Bunyip food move

By Melissa Grant
CARDINIA Shire Council is pushing for the creation of a Bunyip food belt, a proposal that would secure water – and the future – for the district’s farmers.
Investigations are underway to see whether the Bunyip Basin area, which is bordered by Moorabbin, Portsea, Poowong and Bunyip, could become Melbourne’s next major food bowl.
The project would utilise excess A-grade recycled water from the Eastern Treatment Plant to come on stream in 2012.
Cardinia Shire chief executive Garry McQuillan said the project, if given the green light, would put a provide farming in Cardinia with a whole new frontier.
“We thought the undergrounding of power was pretty good – but this will be even better,” he said.
Mayor Bill Pearson said a lack of water in the Murray region had put the focus back on the Bunyip Basin.
Cr Pearson said the area, particularly in Cardinia-Casey, had the benefit of good farming soil.
“Now the government is saying there is a lot of A-grade water available, which isn’t fit for drinking but is fine for other things,” he said. “That could be made available to the Bunyip food belt area and give water security to farmers in the area. It will put some real teeth into preserving our best farmlands.”
The proposal focuses on food security, using the best soils for food rather than houses, utilising Class A recycled water and job creation.
Ian Anderson, president of the Victorian Farmers Federation’s Cardinia branch, said it was an exciting prospect that farmers would watch with interest.
“We look favourably upon any project that strengthens agriculture in the area,” he said.
“We’ll wait and see how it progresses … we applaud that at least there’s some thought going into it.”
Staff from Cardinia, Casey and Mornington Peninsula councils have been meeting water authorities to study the proposal.
Mr McQuillan said the project could potentially re-use up to 26 gigalitres of recycled water a year, the equivalent to 7 per cent of Melbourne’s yearly water consumption.
Under the proposal irrigation pipes would be built from the Eastern Treatment Plant at Carrum Downs supplying A-class water to Cardinia and Casey, he said.
Baw Baw, Bass Coast, Dandenong, Frankston, South Gippsland and Yarra Ranges councils have also supported the proposal in principle.
Drafting of documentation for the pre-feasibility study is underway.