Irrigation Water stores: Lake Mokoan and Tarago Reservoir
Overview
The audit involved examination of two projects; the decommissioning of Lake Mokoan and the reconnection of Tarago Reservoir.
Lake Mokoan decommissioning and its return to wetlands was announced in the 2004 white paper Securing Our Water Future Together.
The reconnection of Tarago Reservoir to Melbourne’s water supply was announced as a possible water augmentation project in the 2004 white paper Securing Our Water Future Together .
The audit found that the decommissioning of Lake Mokoan and the reconnection of Tarago Reservoir were the most appropriate options to pursue on environmental and cost grounds. Both projects proceeded based on sound technical advice.
While the reconnection of Tarago Reservoir raised few community concerns, sections of the community were concerned with both water reliability and the increased risk of flooding as a result of the decommissioning of Lake Mokoan.
The audit concluded that department’s water supply reliability rate of 91 per cent was defensible. In relation to flooding, decommissioning Lake Mokoan was found not to increase the risk of flooding.