Bore could lead to ‘end of bans’

Jessica Benton
Barwon Water could remove restrictions after tests found that a borefield near Anglesea could boost the region’s supply 30 per cent, according to the authority’s managing director.
Michael Malouf told a developers’ lobby group luncheon the $70 million Anglesea borefield project could lead to removal of water restrictions by 2010.
“Testing shows that seven to 10 gigalitres (a year) can be supplied,” he told Geelong members of Urban Development Institute of Australia.
“This could be sustainable for up to 50 years.”
Mr Malouf said the project could also lead to State Government deferring a $120 million plan to connect the region to Melbourne’s water supply by 2011 “if the borefied is viable”.
He later said the aquifer, running from the Otway Ranges to near Angelsea, could provide up to 20 million litres a day of “quality water”.
Mr Malouf warned that the borefield project still had to pass final environmental tests.
“We’re confident it’s a sustainable water supply option but it must meet strict criteria, which includes a range of federal and state government and agency approvals,” he said.
The final tests would be complete within the next month.
Mr Malouf said Federal Government had already approved the project under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
The borefield would supply water to Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, Torquay, Anglesea, Winchelsea, Lara and Bannockburn.
Existing water restrictions allow watering gardens with trigger-nozzle hoses for two hours twice a week. Watering lawns is banned.
In a further boost to the region’s water outlook, the authority yesterday revealed predictions of average rain for winter.
Barwon Water said the region’s storages would rise if the prediction was accurate.