Second Meeting of Rethinking Reservoirs Project

Monday, February 4th, 2019

The Lance Creek Water Connection was commissioned in November 2018 and the townships of Korumburra, Poowong, Loch and Nyora are now connected to the Lance Creek Water Supply System. The system also utilises water from the Melbourne Supply System, which is currently at a 45% Lance Creek, 55% Melbourne Supply System blend to optimise water taste for customers.

The Four existing reservoirs which will no longer be needed for drinking water purposes will not operate at their current water level in the years to come. They are located across the region and vary in accessibility and size;

  • Belleview Creek Reservoir, located within a rural district
  • Coalition Creek Reservoir, adjacent to the Korumburra Golf Club
  • Ness Gully` Reservoir, located within a rural district
  • Little Bass Reservoir supplies Poowng, Loch and Noyra, is adjacent to Soldiers Road, Poowong

The next stage of the project is to explore how these four reservoirs, surrounding land and water allocation will look and be used in to the future. Interested community members and stakeholder representatives met in November 2018 and workshopped a wide range of themes for each site which included a range of recreational uses such as fishing, water sports and walking tracks. Cultural and environmental benefits for river health, bio diversity and as a base for alternate power generation. South Gippsland Water Managing Director Philippe du Plessis commented, “The Corporation will be completing works on the reservoirs to lower the water level, now they are no longer required for drinking water purposes. This process is best completed as a partnership with regulators and the community. The evaluation process will aim to achieve a balance between community preference, regulatory requirements and cost”.

The Corporation is committed to keeping all interested persons up to date, it is envisaged the process will run to June 2019. Thank you to groups and individuals who have participated to date further information can be found via the Corporation web site.

The second session is scheduled to be held on Wednesday 6th February 2018. The purpose of this session is to further understand the complexities of managing the reservoirs and surrounding land into the future. The group will then refine the identified activities for further analysis and costing.