Senator The Hon Murray Watt, Minister for the Environment and Water
The Hon Gayle Tierney MP, Victorian Minister for Water
The Albanese Labor Government and Allan Labor Governments are jointly delivering a $12.3 million funding injection for two new projects aimed at building water security and helping assess climate change impacts and risk.
The $11.3 million Westernport Water Distribution Network Resilience project will see the construction of integrated water infrastructure, including new and upgraded storages, further integration with the Victorian Desalination Pipeline, water treatment infrastructure, and smart telemetry across four critical water distribution network sites.
Delivered by Westernport Water, the project will improve water quality, increase supply security and reduce
reliance on emergency water carting.
It will also support climate resilience, cultural access and regional housing growth across the service area, including Phillip Island, San Remo and key mainland communities in Victoria's Bass Coast Shire.
An additional $1 million is backing the delivery of the Climate Information and Guidance for Water Infrastructure Planning science project, supporting the water sector to better understand and apply climate change information to make informed and transparent water infrastructure investment decisions.
The project involves updating hydroclimate projection models used in water security planning state-wide, and the development of supporting guidance material and communication products.
This is especially important as Victoria's climate is changing, with more extremes and variability from heavy rainfall and floods to drought.
As a result, the water sector will be able to better understand and apply climate change information to make informed and transparent water infrastructure investment decisions.
The Albanese Government funding for both projects has been provided through the National Water Grid Fund.
Quotes attributable to the Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt:
"The Albanese Government is pleased to work alongside the Allan Government to support regional Victoria.
"With the dual challenges of climate change and population growth, we're seeing growing demand for water security and climate information to guide water infrastructure investment.
"The crucial project set to commence early next year in Westernport will support the more than 23,000 people living in the region, as well as the 3 million people who visit each year. Meanwhile, the new science project will provide updated climate information needed to help the water sector better understand climate change impacts on water resources. This evidence will underpin future water infrastructure investment decisions made across the state."
Quotes attributable to Victorian Minister for Water Gayle Tierney:
"The Westernport Water Distribution Network Resilience Project will increase network resilience, water security, and water quality to meet significant growth, supporting 27 regional townships in the Westernport network.
"Giving the water sector the right tools to assess the impacts of our changing climate will help them to ensure Victoria's water supply remains reliable, affordable, and high-quality."
