New costly desal water order not ruled out

Melburnians could be slugged for a new desalinated water deal next year, despite overflowing dams and wet weather threatening stores to spill.

People wander the wall at the Maroondah Reservoir. The dam currently sits at 100% capacity.

Melburnians could be slugged for desalinated water next year despite storages nearing 90 per cent full.

The Andrews Government has refused to rule out an order, which would cost tens of millions of dollars, saying modelling was still being done.

But the state opposition has ridiculed the decision to leave open the option given dams were literally overflowing and total storages haven’t been this full since “Paul Keating was prime minister”.

This year’s $77m desal order for 125bn litres, placed in March, continues to pour into catchments despite storage levels hitting 88 per cent for the first time since 1996.

Four of the 10 Melbourne Water dams are at 100 per cent capacity.

When this year’s order was placed, authorities said it was expected another 125bn litres would be needed next year.

Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Deputy Secretary (Water and Catchments) Helen Vaughan told a parliamentary hearing on Friday those “forward estimates are not binding” but did not rule out another 125bn litre order.

“It may be less, it may be more, it may be 125,” she said.

Opposition water spokeswoman Steph Ryan said with more rain on the way there was now a chance storages could spill.

“We will have fresh water flowing out to Port Phillip Bay while customers pay hundreds of millions to desalinate sea water further down the coast,” she said.

“The last time storages were this high Paul Keating was Prime Minister and the Macarena was at the top of the charts.”

The cost of desal water has added $31 to an average bill this year, but Ms Vaughan told parliament that overall bills had reduced by $6 because of other changes to pricing structures.

Water Minister Lisa Neville said the advice she will receive early next year “considers demand, storage levels, projected weather patterns and the risk of spill”.

“No decision will be made until I receive this advice in March,” she said.

“Without the current desalination order our water storage would be 21 per cent lower than it is now, it’s vital we maintain supply as demand for waters grows with our population and rainfall averages lower due to climate change.”