Vol. No. Vol. 2218No. 6 27
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Wednesday, January 2016 Wednesday, August13, 7, 2019
Think big for lakes ‘We’re far from powerless’ A
BY DEAN LAWSON
Wimmera-Mallee municipal leader has ignited a call for fresh investigations into finding ways to regularly fill terminal lakes at the end of the Wimmera River system.
Hindmarsh Shire Council mayor Ron Ismay said if authorities could find a way to guarantee regular flows into Lake Albacutya near his home town of Rainbow, they would make inroads into solving water issues throughout the Murray Darling Basin. Cr Ismay said a consistently flowing Wimmera River and a resulting full series of lakes along its length would socially and economically transform western Victoria. He admitted that while being little more than a dream, it was far from inconceivable considering the history of human ingenuity in accessing and using water. “Based on predictions of a dryer climate in the future, simply waiting for enough rain to make the river consistently run and to keep lakes full might never happen,” he said. “But we’re far from powerless. And in intervening, it might be a case of getting results through clever engineering, science and of course investment through ‘big-picture, longterm’ thinking and planning. “It has always been obvious that the level of water supply is ultimately dependent on rain in the catchment. “But what if we looked beyond that, opened the scope of possibility and seriously considered what is available to us and where can we seize the initiative?”
Stark reminder
Cr Ismay said the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline, which came with a $700-million price tag, had been an example of courageous and successful
human intervention to secure water security for a vast expanse of western Victoria. But he added that an empty Lake Albacutya remained a stark reminder that the project had yet to fulfil one of its goals – to generate enough water savings to allow water to reach the terminal lakes. “We would be in terrible strife now if the project hadn’t happened. Evaporation and seepage through open channels would have literally left us high and dry,” he said. “But what happens next? Do we do nothing? It’s clear from latest studies and reports that lakes and rivers have the potential to generate millions of dollars in socio-economic growth in regional areas and we need some options.” Cr Ismay said it had only taken him a short amount of ‘digging’ to find there had already been scientific breakthroughs in Australia on new ways to easily and efficiently purify saline or contaminated water. “If there is robust science on the books proving this can be done without costly energy requirements and other problems surrounding current reverse-osmosis desalination technology, surely this needs further exploration,” he said. “We don’t only have saline water in the sea, which we could possibly tap into relatively easily – suggestions are there is also an abundance of underground water in our part of the world. “It might be an option, it might not, but it’s worth a look.” Cr Ismay was referring to an announcement by CSIRO scientists in February last year that they had made a breakthrough in water purification. Continued page 3
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Darcy Hogan, Tahli Burford and Harriet Overman will star in St Brigid’s College’s presentation of The Wizard of Oz. School productions are in full flight across the region as budding thespians prepare to put their performance skills to the test. St Brigid’s College in Horsham and Ararat College productions start this week, and Horsham College and Ararat Marian College will present their productions next week. St Brigid’s College is presenting The Wizard of Oz at Horsham Town Hall from tomorrow until Saturday, and Ararat College’s production of Buffy the Vampire Slayer The Musical is at Ararat Town Hall tomorrow and Friday night. Horsham College’s School of Rock at Horsham Town Hall, and Marian College, presenting Chicago at Ararat Town Hall, will be from August 15 to 17. Stories, pictures, pages 14 and 15. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
IN THIS ISSUE • From Longerenong to the world • Rick and ‘Shades’ return • Football-netball action Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
K MART • SPOTLIGHT • THE REJECT SHOP BEST AND LESS • SPECIALITY STORES WWW.HORSHAMPLAZA.COM.AU DARLOT ST. PH 5382 0912
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