This winter marks the final stage of works to renew Tunnel 5 on the Main Southern Channel. Completion of this major upgrade will help keep water moving reliably through the Macalister Irrigation District for years to come.
Last winter, we replaced 200 metres of the downstream section of Tunnel 5. This year, crews will complete the project by replacing the final 70 metres of pipeline upstream of the tunnel.
Tunnel 5 is critical to the Macalister Irrigation District, carrying water from Lake Glenmaggie through rocky terrain to farms and communities. Built in the 1920s, the tunnel has served customers reliably for more than a century. Like all ageing infrastructure, it now needs to be renewed to ensure it can continue supporting water delivery for the long term.
By replacing the ageing tunnel in stages over consecutive winter shutdowns, we're investing in the future of the network while avoiding impacts during the irrigation season. Completing this work now helps reduce the likelihood of unplanned outages and means the system is ready to deliver water when customers need it most.
Environmental management measures will be in place throughout construction, including actions to minimise disturbance to a bat colony that lives in the nearby Tunnel 6.
Tunnel 5 is just one part of this year's busy winter works program. Across the network, we're completing maintenance and renewing key infrastructure to ensure the system is ready to deliver water when the irrigation season begins.