Fourth funding round of on-farm irrigation program opens

The Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment and Urban Water, Amanda Rishworth, yesterday announced the opening of the $100 million fourth funding round of the On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program. This is the final round of the $450 million program, which is aimed at assisting irrigators within the southern connected system of the Murray-Darling Basin to modernise their on-farm irrigation infrastructure while returning water savings to the environment.

“Through our ongoing commitment to this program,” said Rishworth, “farmers can improve their irrigation infrastructure to increase crop yields, improve crop rotation flexibility, reduce labour times and costs and reduce nutrient run-off to ensure long-term sustainable farms.

“Water savings achieved through the projects will be shared between the farmer and the government to help ‘bridge the gap’ to the sustainable diversion limits under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.”

Rishworth yesterday visited the farm of Ian Oliver in Holder, South Australia - a property which received funding through round one of the program. She said it was “wonderful to see firsthand the upgraded infrastructure and to hear how it has increased the operating capacity of this farm.” This is just one example of the approximately 1200 projects which have been undertaken so far, “with water savings projected to be over 155 megalitres,” said Rishworth.

Applications for round four funding are invited from organisations with close relationships with irrigator communities, including irrigation infrastructure operators, catchment management authorities, commodity or agricultural industry groups, and regional irrigation bodies. Projects seeking funding must demonstrate an ability to secure a long-term sustainable future for irrigation communities, secure real improvements in river health, deliver substantial and lasting returns of water to the environment, and represent good value for money.

Applications close at 4 pm AEDT on 14 October 2013. Funding guidelines and the application form are available at www.environment.gov.au/water/programs/srwui/irrigation-efficiency.html.