Save historic 105 year old Beaconsfield Reservoir

Donate to help save the Historic 105-year-old Beaconsfield Reservoir.

Please help our "Save the Beaconsfield Reservoir Action Group" (SBRAG) by raising $7,000 for a Heritage Victoria Registry application to preserve Beaconsfield Reservoir for all Victorians. The residents of Cardinia Shire, City of Casey and the South East Metropolitan Region deserve to have this wonderful public asset protected and saved as a valuable bush fire fighting source of water, a place for families to visit and enjoy, and to retain the reservoir's vital water, so essential for the biodiversity of the area's flora and fauna. Please donate to support the protection of the reservoir, its wall and water. Beaconsfield Reservoir is an amazing example of Victoria’s early 20th Century pioneering reservoir construction and was central to the 100 Kilometre long “Mornington Peninsula Water Supply Scheme”. It is now destined to be demolished due to a controversial decision by Melbourne Water and needs to be saved for the people of Victoria.

This unique and historic 105 year old reservoir and water supply was instigated by the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Andrew Fisher in 1912, to provide a vital water source for the HMAS Cerberus Naval Base at Crib Point on Mornington Peninsula. Clean drinking water was first piped from Toomuc Ck and Bunyip River to the east and eventually from Tarago Reservoir, 60 Kms away. Beaconsfield Reservoir was pivotal to this incredible water scheme. It was a holding basin containing a large 912 Megalitres water capacity and kept full 24/7, enabling water to be delivered to the naval base, which became an important military deterrent to invasion during WW2, and many towns and communities. Beaconsfield Reservoir was decommissioned in 1988 and with its current 525 Megalitres can become a much-needed local Bush Fire Fighting resource and a major community recreation and tourist attraction for all residents in the fast-growing South East Growth Corridor.

Beaconsfield Reservoir Reserve was renamed Beaconsfield Nature Conservation Reserve in 2005. Beaconsfield Reservoir and the reserve are of highly significant historic, environmental, community and cultural importance for Cardinia Shire. Lush natural bushland is nurtured by the reservoir’s water and provides:

• ecological and biological diversity, which has remained intact for 105 years,

• much needed vital water resource for Bush Fire fighting protection for local communities,

• We must not forget Ash Wednesday’s 1983 bushfire storm which devastated our local area,

• a magnificent scenic water vista to view and enjoy,

• recreational attraction for families wanting picnics, fishing, passive boating, or walking tracks,

• a vital link for local walking tracks and trails in Cardinia Shire, essential for walking clubs,

• historic 19th Century Gold Mining landmarks showing the history of this area

Please support Beaconsfield Reservoir's 3W’s; The historic Wall, vital Water and Walking tracks. This precious water must be saved. Prevent one of this region’s major Public visitor attractions from being destroyed due to Melbourne Water’s lack of public consultation, lack of vision, insistence on draining most of the water out to sea and bulldozing this historic wall.

Help us stop the loss of 440 megalitres of life-giving water in these times of Climate Change! Please donate to our campaign to save Beaconsfield Reservoir and its irreplaceable water.

Please visit “Save the Beaconsfield Reservoir Action Group” on Facebook to join and add your comments.