Western Irrigation Network

The Western Irrigation Network is a major recycled water irrigation scheme for the Parwan-Balliang agricultural district to the west of Melbourne, jointly funded through the National Water Grid Fund.

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About the Western Irrigation Network

The Western Irrigation Network (WIN) is a $116 million project jointly funded by the Australian Government, Greater Western Water and the private agribusinesses who will become the network’s foundation customers.

The network will connect dryland farmers in the Parwan-Balliang area, near Bacchus Marsh, with a guaranteed supply of Class C recycled water suitable for irrigation farming.

The scheme will initially supply around 2400 million litres of recycled water per year but volumes supplied will increase as irrigators adapt and expand production. By 2050, WIN could deliver up to 18,000 million litres of recycled water to farmers each year.

WIN is a major solution to help Greater Western Water manage the increasing volumes of recycled water being produced by the growing population in our service region – particularly in the Melton, Sunbury and Bacchus Marsh areas.

At the same time, WIN has the potential to transform farms currently dependent on unreliable rainfall by connecting them to a year-round guaranteed water supply.

What WIN will do

WIN will benefit the community by:

providing a new, secure source of water for agriculture in Melbourne’s west
protecting local waterways for future generations
offering the best value solution to manage recycled water volumes for Greater Western Water’s customers.

Greater Western Water is building a new irrigation network for Melbourne’s west.

The Western Irrigation Network, or WIN for short, will help us move large volumes of recycled water from some of our fastest growing areas – like Bacchus Marsh, Melton and Sunbury.

And help to create a safe and reliable water supply for farmers and communities in the Parwan-Balliang agricultural district.

Here’s how.

Over the next 30 years, the population in Greater Western Water’s service region is expected to double.

As the population grows, so does the amount of wastewater we treat and convert into recycled water.

When we have more recycled water than we can use, we either store it for later use, or release it into local waterways under strict environmental guidelines.

WIN gives us a way to reuse this water by delivering it to the Parwan-Balliang agricultural district.

This district has rich and fertile soil but little rainfall. WIN helps solve that challenge by supplying water that is suitable for irrigating a range of crops, all year-round.

In its first year, WIN will have capacity to supply 2.4 billion litres of recycled water for agricultural use

With this new water supply, the district can be transformed into a thriving agricultural precinct that supports more jobs and greener landscapes.

In future, the network will expand for other purposes, like watering community sports ovals and local parks.

We’re building trusted water services for our communities to help them grow and thrive.

And more water for Melbourne’s outer west is truly a win for us all.

To learn more about the project, visit yoursay.gww.com.au/win

On-screen text: WIN is a $116.3 million project co-funded by the Australian Government ($48.1 million), Greater Western Water ($65.6 million) and foundation customers ($2.6 million).

Key dates and milestones

Activity	Status
Interconnector pipeline between Melton and Bacchus Marsh recycled water plants	Complete
New recycled water pump station at Melton Recycled Water Plant	Complete
New 1.1 gigalitre recycled water storage at Melton Recycled Water Plant	Complete
Pipeline to connect recycled water to the Parwan-Balliang farmers	Commencing June 2023
Additional pump stations at Bacchus Marsh and Parwan-Balliang	Complete
New 1.0 gigalitre recycled water storage in Parwan-Balliang	Planned for 2024-2025
Interconnector pipeline between Sunbury and Melton recycled water plants	Planned for 2023-2025

Offset management plans

Offset Management Plan: Mount Gow, Shelford (PDF 3.21 MB)

Offset Management Plan: Hamilton Highway, Cressy (PDF 2.66 MB)

Year 1: Annual Compliance Report

EPBC 2018-8260 Annual Compliance Report – Year 1_Rev0 (PDF 18 MB)

Appendix L – Mt. Gow Year 1 Monitoring Report (PDF 3.5 MB)

Appendix M – Cressy Year 1 Monitoring Report (PDF 4.58 MB)

Want to know more about WIN?

Head to Your Say for the most up-to-date information about the Western Irrigation Network, including frequently asked questions, project map and a detailed timeline, as well as the opportunity to share your feedback.

Stay informed, have your say