and our new Managing Director Water Register Clinton Rodda, will direct our efforts for years to come. • We farewelled our long-serving Managing Director, Dr Martin Kent the future fifteen years of serving the community......

Looking back over our 15-year history, We are guided in this by the Victorian it becomes obvious that we are now in Government’s White Paper, Our Water a drought environment unimaginable Our Future, and the regional Sustainable when our organisation first began. Water Strategies. They continue to drive our direction in water reform Words of hope in the mid 1990s - and sustainable management. that the drought seemed to be breaking and many more to come! - have not appeared in any of our annual reports since. Climate change, it seems, is here to stay.

Drought has become the norm for our customers – and for us. Since we cannot make it rain, we have continued to do our best to ensure fair and equitable management of an increasingly precious resource, and to look at new and innovative ways of managing and saving water both for people and for the environment.

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