Irrigation conference to be opened by Water Minister

The Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, will officially open the Irrigation Australia 2008 conference and deliver the first keynote address in May.

“I am looking forward to the conference to meet more irrigators and to discuss how we can work together. My talks with irrigators to date have been encouraging,” said Wong.

A selection of overseas and Australian speakers has been arranged for the conference, which runs in parallel with the biennial Irrigation Australia Exhibition.

“Climate change makes the national planning and coordination of water resources even more important and we look forward to the Minister bringing new leadership and an improved spirit of cooperation to federal–state relations,” said the president of Irrigation Australia Limited, Stephen Mills.

“The conference will be eager to hear the Minister’s plans to speed up the implementation of the national water plan and to raise the focus on ensuring environmental sustainability of all water extraction.”

“The conference theme is Share the Water, Share the Benefits and speakers will be sharing their knowledge in improving the way we manage our water and use it more efficiently in Australia,” said CEO of Irrigation Australia Limited (IAL), Jolyon Burnett.

Around 500 Australian and overseas delegates are expected to gather for the conference and over 3500 industry participants are expected to attend the concurrent exhibition at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre 20–22 May.

For further information, visit www.irrigationaustralia.com.au.