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Wallan pipeline project

Water Supply To Wallan

On 2 April 2003 the Honourable John Thwaites MP, Minister for Water, invited Yarra Valley Water to participate in a taskforce to review the strategy for upgrading the water supply to Wallan, Kilmore and Broadford. This was in response to the townships experiencing severe water shortages due to the ongoing drought in which they were subject to Stage 9 water restrictions (out of 10 stages), limiting external water use to buckets.

The task force was chaired by the Department of Sustainability and Environment with representatives from Goulburn Valley Water, the Shire of Mitchell and Yarra Valley Water. The taskforce met on a number of occasions and studied proposals including an upgrade to the local supply, pumping water south from the Goulburn River, or an extension of the Yarra Valley Water system north from Craigieburn.


Key conclusions of the Task Force were;

  • Based on a financial analysis of the available options, there were no significant differences between the supply options from the Goulburn River or from the existing Yarra Valley Water system; and
  • Based on a qualitative (economic, social and environmental) assessment, the option to augment supply to the region from Yarra Valley Water was preferred. This involved the supply of water to Wallan only, making more water available to Broadford, Waterford Park, Kilmore and Wandong-Heathcote Junction.


On 27 August 2003 the Honourable John Thwaites MP, Minister for Water, accepted the taskforce recommendation and announced a $29M project which included:

  • A 22km pipeline from Craigieburn to Wallan;
  • A new 12 million litre water storage tank in Wallan;
  • New water pumping stations at Craigieburn and Kalkallo; and
  • A new effluent reuse scheme and upgrade of the Wallan Sewerage Treatment Plant.


The project was completed on 12 January 2006 and now provides:

  • an increased security of supply to customers;
  • capacity to supply future growth along the Hume corridor; and
  • continued incentives to conserve water as the townships supplied are subject to the same water restrictions as Metropolitan Melbourne; and
  • fluoridated water to customers.