PEOPLE in Creswick will be able to water their gardens when they choose and the future of community sport will be secured, with household water restrictions in Ballarat to be wound back to stage one.
Premier John Brumby and Water Minister Tim Holding joined Central Highlands Water representatives at an almost-full White Swan Reservoir last Wednesday to announce the easing of restrictions from stage three to one from August 1.
Mr Brumby said the Victorian government's investment in the $180 million Goldfields Superpipe had helped to lock in the future of Ballarat, shore up the city's water supply and position CHW to reward the Ballarat community for its water-saving efforts.
"Today is a great day for Ballarat. It signals the end of almost five years of severe water restrictions and will drive a new era of opportunity and prosperity in the region," Mr Brumby said.
"Easing water restrictions will be great news for community sport, great news for households and great news for businesses.
"Ballarat continues to be one of the most water-efficient towns in Victoria and, while severe water restrictions in Ballarat are in the past, I am confident that the lessons we've all learned during 13 years of drought about the need to use water wisely will stay with us."
CHW has also committed to amending a bulk entitlement to allow 1000 megalitres of water to be returned to the Moorabool River in environmental flows, which has been under stress due to prolonged drought.
For Creswick households, stage one water restrictions will mean:
*watering gardens with a manual watering system on alternate days between 6-8am and 8-10pm or midnight to 4am for automatic watering systems;
*lawns can be watered;
*washing cars at home with a hand-held hose and trigger nozzle, a high-pressure cleaner or a commercial carwash and;
*more water available for sportsgrounds, public gardens and open spaces.
CHW eased Creswick's restrictions from stage four with exemptions to stage three in December last year.
When the Goldfields Superpipe was turned on in May 2008, White Swan Reservoir was just 7.4 per cent full. It is now almost 80 per cent full.
Mr Holding said the Goldfields Superpipe had been instrumental in the easing of severe water restrictions.
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