Pipeline victory- Jan Beer claimed a pipeline victory with this sign outside the High Lift Pump Station at Yea. 57741

By Kath Gannaway
THE face of the Plug The Pipe anti-Sugarloaf Pipeline project, Jan Beer, has welcomed the new Liberal Government’s action in plugging the controversial pipeline.
Premier Ted Baillieu said on Tuesday (30 November) that the newly elected government would shut down the North-South (Sugarloaf) pipeline.
“We always knew that Coalition policy was to stop water going down the pipeline if they were elected, but were delighted to hear Ted Baillieu as one of his first announcements say they would only send water to Melbourne for critical human water needs.
“That means the situation would need to be worse than we have had in the last 12 years of drought,” she said.
“We (Plug The Pipe campaigners) are happy with that. Melbourne still had one and a half year’s worth of water when they were pumping out of the Goulburn.
“We have faith that the Coalition government will hold true to their commitment,” she said.
Ms Beer said the fight to stop the pipeline had been a three-and-a-half year constant battle which had ultimately helped bring down the Brumby government.
“When you look back there was a huge amount of anger and opposition to the pipeline. For more than 1000 people to turn up (to protest) in the main street of Yea, is totally amazing.”
She said while there was a great sense of relief for many actively involved in the campaign it wasn’t over for many of them.
She welcomed the announcement by Coalition water spokesman Peter Walsh that a judicial inquiry would be held into both the pipeline and irrigation upgrades in the state’s north.
“The main (Plug the Pipe) executive are very weary, but all these people who had such a part to play with the pipeline will also be putting in submissions on what is happening with the Murray Darling Basin,” she said.
“The water issues haven’t stopped.”
A statement issued by Melbourne Water on Friday state “Melbourne Water is unable to comment at this stage on the planned closure of the Sugarloaf Pipeline”.