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Government egged over irrigation pipe plan

Wednesday, 27/08/2008

Northern Victorian farmers remain divided over a plan to modernisethe region's irrigation system and pipe some of the water saved toMelbourne.

The State Government project was celebrated with a dinner inShepparton last night, but around 70 people lined up outsideprotesting against the plan.

Victorian Water Minister Tim Holding was hit by an egg during theprotest.

Premier John Brumby told the dinner other great projects have facedsimilar opposition and it shouldn't deter the plans.

"If you asked Australians what's the greatest ever nation buildingproject in Australia They'd tell you it's the Snowy Hydro Scheme,"he says.

"There were many people who opposed that project. Many people saidit would be a white elephant.

"Fact is, now it's one of the ten great engineering wonders of theworld and this project in its own way is the same.

"It's a nation-building project."