Local firms tender for Beavers Creek upgrade

19 December 2011

Thirteen construction firms interested in tendering for the Beavers Creek weir upgrade, as part of the Old Man Creek project have attended a pre-tender site inspection.

The Old Man Creek upgrade is one of five components in the $65 million Computer Aided River Management (CARM) project currently underway in the Murrumbidgee valley. Other components include the installation of state-of-the-art water meters and telemetry, capital works and technology upgrades. The CARM project is funded by Water for Rivers and is being undertaken by State Water.

Old Man Creek is a tributary of the Murrumbidgee River, situated west of Wagga Wagga, NSW. Together with Beavers Creek, it forms an anabranch system returning to the river upstream of Narranderra.

Local landholder and former chairman for the Murrumbidgee Customer Service Committee, Rel Heckerndorf has been instrumental in developing the project. “This project has been long overdue, so I am happy to see something finally happening,” Mr Heckerndorf said.

“This project will reduce the evapo-transpiration losses due to surplus flows into Old Man Creek, maintain flows in Murrumbidgee River and provide alternative strategies to meet the demand,” according to State Water’s senior project manager, Mano Manorathan.

“The pre-tender process serves to brief potential tenderers on all aspects of the project before they submit a tender.”

State Water recently ran a series of informal information sessions throughout the valley, aimed at giving local landholders the opportunity to talk one on one to the project team.

The project proposes to construct a new weir on a by-pass adjoining to the existing Beavers Weir. The new weir will be fitted with gates for better regulated water flow and a fish way to help fish migration up the river. The infrastructure improvements will better control flows into Old Man Creek from the Murrumbidgee River.

“The upgrade is expected to regulate up to 20,000ML of water a day, reducing erosion and losses and ensuring water delivery continues to meet demand while maintaining the community's environmental assets”.

Tenders for the Old Man Creek project - located at Collingullie, near Wagga - will close 24 January 2012 with construction expected to commence in March next year.

For further information about the CARM project, please visit www.carmproject.com.au .  

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