In March 2017, Utility Magazine reported that desalinated water from Wonthaggi had started flowing into Cardinia Reservoir. Water minister Lisa Neville said the 50 GL order for 2017 and the three minimum orders after it would not push up bills, saving an average household $12. Following a South Australian model, Victoria planned an annual minimum order, to be reviewed after three years. Melbourne's storages had dropped by 97 GL since December 2016 and stood at 65.6 percent.
The report showed Victoria moving its desalination plant from an emergency backstop to a regular part of supply, based on fixed annual orders rather than crisis decisions.
Source: Utility Magazine