LAKE NO MORE: Lake Mokoan is in the final stages of decommissioning...set to become a wetland.
Report backs state, but with some criticism
Written by ZOE RUDDER.
THE State Government has been vindicated in its decision to decommission Lake Mokoan.
A report by the Auditor General into the decommissioning, tabled in parliament on Wednesday, found "...the decommissioning of Lake Mokoan was the most suitable option to pursue on environmental and cost grounds".
And the report found the decision making and project implementation of the decommissioning was "appropriate and sound".
However, the Auditor General also noted that "a more targeted approach in addressing known areas of community dissatisfaction would have been beneficial".
Water Minister, Tim Holding, said the report had left Bill Sykes (MLA, Benalla) humiliated and would finally put to rest his "ridiculous claims" about the lake.
"Lake Mokoan was Victoria’s most inefficient water storage, losing 50 billion litres of water in evaporation, and the irrigation system losing three litres of water for every litre delivered to the farm gate, yet Bill Sykes and the Opposition want Lake Mokoan to stay in operation," Mr Holding said.
The report also acknowledged the State Government had exceeded its commitment by delivering 92 per cent reliability for irrigators through its offset package.
"We have listened to irrigators who previously sourced water from Lake Mokoan and worked with the Victorian Farmers Federation to get a good outcome," Mr Holding said.
"What’s more, they are now using an efficient irrigation system which means water losses have reduced dramatically.
"Some 50 billion litres of water saved from the decommissioning project will be provided to Victorian river systems including the Murray, Snowy, Goulburn and Broken."
But not all the report was so glowing.
The Auditor General also found that the estimated cost of the decommissioning of $60 million announced in 2004, had risen to $108 million - a fact Nationals water spokesman, Peter Walsh, was quick to seize on.
"Not only has the cost of decommissioning Lake Mokoan blown out from $59 million to $108 million, but the Auditor General also found the local community has been ignored in the process," Mr Walsh said.
"The reality is the Brumby Government purchased water rights and cancelled them, leaving the region with less water and fewer producers," Mr Walsh said.
"The price of water supply for remaining entitlement holders is also expected to increase by about 480 per cent, from $10 a megalitre to $58 a megalitre."
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