Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) is seeking feedback from customers and the community in the Nyah, Tresco and Woorinen districts to develop a Future Services Strategy for the region for water delivery.
The Pumped Irrigation Districts’ Future Services Strategy will address the growing challenges affecting the long-term sustainability of water delivery in Nyah, Tresco and Woorinen. GMW’s pumped irrigation districts of Nyah, Tresco, and Woorinen rely on a combination of low-pressure pipelines, pumping stations and water delivery infrastructure to service approximately 700 customers across the region.
GMW General Manager of Strategy and Services Planning, Steven Abbott, said the Nyah and Tresco districts, in particular, are facing viability challenges.
“Both irrigation systems are over 100 years old, and the original channel systems were replaced with low-pressure pipelines in the 1960s and 1970s,” he said.
“There’s an increased risk of service failure that we need to address, but there have also been significant land and water use changes in both districts.
“Woorinen is the most recently modified and was updated in the 1990s and early 2000s, but still faces challenges related to affordability.”
As an initial step in shaping the Future Services Strategy, GMW has developed an Issues and Opportunities paper that brings together the current understanding of the key challenges and opportunities for water delivery in Nyah, Tresco and Woorinen. Originally upgraded from open channels to pipelines starting in the 1960s, much of this infrastructure (including pump stations and pipelines) is now ageing and approaching the end of its operational lifespan.
The paper has now been released for public consultation, with feedback welcome until Sunday 22 June 2025.
Abbott encouraged GMW customers and the wider community to read the paper and share their thoughts.
“We’re committed to working closely with customers and stakeholders to shape the future of pumped irrigation district services,” Abbott said. “We’re encouraging input on the accuracy of the key issues and challenges facing the districts, any critical issues that may have been overlooked, and any additional opportunities to improve irrigation efficiency and sustainability.
“This is the first step in our engagement with customers, and we’ll be offering further opportunities in the coming months so you can contribute directly to developing the best outcomes for the Nyah, Tresco and Woorinen districts into the future.”
The Issues and Opportunities paper and a feedback survey are available at yoursay.gmwater.com.au/pumped-irrigation-FSS
For more information, phone GMW on 1800 013 357.
