By KATH GANNAWAY
GAS will be piped into Warburton under a $7.9 million project announced yesterday (Monday).
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan made the long-awaited announcement at the Warburton Golf Club, saying agreement had been reached with Multinet Gas to supply natural gas via a pipeline.
The gas will be fed from a 5,600metre supply main into over 23,300metres of reticulation main to supply at least 500 homes and businesses.
The pipe option is a turnaround from the announcement in September last year, when Mr Ryan said the cost of the traditional gas pipe into Warburton was too expensive.
The town was identified at the time as a priority for compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas, which it was proposed would be delivered by truck to a central storage tank.
Mr Ryan said natural gas was around one third the price of bottled gas.
“This means that households will now be able to save on their energy bills,” Mr Ryan said.
The funding is under the Regional Growth Fund’s Energy for the Regions Program, with construction expected to begin next year and gas to flow in the second half of 2017.
