Thursday, 18 May 2023

Greening Euroa

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (16:05): (242) My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Water, and it concerns Strathbogie shire’s innovative droughtproofing Greening Euroa project. The action that I seek is for the minister to provide funding of $3.8 million to Strathbogie Shire Council to complete the council’s Greening Euroa project, an innovative initiative that will droughtproof the township of Euroa. The Greening Euroa project will help address the impact of chronic water shortages in Euroa during the autumn and summer months. The project will see treated recycled water from Euroa’s wastewater management facility piped to underground tanks located around town and used to irrigate the town’s school oval, sporting field, parks and gardens to ensure they remain green throughout the year.

Stages 1 and 2 of the project have been completed, and $3.8 million is required to complete the third and final stage of constructing the pipeline to convey the water. The Greening Euroa project steering committee has worked hard to make the project a reality, with representatives from sporting clubs, user groups and the oval committee of management working together to virtually droughtproof their town. In December 2022 a memorandum of understanding was signed between council, Goulburn Valley Water and the committee members detailing the responsibilities for each party around the project.

I first raised the merits of the Greening Euroa project to the then Minister for Water in October 2021, seeking a commitment to provide the funding that will complete the project. I raised the issue of funding for the Greening Euroa project with the current Minister for Water on 18 August 2022, urging her to support this transformational project and commit the required $3.8 million in funding to construct the pipeline and complete the project. Fortunately, the minister was in the chamber throughout the adjournment debate and was able to provide a response to my contribution directly. In her response the minister cited Labor’s integrated water management grants program, where up to $1 million is awarded to successful applicants for capital works projects. The minister indicated that Strathbogie shire had been encouraged to apply for this funding but in February announced that nine other projects were the successful recipients of grants through the program and that the Greening Euroa project had missed out. The minister has acknowledged the merits of the Greening Euroa project and must now show her support by providing funding of $3.8 million to Strathbogie shire to make the project a reality.