Major concerns with the implementation of the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project were raised by Murray Valley irrigators with The Nationals Member for Murray Valley , Ken Jasper, during his tour of irrigation areas last week,

Mr Jasper was accompanied by The Nationals Shadow Water Minister, Peter Walsh, and candidate for Murray Valley at the next State election, Tim McCurdy, during the tour, which took in Numurkah, Katunga, Strathmerton, Cobram and Yarrawonga.

Mr Jasper said many irrigators expressed extreme concerns with the lack of consultation which has taken place with the water authorities, the uncertainty of water allocations for irrigation, and the lack of appropriate maintenance works being undertaken on the existing facilities.

Inspection of the main channel from Yarrawonga indicated that enormous erosion has taken place, undercutting the bank to such an extent that part of the channel wall could collapse completely with a large amount of water currently remaining in that channel, he said.

Whilst supportive of the modernisation program, the information received from the irrigators indicated there has been little consultation with many of them on the work being done, the changes which are being implemented and they have serious concerns regarding the surety of irrigation supply within the system.

Key issues were the progress being made on channel upgrades and the system generally, the fact some secondary channels appear to have been overlooked altogether and difficulties and uncertainty in determining water allocations, Mr Jasper said.

The purchase of water entitlements, particularly the purchases by the Federal Government for the environment, have raised genuine concerns about the consequent reduction in the availability of water to irrigators in what is part of the food bowl of Australia.

There are serious concerns that the reduction in water availability will lead to a lack of food production, lack of viability for our primary producers, particularly those whose farms are now dry, and subsequent flow-on effects to our towns and smaller regional centres, he said.

This was a most successful information gathering tour for all of us in hearing from irrigators and seeing for ourselves the works being done.

Opportunity was also taken to visit Padman Stops at Strathmerton, where we were shown a range of water control systems developed by John Padman, designed to minimise water usage and maximise production from water used.

The Padman system is being used most successfully in Victoria and throughout Australia and is now exporting to countries overseas, such as Argentina .

Mr Jasper said he will be taking up the issues raised during the tour with Goulburn Murray Water, to gain clarification for irrigators and to assist in achieving the successful implementation of the modernisation program, to ensure the maintenance of irrigation supply to water users, and the economic viability of farmers in the irrigation areas.

Concluding the tour was an inspection of the ageing bridge over Lake Mulwala , with Mr Jasper taking the opportunity to press on the Shadow Minister the critical need for an earlier replacement date for the deteriorating bridge between Yarrawonga and Mulwala.

Mr Jasper pointed out the three year time span for consultants to assess the various routes is simply dragging out the process unnecessarily, considering the six alternate routes under consideration were first identified in an earlier study back in 2006.