The standard of infrastructure upkeep along the River Murray is as high as ever, according to the latest assessment by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority's chief River Murray manager.
There’s a lot of competition between the 13 locks and weirs, the barrages at the Murray Mouth and 4 major dams that we manage, but there can only be one winner of the Senator JS Collings Trophy.
This year the winner is Lake Victoria–Tar-Ru.
The annual award was initiated in 1943 by the Minister for the Interior and president of the River Murray Commission, Senator JS Collings to highlight the social and economic importance of maintaining river infrastructure.
Back then the award applied only to locks and weirs along the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers. It wasn’t until 1970 that the award was extended to include Hume Dam, Lake Victoria–Tar-Ru, the Murray Barrages and Yarrawonga weir, and later Dartmouth Dam. The Murrumbidgee weirs, which are not managed as part of the Murray system, are no longer included in the trophy consideration.
This year was the first opportunity the MDBA has had to carry out the annual inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the floods limited access to some sites, we were able to meet with lockmasters and assess the standard of presentation, maintenance and management of these essential community assets.
We saw a high level of commitment, pride and capability from teams across all the sites. Each is locally operated by one of the relevant state constructing authorities – WaterNSW, Goulburn-Murray Water and SA Water.
The team from SA Water at Lake Victoria–Tar-Ru delivered a wide scope of work including new access to the control regulator and the installation of exclusion fencing around the lake to improve vegetation management.
The team also completed major renovations to the office and improvements to the local workshops and depot, as well as delineation of property boundaries around the lake.
Traditionally known as Tar-Ru, the lake is a naturally occurring shallow waterbody about 60 kilometres downstream of the junction of the Murray and Darling rivers in south-western New South Wales, near the South Australian border. It holds spiritual and cultural significance for First Nations people, so we work with the Barkindji and Maraura Elders Council who provide advice and assist with works and monitoring aimed at protecting cultural heritage sites around the lake.
In the 1920s the lake was modified as a regulated 'off-river' storage. It now covers 12,200 hectares and only reaches a maximum depth of about 5.5 metres when full. Its primary function is to ensure South Australia's flow entitlements are met and to assist with regulating River Murray flow and salinity levels.
Water is diverted from the Murray into the lake through a regulator and released back to the Murray to supplement flows if there is insufficient water coming from upstream. It thus performs an important balancing function, allowing the fluctuation in flows through the river system to be managed.
Among the other notable projects inspected as part of the JS Collings Trophy assessment were:
- New access stairways to the Yarrawonga superstructure
- Testing of the Dartmouth coaster gate maintenance trolley with modifications to ensure the gate can be securely fixed in place when being moved
- New walkways installed on the Menindee main weir
- Refurbishment of generator housings at the barrages to improve accessibility of components for maintenance and protection of critical equipment
- Improved maintenance access to the cone valves at Hume Dam
- Extension of the gantry crane at Torrumbarry Weir
- Installation, commissioning, and operation of an automated gate at the Goolwa barrage
