The city-country divide is reality, but sometimes a project worthy of support comes along even the most hard-headed bureaucrat responsible for ultimately deciding where public funds are allocated would find difficult to reject.

One such initiative is the proposal being put forward to Federation Council for endorsement today which would deliver water to a man-made lake known as the Urana Aquatic Centre on a more reliable basis.

Yarrawonga-Mulwala's tourism thrives from a permanently full Lake Mulwala, but the opposite is the case when sustained dry spells strike the Urana district.

The lake dries up and the economic spin-offs from camping, water skiing and fishing essentially evaporates with the council-owned caravan park a case in point.

It had an almost 46 per cent decline in gross income last financial year to 2016-17 when water levels were high.

There is also a correlation between health and well-being and a reasonable level of water in the aquatic centre.

It is a compelling case and if the tick of approval is given today, Federation Council can get on with the job of making it happen beginning with an application for federal government funding from a specific drought program.

The next step would be applying for a new water access license to deliver around 800 mega-litres from the Colombo Creek which would fill the town lake and creek to a normal level.

Riverina Water County Council, another stakeholder, would need to approve use of its existing pipeline that transfers raw water from Colombo Creek to the Urana water treatment plant.

Then council would extend the pipeline about 2km to allow for the aquatic centre to be filled in times of low or zero flows in the Billabong Creek, which is the present lake water source.

Granted a lot needs to happen and plenty of red tape negotiated, but on face value it is worthy of support.