Wine companies awarded for water management

The South Australian Wine Industry Association (SAWIA) has awarded its 2013 Environmental Excellence Awards to Treasury Wine Estates and Byrne Vineyards. The theme of this year’s awards was Water.

Treasury Wine Estates won the large business category for its Markaranka vineyard, located near Waikerie. The vineyard is home to around 80 ha of River Murray floodplain fringed by River Coobah thickets and large mature River Red Gums.

Gioia Small, General Manager Sustainability for TWE’s Australian Wine Production region, explained, “TWE recognised the damage that extended drought conditions were having on the area so we dedicated the last seven years to restoring and reviving the area.”

TWE has worked on the restoration with several external partners, including the South Australian Murray Darling Basin Natural Resource Management Board, the Riverland West Landcare Group, the South Australian Research and Development Institute and both state and federal governments. The water management regime included a number of planned watering events and a simulated rainfall trial delivered via a network of dripper pipes.

The project has seen tree health improve and at least 16 water-dependent bird species, and many frog species, return to the area. Small said, “To see wildlife returning to an area which previously had consisted only of dry dirt and dying River Red Gums is very satisfying.”

Byrne Vineyards won the small-medium business category for a water-efficiency program that included an upgrade of on-farm vineyard irrigation infrastructure for monitoring and distribution of irrigation water. This enabled changes in irrigation management practice that resulted in significant water savings, of which 75% was returned to the environment.

Pikes Wines and Orlando Wines were also recognised as outstanding finalists in this year’s awards.