The Central Goulburn Water Services Committee (WSC) represents irrigation customers in the region, including from Kyabram, Tatura, Merrigum and Tongala. It is bounded by the Goulburn River from Goulburn Weir to where the Goulburn River meets the Murray River and then the Murray River until Echuca. In the south the area is bounded by The Stuart Murray Canal from Goulburn Weir to Waranga Basin and in the west from Waranga Basin in a line to Echuca.
GMW’s Central Goulburn customers primarily use water for domestic and stock purposes, horticulture, cropping, permanent pasture and annual pasture.
Topics of interest for the Central Goulburn WSC going forward include the volume of entitlement leaving the GMID, competition for water from almond development, delivery share revamp and carryover and low reliability entitlement.
If you have any issues or concerns and would like to speak with your WSC, please see their contact details below.
Central Goulburn Water Services Committee members
Peter Hacon (Chair)
0427 596 278
pwghacon@bigpond.com
Sheep
Peter farms on his family’s grazing property north of Tongala. He was motivated to join the WSC through his concerns for the direction irrigation appeared to be heading. Peter believes that if you want to have input, you have to get involved in the process.
Peter would like to see irrigators to be more proactive, rather than reactive to water issues and believes WSCs should be a vehicle for achieving this.
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Stuart Young
0407 560 795
julstu@bigpond.net.au
Dairy
Stuart is a farmer from Wyuna East where he runs a dairy enterprise with his partner Julie and two sons, Alec and Jack. They have lived in the Goulburn Valley for 26 years so have a great understanding of the importance the irrigation system has on the entire community.
Stuart comes to the Water Services Committee knowing that change is happening fast but the fundamental of water - being the life blood of our region - has not changed, so he sees it as his role to ensure that change does not inhibit the growth of our communities but enhances it.
Stuart endeavours to educate himself fully by listening and learning and making himself available to all customers who are stakeholders in our irrigation network. This is to ensure we can have a viable system that will enhance the growth of our community, not hinder it.
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Murray McDonald
0417 370 767
ea.mcdonald@aussiebb.com.au
Grazing
Murray has been a Timmering mixed irrigation and dryland farmer since 1960. He started irrigating with open earth cuts and bag sheets for stops and still enjoys the lifestyle, but not the financial return.
Murray believes the short term outlook for irrigators will be difficult with the Connections Project reset and completion of the modernisation project, and possibly low allocations.
He believes the other possible major change will be in the review of drainage tariffs, where Murray represents the Central Goulburn Water Services Committee on the Drainage Committee.
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Ray Sellwood
0428 559 320
rsellwood6@bigpond.com
Mixed horticulture
Ray has experience growing a variety of crops, including lucern, horticulture, stock and more. He sees on farm irrigation technology and research as the way for our future younger farmers.
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Susan Wearden
0427 517 170
wearden@bigpond.com
Dairy
Susan is a Kyabram dairy farmer who joined her local WSC after being invited to attend a number of meetings as a guest and then being inspired to learn more and contribute by becoming a member.
Through the WSC, Susan hopes to gain an understanding of the parameters, decisions and operations carried out by GMW, along with an insight into the issues faced by GMW’s various stakeholders.
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