The chance to buy permanent irrigation water should always be considered, Tinamba’s John White said.
The Angus breeder and fodder farmer last year purchased 26 megalitres of high reliability water shares to add to his licence and it had made a difference in the drought. He said it allowed an extra 1.5 irrigations on the farm this year, taking the pressure off.
Southern Rural Water’s (SRW) annual auction of permanent high and low reliability water shares would be at Maffra next Tuesday, February 2.
Mr White said if he bought water again, it would be as an investment – an asset for the farm that could be traded.
SRW is selling 288ML of bundled high reliability and low reliability shares and 323.9ML of high reliability water shares.
“After a dry spring and summer, we expect people will be thinking about how to improve water supply for either greater productivity, security of supply, or both,” said SRW spokesperson, Craig Smith. The newly available water shares were made possible by efficiency works.
