MELBOURNE - Melbourne's dwindling water reserves have dropped below 30 per cent of capacity for the first time in almost 40 years.
Melbourne's nine reservoirs are holding just 29.9 per cent of capacity, the lowest level since May 29, 1968, when Victoria was recovering from the 1967-68 drought,News Limited newspapers reported today.
The news comes as the Victorian government faces a backlash for not having earmarked funding for a major water initiative, such as a desalination plant, in the budget brought down by Treasurer John Brumby on Tuesday.
The budget included A$136 million ($154 million) for various water projects, A$24 million less than was allocated to similar water initiatives in the last budget, the report said.
The Victorian government is considering desalination, harvesting Yarra River stormwater, a north-south pipeline to pump water from the Murray-Goulburn region to Melbourne, and a scheme connecting Latrobe Valley power stations to recycled water among a range of solutions to the water crisis.
But Premier Steve Bracks said yesterday he would not speculate which option the government would adopt.
Water Services Association of Australia Executive Director Ross Young said at least one of the projects should already be under way.
"There's an argument they could have done a lot more ... a lot earlier," he told News Ltd.
"The north-south pipeline would be the first one you would start with."
Opposition water spokeswoman Louise Asher said it would be at least two years before any of the major projects was operating.
But Water Minister John Thwaites said the government had short, medium and long-term solutions to secure water supplies.
