Construction at the Portarlington Water Reclamation Plant is now underway. The work will help almost double the amount of recycled water produced on the Bellarine.
Federal Member for Corangamite Libby Coker and Victorian Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant joined Barwon Water Chair Jo Plummer and Managing Director Shaun Cumming in December 2024 to mark the start of works.
“Water is one of our most precious and limited resources,” Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, said. “The more we recycle and reuse our water, the better for our environment, industry, and local communities.
“Construction of the Portarlington Water Reclamation Plant is a win for our environment and communities on the Bellarine Peninsula,” Ms Plibersek said.
The plant is being upgraded with ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis infrastructure to produce higher-quality, fit-for-purpose recycled water.
“Maximising the use of recycled water will support agricultural production, tourism-led ventures and regional prosperity for the Bellarine Peninsula,” Barwon Water Managing Director, Shaun Cumming, said. “It will help facilitate an increase in visitation, generate additional revenue and create local jobs.”
The $25 million project will help deliver 450 million litres of recycled water each year, supporting high-value agriculture and horticulture in the region. It is being funded in partnership with the Australian Government ($5.5 million through the National Water Grid Fund), the Victorian Government ($2 million), and Barwon Water.
By nearly doubling the amount of recycled water used on the Bellarine, new jobs and economic opportunities will be unlocked for local businesses, including wineries, cellar doors and farm gate tourism.
“Optimising value from this available resource will ensure we can deliver high quality, affordable and secure services and save precious drinking water,” Mr Cumming said.
The significant increase in recycled water aligns with the Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy, which has identified that the region needs to rely more on manufactured water to meet demand over the next 50 years.
The project will also allow Barwon Water to direct recycled water produced at the plant to the community. This will help the organisation achieve its Strategy 2030 aim of recycling all the wastewater treated at its water reclamation plants.
More information on the Recycled Water on the Bellarine project can be found at www.yoursay.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/bellarine-recycled-water
