The ongoing drought in much of rural Australia is putting a strain on the water supply for domestic and stock use, and it is hitting tourism hard.
A case in point is Victoria’s Wimmera Mallee region where there are fears that if recreational lakes are allowed to dry out, grey nomads and other travellers will stop coming altogether.
For rural towns, the likes of Hopetoun, Birchip, Watchem and Brim these tourist lakes are literally ‘lifelines’.
Hopetoun’s Lake Lascelles was dry for nearly a decade up until 2010 when it was linked to the Wimmera Mallee pipeline. Like many other towns connected to the pipeline, Hopetoun enjoyed an upsurge in visitors when the water flowed and the new ‘oases’ were created. However, with the drought still biting hard, there are concerns that the lake will become dry again if allocations are cut due to the depleted supplies in water storage reservoirs.
“It’s busy, the lake, and it keeps the town going,” Hopetoun publican, Trina Bellinger, told the ABC. “The other weekend, I think someone counted something like 48 caravans down there.”
Hopetoun’s Lake Lascelles committee is now campaigning for decision-makers to rate recreational water as highly as stock and domestic water.
“I wouldn’t say it’s more important, but it’s just as important,” secretary and mixed farmer Luke Hallam told the ABC. “A lot of it’s about keeping locals in town and bringing the outsiders into town to spend their money, to keep the small town going.”
While acknowledging the value of recreational lakes, Water Minister Lisa Neville said limited water availability would inevitably force decision-makers into prioritising waterways.
“That’s when you start to have conversations with communities about recreational lakes — what would be number one [lake]? What would be number two?” she told the ABC. “That’s an important process we’re going to have to continue to work with the community about.”
* Comment below.
