VICTORIA’S draft 30-year infrastructure strategy is looking to transition away from a reliance on river water to having a greater reliance on manufactured water, such as that from the desalination plant in Wonthaggi, to meet water needs.
The report states that climate change will reduce how much water flows down Victoria’s rivers and that using manufactured water in Victorian cities and towns means that more water can stay in rivers.
Part of this plan is to ensure more river water will become available for other uses including returning water to Traditional Owners and the environment, without taking water from farmers or other water users.
According to a separate document, ‘Water is Life: Traditional Owner Access to Water Roadmap: Progress Report September 2024,’ DEECA is currently working with Traditional Owners and Southern Rural Water to progress a number of water returns in South Gippsland.
A large portion of South Gippsland currently has water which has been unallocated to a Traditional Owner – whether that be to Gunaikurnai or Bunurong.
This includes the Bass River which comprises of 300ML of unallocated water, the Powlett River with 500 ML of unallocated water and 100 ML unallocated for the coastal catchment between Lang Lang River and Bass River, and 600 ML unallocated from the South Gippsland Coastal area and ‘other’.
According to action 6-8 in the document DEECA are currently supporting and progressing applications for unallocated water, including the Powlett and Bass Rivers.
While action 6-9 in the same document states that: The Victorian Government will seek to return water to the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation on Bunurong Country.
Aboriginal people owned less than 0.2 per cent of Victoria’s water entitlements in 2022 and this exclusion of Traditional Owners in water management has prevented them from Caring for Country, according to Infrastructure Victoria’s report.
The Victorian Government has committed to working with Traditional Owners to increase access to water entitlements and return almost 100 billion litres of water to the environment in the Gippsland region.
The Victorian Government returned two billion litres of water to the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation in 2021, which was the first formal hand back of water rights to Traditional Owners in Victoria.
The hand back of water is said to help restore traditional practices, protect cultural values, heal Country and support the Gunaikurnai people to gain economic independence.
