Irrigation Water Stores: Lake Mokoan and Tarago Reservoir
The audit involved examination of two projects; the decommissioning
of Lake Mokoan and the reconnection of Tarago Reservoir.
Lake Mokoan decommissioning and its return to
wetlands was announced in the 2004 white paper Securing Our
Water Future Together.
The reconnection of Tarago Reservoir to
Melbourne’s water supply was announced as a possible water
augmentation project in the 2004 white paper Securing Our Water
Future Together .
The audit found that the decommissioning of
Lake Mokoan and the reconnection of Tarago Reservoir were the most
appropriate options to pursue on environmental and cost grounds.
Both projects proceeded based on sound technical advice.
While the reconnection of Tarago Reservoir
raised few community concerns, sections of the community were
concerned with both water reliability and the increased risk of
flooding as a result of the decommissioning of Lake Mokoan.
The audit concluded that department’s water
supply reliability rate of 91 per cent was defensible. In relation
to flooding, decommissioning Lake Mokoan was found not to increase
the risk of flooding.