Regional Services Minister John Anderson said $3.5 million would be provided by the federal government as half the $7 million required for the design and engineering stage of a pipeline to replace open irrigation channels in the Wimmera-Mallee project.
"We at commonwealth level have always been very supportive of that project and quite willing to join in the next stage, which is the design and engineering data collection and assembly prior to any further building of the project," he told reporters in Sydney today.
"We will certainly match the Victorian government's commitment of $3.5 million to that end."
In its budget handed down this week, the Bracks Labor government allocated $77 million over 10 years to build the pipeline.
Victorian Treasurer John Brumby challenged the federal government to help pay for the project.
"We want the federal government in next week's budget to put up the money," he said.
"We sincerely hope they will put up the money so this great project of national significance can get under way."
Anderson said further federal funding was dependent on the outcome of the design and engineering report.
"Prior to that next stage beginning our understanding has always been that the first prerequisite is to... complete the engineering and design stages that will cost $7 million," he said.
"The Victorian government, without any formal consultation with us, announced that they will fund half of that if we will find the other half. Well, we will fund the other half. That is normal practice, and indeed is the way that we've always operated these things in the past."
No one could accuse the government of not being committed to the project, he said.
"I just remind people in terms of our commitment to the program we provided $29 million to date with a commitment of a further $4 million which will be confirmed in next week's Budget for the northern Mallee pipeline," he said.
Source: The Mercury
