Rodney Irrigation and Water Supply Trust

Full description

Establishment

The Rodney Irrigation and Water Supply Trust was constituted on 8 April 1889 pursuant to the Irrigation Act 1886 (No.898) (Government Gazette, 12 April 1889, p.1254) after the Rodney Irrigation District was excised from the Echuca and Waranga Waterworks Trust (VA 4034) (State Rivers and Water Supply Commission, Fiftieth Annual Report, 1955, p.24).

Function

The Trust purchased water, in accordance with an entitlement established by an Order in Council, from the Board of Land and Works (VA 774). It constructed National works, joint works with other Trusts and local works to catch and divert water and made water available for domestic, stock and irrigation purposes. It was entitled to acquire land for these purposes and to pay compensation for land so acquired. It paid for the local works and its operations by mortgaging its works to the Board, by borrowing elsewhere and by levying rates and charges on consumers.

Administrative Structure

The Trust was controlled by twelve elected Commissioners. It was managed by three senior officers - the Trust Secretary, the Trust Treasurer and the Trust Engineer.

Abolition

The Rodney Irrigation and Water Supply Trust ceased in 1906. In accordance with the section 50 of the Water Act 1905 the Trusts Commissioners went out of office, the Trust was dissolved and the agency became the Rodney Irrigation and Water Supply District within the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (VA 723). Trust functions continued by the District and those assumed by the Commissions central office have not been researched.

In 1959 this District, along with other northern gravitational Irrigation and Water Supply Districts, was abolished by the Water (Irrigation) Act 1959 (No.6582). The same Act constituted the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District and established within it a number of Irrigation Areas which corresponded geographically with the previous Irrigation Districts. The Rodney Irrigation Area was one of these (State Rivers and Water Supply Commission, Annual Report, 1960-61, p.14). After further legislative changes the Goulburn-Murray Division, as it was known later, was excised from the Rural Water Corporation (VA 4234) and established as the Goulburn-Murray Region Water Authority (VA 3757) in 1995. The Rural Water Corporation had previously succeeded the Rural Water Commission (VA 2338) in 1992. The Rural Water Commission was established in 1984 and was a successor agency of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission.

Location of Records

Some records have been transferred to the Public Record Office. See below and the List of Holdings (2nd edition, 1985 and reprinted 1994) entry 15.14.0.