Delivering a healthy working Basin for Australia: Water for the Future Local Story
Hindmarsh, Victoria
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, 2011
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Program: Strengthening Basin Communities
Funding recipient: Hindmarsh Shire Council
Water for the Future funding: $24,930
Project commencement: December 2009
Hindmarsh Shire Council, located in the Mallee and Wimmera regions of western Victoria has experienced high level water restrictions in recent years affecting the region’s ability to irrigate their parks, gardens and sporting reserves.
Local sporting reserves are popular across the region and need regular maintenance to ensure the community can continue to use them.
Dean Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Hindmarsh Shire Council, said sporting reserves form the social fabric of the community.
“These facilities are used every day by the community,” Dean said.
Dimboola Sports Oval
“We know how important these reserves are to the health and wellbeing of our community and that’s why we are taking action now to ensure people living in the region can continue to enjoy our sporting grounds.”
To guarantee the reserves’ continued use in the future, Hindmarsh Shire Council conducted a planning study through the Australian Government’s Strengthening Basin Communities program to look at water solutions for the reserves at Dimboola, Jeparit, Nhill and Rainbow.
Each reserve was assessed for use and irrigation infrastructure and to gain an understanding of current and possible future water resources.
The reserves were ranked according to their water security, playing surface, turf condition and sprinkler infrastructure.
Council then developed watering strategies to meet the needs of each reserve including stormwater harvesting, recycled water use, groundwater, rural / irrigation pipeline water and water carting. Water saving options include efficient sub-surface irrigation, introducing drought tolerant turf and preventing evaporation from dams with shade cloth cover.
Each security option was then ranked based on cost, reliability and yield.
“Across most of the reserves, we found the best water saving options were drought tolerant turf and efficient irrigation systems,” Dean said.
The planning study and subsequent recommendations will form Hindmarsh Shire Council’s strategic direction for future water security with a view to implement in the coming years.
Governments at all levels are working with Basin communities to achieve a healthy river system that supports strong and viable communities. Central to this is the strengthened involvement of local communities in the design and roll out of government programs.
The Australian Government is also committed to ‘bridging the gap’ between current water diversions and any final sustainable diversion limits in the Murray–Darling Basin Plan, through water savings generated by infrastructure investments and voluntary water purchases.
New bore that was sunk to provide water to the Dimboola Recreation Reserve
New bore that feeds into the tanks at the Dimboola Recreation Reserve.
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