Media Releases

The Coalition Government has unveiled a voluntary acquisition package to help irrigators on the Lower Loddon floodplain recover and protect the region from future flooding.
Minister for Water, Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh today announced the $12 million voluntary buyback scheme as part of a larger $21 million package which also includes funding for strategic levee repairs and case management for irrigators.
“We need to develop a long-term plan that will protect communities such as Benjeroop and Kerang by ensuring flood waters have somewhere to go in future events,” Mr Walsh said.
“We now know that many of the properties which flooded in January have been built on an active floodplain, which has severely diminished property values.
“The buyback program, which will be managed by the Rural Finance Corporation (RFC), will reinstate the floodplain and develop a management regime to protect the community in the future.”
Mr Walsh said landholders in the Lower Loddon region would be offered a voluntary acquisition package or compensation as a percentage of the property value to establish covenants on land on active floodplains.
“Land purchased by the state will either become part of the public land estate or resold under a flood overlay,” Mr Walsh said.
“RFC will be responsible for valuations which will be carried out by valuers on the Victorian Valuer General’s panel in accordance with the requirements of the Government Land Monitor.”
Mr Walsh said the Coalition Government had made a further $5 million available to provide individual case management for irrigators in regions severely affected by the floods.
“People need independent advice to give them choice and confidence in recovery decisions as they try to make sense of the flood situation,” Mr Walsh said.
“The recovery funding will provide 700 irrigators within the Torrumbarry, Pyramid-Boort and Rochester irrigation districts with access to a range of flood recovery services, including: 
* A one-on-one service to facilitate long-term farm planning;
* $2000 grants for irrigators to seek independent advice; 
* Workshops specifically targeting service providers to improve their knowledge around flood implications and recovery priorities; and 
* Soil salinity surveying to help landholders make sound decisions on where they will get the best return from investing in flood recovery activities.
“A taskforce, chaired by the Department of Primary Industries with input from government departments and key stakeholder groups such as the Victorian Farmers Federation and Gannawarra Shire Council, will be appointed to work with the community.
“The taskforce will help to define the boundaries of the active floodplain so RFC can easily communicate to landholders who will and won’t be eligible.
“It will also determine the eligibility of prioritisation processes for the soil salinity survey and whole farm plan funding,” Mr Walsh said.
A further $3.5 million has been set aside for strategic repairs to levees and ground water bores in the Lower Loddon area.
“This funding will be used to address short-term repairs needed in the region in case further flooding occurs in the next few months,” Mr Walsh said.

Water Minister Peter Walsh has signed off on an environmental entitlement to increase flows in the Werribee River to help maintain water quality and protect aquatic plants and animals.
Mr Walsh made the announcement, which will see about 3 billion litres of water returned to the Werribee River in coming months, with Upper House Coalition MPs Andrew Elsbury and Bernie Finn on the banks of the river today.
“The entitlement will improve the environmental values and health of the Werribee River and its tributaries by legally entitling the river to 10 per cent of the inflows into Lake Merrimu,” Mr Walsh said.
“This is a great outcome for the river which is a centre for social and recreational activities and is recognised as a river of very high regional significance.
“At present the Werribee River only receives passing flows below weirs and reservoirs, or unregulated flows when reservoirs and weirs spill.
“This entitlement will return flows to the river to help create the conditions under which the whole river’s ecosystem – including native fish and platypus – can thrive.”
Mr Walsh said in accordance with section 48B of the Water Act 1989, an order to make the changes official would be published in the Government Gazette in the next few weeks.
Lake Merrimu has a storage capacity of about 32 billion litres and is primarily used by Western Water to supply drinking water to Melton and Bacchus Marsh. Southern Rural Water also operates the reservoir to supply some water to irrigators.
At present 20 per cent of the inflows to Lake Merrimu and 20 per cent of the dam’s storage capacity is unallocated.
Once the entitlement is established, the environment will have a start-up allocation of about 3 billion litres in Lake Merrimu. From then on, it will be entitled to 10 per cent of Lake Merrimu’s inflows.
The new environmental entitlement will have no impact on the entitlements of Southern Rural Water customers who divert water from the Werribee system for irrigation, industrial or stock and domestic use.

The Coalition Government has reiterated its commitment to improving access for recreational boating on Mordialloc Creek.
Minister for Water Peter Walsh met with the Mordialloc Creek community group and local Coalition MPs Lorraine Wreford and Inga Peulich on Sunday at Lambert’s Island.
“The Coalition Government is working with the City of Kingston to make sure this project goes ahead as planned,” Mr Walsh said.
“In Opposition we heard the community and local MPs loud and clear on the need for improvements to Mordialloc Creek and I’m here to re-assure the community we are committed to this project.
“We have made a commitment that $6 million will be provided for this work and the Coalition Government will honour that commitment.”
Mr Walsh said there was a lot of work to do before the dredging could start and that program was being developed in consultation with Kingston City Council.
“We know there are some contaminants in Mordialloc Creek and we are working with council to obtain the necessary environmental approvals,” Mr Walsh said.
“This planning work must be done before dredging work can begin to deepen the creek and remove the silt and heavy metals which have been left to accumulate.”
Mr Walsh said the City of Kingston was planning to start an initial portion of the dredging this year.
“Council have applied for a 10-year consent to dredge the entire creek area under their management,” Mr Walsh said
“Mordialloc Creek can be one of the jewels of our beloved Port Phillip Bay again but it must be done following best practice to ensure this project is a win for both the environment and the local community.”

Milk that fights cholesterol absorption could make it into Australia’s shopping trolleys thanks to new research by Victorian Government scientists.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh said the search for cholesterol-fighting milk was the focus of collaborative research underway at the Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) dairy research centre at Ellinbank.
“The research being undertaken at Ellinbank could show that milk can play an instrumental role in reducing risk of heart disease and high blood pressure,” Mr Walsh said.
“Scientists are investigating whether feeding dairy cows differently could result in milk that helps lower cholesterol absorption in humans.
“About 160 grazing cows are being fed supplements of either wheat grain in the dairy at milking time or a mixed ration containing wheat, maize grain, maize silage and lucerne hay.
“The study – which has never been done on this scale – aims to show whether different components of a cow’s diet can enhance natural levels of phytosterols in the milk it produces.
“Studies have shown that phytosterols, which are cholesterol-like molecules found in plant foods, can block dietary cholesterol absorption in humans.
“Enhancing the natural levels of phytosterols would make milk even healthier to drink by fighting the body’s absorption of cholesterol.”
Mr Walsh said phytosterols were not produced by animals or humans and so were often added to foods.
Commercial phytosterol fortification levels in food products can be up to 100 times greater than naturally occurring levels in fresh vegetables, fruit and nuts.
The research is supported by DPI, Dairy Australia, the Gardiner Foundation, Victoria University and the National Measurement Institute (NMI) and will form the basis of NMI scientist Samantha Duong’s PhD program.

The Coalition Government has met with Victorian Farmers Federation representatives from north-east Victoria and Gippsland to discuss future strategies to control wild dogs and protect livestock.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh said the Coalition took a strong policy to the election to re-invigorate community and government efforts to save livestock from wild dog predation.
“Since the election we have been consulting with landowners on our plans to introduce aerial baiting and improve on ground control activities,” Mr Walsh said.
“The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) Livestock Group requested last week’s meeting through Coalition MPs Bill Tilley, Bill Sykes and Tim Bull,” Mr Walsh said.
“The group put forward a new wild dog program proposal taking into consideration the needs of both north-east Victoria and Gippsland farmers.”
The meeting was chaired by Primary Industries Parliamentary Secretary Bill Sykes and included Greg Mifsud, the National Wild Dog program facilitator, and VFF Livestock Group president Chris Nixon.
“VFF have advocated a model of enhanced community involvement in the wild dog campaign, driven through stronger partnerships at a local level between Department of Primary Industries and regional committees,” Mr Walsh said.
“Participants believe there is a need for more local groups with a greater say in carrying out local wild dog control plans.
“In supporting the regional committee structure, VFF have also proposed an evolution of wild dog management away from the two existing wild dog management committees towards a single, strategic statewide body.
Mr Walsh said the proposal put forward focused on baiting, including aerial baiting, as a key strategy to control wild dog numbers and retaining trapping capacity, especially in reacting to dog attacks.
“We have also supported maintaining the 72-hour exemption from current requirements which stipulate that traps for wild dogs have to be checked every 24 hours,” Mr Walsh said.
Mr Walsh said the Coalition Government would continue to consult with landholders and affected communities in north-east Victoria and Gippsland to develop an improved, comprehensive wild dog control strategy.
“After 11 years of the former Labor Government engaging in fake consultation, landholders at last week’s meeting were happy to finally participate in talks with a government determined to clear out wild dogs,” Mr Walsh said.

Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh is urging travellers not to carry fruit through, or into, regional Victoria during the Easter holidays.
Mr Walsh said random road blocks were being put in place in the Greater Sunraysia region to prevent the movement of uncertified fruit.
“Moving fruit could mean moving Queensland fruit fly – and threatening Victoria’s multi-million dollar horticulture industry,” Mr Walsh said.
“Infestation of fruit fly can disrupt access to domestic and international markets and impose significant extra production costs associated with treating potentially affected fruit.
“Rather than risk spreading fruit fly, travellers should simply buy their fruit locally and consume it locally.
“The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is working with industry and residents in affected communities, who are stripping fruit from their own trees to stop the spread of fruit fly. We’re now asking travellers to do their bit.
“It’s illegal to carry fruit into or out of fruit fly suspension zones and fines may apply. The best policy is not to carry fruit around regional Victoria at all.”
Mr Walsh said suspension areas were declared after the detection of fruit fly in a local area and were essential to help stop the spread of fruit fly.
“Suspension areas now cover much of the Sunraysia district and significant parts of the Goulburn Valley, East Gippsland, North East and North Central Victoria,” Mr Walsh said.
“Residents in affected areas are also asked to keep fruit trees well maintained, properly dispose of unwanted fruit, report suspected infestations to DPI and keep home-grown fresh fruit on their properties.”
Growers in declared suspension areas also have specific obligations. These include ensuring pickers do not bring or take fruit with them, obtaining certification from DPI before moving fruit from a suspension zone and gaining accreditation from DPI to apply fruit fly treatment.
For more information and details of the location of declared suspension zones, go to the DPI website www.dpi.vic.gov.au/qff or call the Queensland Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 135 559.

A new recycled water plant in Altona is set to save more than 2.5 billion litres of drinking water each year, reducing demand on Melbourne’s potable water supplies.
Commissioning the $48 million plant today, Minister for Water Peter Walsh said up to nine million litres of Class A recycled water would be available for manufacturing and irrigation use each day.
“The water will be used by a neighbouring chemical manufacturer, two golf courses and public parks in Melbourne’s west,” Mr Walsh said.
“In addition to providing security for these customers, water from the City West Water plant is replacing the use of potable water and easing the pressure on Melbourne’s dams.”
Mr Walsh said the Baillieu Government was committed to driving the uptake of more recycling and stormwater projects to reduce demand for potable water.
“The Coalition plans to expand the use of recycled water for non-potable needs across the state to save billions of litres of drinking water each year,” Mr Walsh said.
“The use of recycled water can be a win for both local communities and the environment.
“The plant uses membrane technology to treat effluent from the plant, removing salt and other contaminants.
“The recycled water is then pumped via a purpose-built pipeline to plastics manufacturer Qenos for cooling tower and boiler operation, and to two golf courses and council-owned public space for irrigation.
“Instead of millions of litres of treated effluent being pumped out to the bay each day, that water is now captured, treated and used in manufacturing process and the irrigation of recreational spaces for the community.”
City West Water managing director Anne Barker said the plant would begin supplying recycled water to customers immediately, with more customers being investigated for supply in the future.
“The use of recycled water in industrial applications ensures we are extracting maximum efficiency from our infrastructure and providing local solutions to water demand,” Ms Barker said.
“Expanding the use of recycled water is a key part of our business and this new treatment plant is just one of the alternate water solutions we provide to our community.”
The project will significantly reduce the amount of wastewater discharged from the Altona Treatment Plant into Port Phillip Bay. It will deliver: 
- about 2 billion litres annually to plastics manufacturer Qenos for use in its boilers and cooling towers; 
- 300 million litres to Sanctuary Lakes Golf Club to irrigate its golf course; 
- 200 million litres to Kooringal Golf Club to irrigate its golf course; and 
- 5 million litres to Hobsons Bay City Council to irrigate Altona Green Park and 6 million litres for HD Graham Reserve. Water will also be used for urban streetscape watering and dust suppression.
The Victorian Government contributed $5 million towards the project.

Divers will have a better chance of spotting the friendly blue groper in Victorian waters thanks to new rules to protect the fish.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh said the Coalition Government had moved quickly to protect the species after the fish was noticed in Port Phillip Bay.
“Blue groper was reportedly common in east Gippsland in the 1960s and 1970s but numbers were drastically reduced by fishing,” Mr Walsh said.
“The species was recently spotted by divers in Port Phillip Bay, indicating that numbers are beginning to recover.
“The Coalition has acted quickly to protect the fish by introducing regulations to prevent the take of eastern and western blue groper in Victorian waters.”
Mr Walsh said the blue groper was a great attraction for recreational SCUBA divers and snorkellers and increased numbers would be a boost for eco-tourism and the local dive industry.
“The large blue males are friendly and inquisitive fish, making them particularly vulnerable to spear-fishing,” Mr Walsh said.
“The no-catch limit we have put in place will provide immediate protection for blue groper for 12 months from April 2011, pending development of a longer term arrangement.
“Our initial enquiries indicate that most recreational and commercial fishers do not target blue groper, with the exception of some recreational spear-fishers who occasionally take the fish.
“Blue gropers are also afforded a high level of protection from fishing in New South Wales and South Australia.”
Mr Walsh said Fisheries Victoria would develop educational material to help Victorian fishers identify blue groper.
“We are delivering a wide range of other mitigations to boost opportunities for recreational fishers across Victoria, including the construction of new fishing reefs and fish cleaning tables,” Mr Walsh said.
“We are also stocking record numbers of fish in waterways refilling after the drought.”

Four local community groups have received funding along with 50 other communities to share in more than $200,000 from the Restoring Community War Memorial Grants, Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, said today.
“I am pleased to see the Boort Memorial Committee of Management has received $1700 to restore the Lake Marmal Honour Roll,” Mr Walsh said.
“The grant will enable the Roll to be professionally cleaned and its faded lettering restored.
“The Donald RSL has received $9034 to restore the town’s War Memorial.
“Their grant will enable a new plaque to be added to the Memorial and the path to it widened to allow for safer marching to the site.
“The Marnoo Soldiers Memorial Park Reserve Committee has received $8000 to restore and upgrade the town’s War Memorial site.
“This will enable the concrete balls on top of the entrance gates to the Reserve to be repaired and replaced, the iron gates to be repaired and the names of the local Korean and Vietnam Veterans to be added to the Memorial.
“Finally, the Rupanyup RSL has received $1534 to restore the Memorial Park Honour Roll.
“Their grant will enable the Honour Rolls to be restored after they were damaged by vandals.
“Victorians are justifiably proud of the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans and the grants announced this week by the Minister for Veterans Affairs, Hugh Delahunty, will help keep their memories and stories alive through the memorials around our State,” he said.
“Memorials such as these are our way of respecting and commemorating the men and women who fought to preserve the freedom and way of life we enjoy today.
“They are places of remembrance, respect and pride for future generations and it is critical they are maintained and preserved, and that local knowledge of their history and purpose is increased,” Mr Walsh said.
“This is the perfect lead-up to ANZAC Day and the services that will be held throughout the district,” he said.
Restoring Community War Memorials grants are available to councils, RSL Clubs, and community groups and information about the program is available on the website, www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/veterans/veterans-heritage/war-memorials/restoring-community-war-memorials.

Young Victorians looking to develop their careers in agribusiness are being urged to nominate for a scholarship designed to nurture future leaders in the sector.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh today launched the Woolworths Agricultural Business Scholarship Program in Swan Hill.
“The Coalition Government is focused on encouraging more young people to take up careers in agriculture and agribusiness,” Mr Walsh said.
“These scholarships provide young people with an opportunity to gain valuable skills and a greater understanding of the industry.
“Participants in the Woolworths Agricultural Business Scholarship Program learn about business strategy, finance, agricultural economics, supply chain management and planning.
“They also learn more about the role of government, how to do business with retailers and how to take into account environmental and sustainability issues during an intensive 12-day training program in Sydney.”
Mr Walsh said the scholarship program was complemented by tours of distribution centres, group work, and presentations from key leaders within the industry, including senior Woolworths managers.
Now in its fifth year, more than 120 students from across Australia have been involved in the program.
The program is open to anyone between the ages of 20 and 30 who is either employed in the agricultural or horticultural industry or who has completed their first year of study at an agricultural or horticultural faculty.
The program will run from Monday August 8 to Friday August 19 2011 and applications close on 13 May 2011.