Round 5 of the Farm Water Program in the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District’s (GMID) has opened for Registrations of Interest.
The on-farm infrastructure improvement works program is being delivered by the local Farm Water consortium. It now has $44 million of funding for works under Tranche 2B of the Victorian Farm Modernisation Project available.
Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (CMA) chief executive Chris Norman said the Farm Water Program increased farm productivity, saved water and improved environmental outcomes.
He said $130 million of funding had been provided to more than 500 projects in the GMID in past rounds, resulting in total water savings of 68 GL for the region. Round 4 projects are under way and Round 5 will see on-farm irrigation improvement works continue through to 2018.
“For Round 5, there is a Priority Call this time to enable irrigators to submit ‘work-ready projects’ early for fast tracking through the assessment and approval process,” Mr Norman said.
Eligible projects can range from the installation of pipes and risers, irrigation scheduling and pressurised systems, through to laser grading, gravity channel irrigation and drainage reuse.
“This round, the Farm Water consortium has negotiated a reduction in the percentage water transferred to 55 per cent in response to irrigator concerns about water availability, whilst delivering on the directions of the Basin Plan. The price offered this round for projects is also in line with the current water market.”
To be consider, irrigators must:
- own the land on which the works will be done and own high reliability water shares;
- are willing to transfer the agreed water savings (expected to be 55pc) to the Commonwealth Government (through the Goulburn Broken CMA) to support Victoria’s contribution of the Murray Darling Basin Plan;
- have a Whole Farm Plan that meets minimum standards and shows the proposed works;
- have an executed GMW legal agreement connecting the property to a GMW backbone available and/or know the proposed project area connects to an outlet on an approved GMW backbone;
- can cover specified cash flow for the final project costs before final payment is made by the GB CMA; and
- ring the Farm Water Program Hotline to register.
Irrigators who think they meet these and other eligibility criteria for the Priority Call, must register their interest on the Goulburn Broken CMA Farm Water Program hotline – (03) 5822 7788 – by 4pm Friday, May 27.
The Farm Water Program consortium is led by the Goulburn Broken CMA includes North Central CMA, North East CMA, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Goulburn Murray Water, Dairy Australia, Murray Dairy and Northern Victorian irrigators.
