The sell, starting with Bracks and taken over by Brumby, was that the only water to go through the N/S pipeline to Melbourne was water saved by irrigation upgrades. Instead they are pilfering water from a dust bowl. Many people up here have suffered drought for years and had very restricted water allocations while still paying top $$ for water they didn't receive. Towns like Bonnie Doon which are reliant on water in Eildon Weir have been high and dry for years. No water in sight. Bores have dried up. Orchards have been bulldozed, lives taken, farms lost. Instead of light at the end of the tunnel all they see is their precious water headed to Melbourne to relieve water restrictions. Obviously their country cousins don't count for enough votes at election time. While you flush our water down your dunny Brumby spare a thought for those in the dust bowl who once produced the food for our country. 
Billions of litres flow in north-south pipeline
BILLIONS of litres of water are already being pumped down the controversial north-south pipeline while debate continues over whether it is needed.
Testing of the pipeline began late last month and about five billion litres of water - or five days' supply for Melbourne - will be flushed through to Sugarloaf Reservoir by the end of the month.
While people in the state's north continue to rail against the use of water from their catchments, Water Minister Tim Holding has guaranteed the pipeline will be used regardless of storage levels.
Melbourne's dams now contain 678 billion litres, and the city uses almost one billion litres a day on average. Even with minimal rainfall, it is enough to survive until the Wonthaggi desalination plant is online.
But Mr Holding hit out at claims the pipeline would not be needed.
"I guarantee that the pipeline will be turned on, and water will flow to Melbourne as a consequence, as it should," he said.
"Melburnians have paid through higher water bills for that pipeline, and they have paid $300 million through the cost of stage one of the northern Victoria irrigation renewal project."
Mr Holding said Melburnians deserved to have water restrictions eased, but would not say whether extra water provided through the pipeline would drag Melbourne back from Stage 3A to Stage 3 or Stage 2.
Opposition leader Ted Baillieu said the pipeline should not have been built and was a "white elephant".
"(It cost) $750 million and will serve no useful purpose for Melbourne," he said.
Plug the Pipe spokeswoman Jan Beer called on the State Government to release a report on water savings that were supposed to have come from irrigation upgrades in the state's north.
Billions of litres flow in north-south pipeline
BILLIONS of litres of water are already being pumped down the controversial north-south pipeline while debate continues over whether it is needed.
Testing of the pipeline began late last month and about five billion litres of water - or five days' supply for Melbourne - will be flushed through to Sugarloaf Reservoir by the end of the month.
While people in the state's north continue to rail against the use of water from their catchments, Water Minister Tim Holding has guaranteed the pipeline will be used regardless of storage levels.
Melbourne's dams now contain 678 billion litres, and the city uses almost one billion litres a day on average. Even with minimal rainfall, it is enough to survive until the Wonthaggi desalination plant is online.
But Mr Holding hit out at claims the pipeline would not be needed.
"I guarantee that the pipeline will be turned on, and water will flow to Melbourne as a consequence, as it should," he said.
"Melburnians have paid through higher water bills for that pipeline, and they have paid $300 million through the cost of stage one of the northern Victoria irrigation renewal project."
Mr Holding said Melburnians deserved to have water restrictions eased, but would not say whether extra water provided through the pipeline would drag Melbourne back from Stage 3A to Stage 3 or Stage 2.
Opposition leader Ted Baillieu said the pipeline should not have been built and was a "white elephant".
"(It cost) $750 million and will serve no useful purpose for Melbourne," he said.
Plug the Pipe spokeswoman Jan Beer called on the State Government to release a report on water savings that were supposed to have come from irrigation upgrades in the state's north.
