Community Meeting Held for East Grampians Pipeline Project
A Town Hall meeting was held in Ararat on Thursday, 10 April 2025, to provide local farmers and community stakeholders in the Ararat Rural City region with an update on the current status of the East Grampians Water Pipeline Project.
Chaired by Ararat Rural City Mayor, Cr Jo Armstrong, the meeting provided valuable insights into the impacts of the project’s delays, featuring firsthand accounts from local farmers Charlie de Fegely, Cam Conboy, Briony Robertson, Andrew Byron, and CFA Westmere Group Officer, Pat Millear. The event saw a strong turnout, with approximately 76 community members in attendance.
Representatives from GWM Water were also in attendance to deliver several presentations covering critical aspects of the project including the project’s progress to date, a breakdown of project costs, operational matters impacting the project, and to answer questions and concerns from community members.
Originally due to begin construction at the end of 2019 with a $85.2 million budget and an estimated three-year construction timeline, the pipeline is expected to deliver a secure water supply to up to 530,000 hectares and 1,500 farming properties, however, the project has fallen significantly behind schedule, resulting in setbacks for the region’s agricultural sector and requiring an extra $50 million to achieve completion to its full scope.
GWM Water cited project delays and increased costs were attributed to several factors including unexpectedly complex planning and approvals, varied cultural heritage procedures, extended approval times for waterway and rail crossings, rising supply and construction expenses, COVID-19 pandemic-related material inflation, and contractors' heightened risks.
Ararat Rural City Council CEO, Dr Tim Harrison spoke at the event, highlighting key points from a Socio-Economic Development Study that analyses the potential unrealised stakeholder investment, the region’s total economic loss, and the benefits of completing the project.
Dr Harrison also emphasised the significance of the strong community presence at the meeting, highlighting the project's critical importance.
“It’s really important to see you all here to give a really clear indication to government and GWM Water that we’re not going anywhere. This project means a lot to our community and it’s about our future economic prosperity.”
Ararat Rural City Council Mayor, Cr Jo Armstrong, concurred with Dr Tim’s comments, stating “The considerable presence at this meeting highlights both the significance of this project and the community's investment in it. The completion of this project is absolutely crucial for our region, and we will continue to actively advocate for and pursue its full delivery,” she said.
