NORTHERN Victorian irrigators better get in quick if they want to make the most of the latest round of Farm Water Program funding.
The deadline to express interest is September 13.
Earlier this month, the State Government committed $100 million towards the Victorian Farm Modernisation Project that will be delivered through the above program in three rounds between 2013 and 2019.
The Farm Water Program is a consortium of Northern Victorian agencies that includes North Central and North East CMAs, GMW, DEPI, Murray Dairy, Dairy Australia and Northern Victorian Irrigators, and is led by the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (CMA).
The program is designed to assist irrigators achieve farm water savings by funding upgrades to farm irrigation systems. The water savings are shared between farmers and the environment.
"Irrigators who are keen to carry out farm improvements and obtain funding available through this program must register with the Goulburn Broken CMA," Goulburn Broken CMA CEO Chris Norman said.
The first step is to meet all eligibility criteria, which he said had changed slightly from previous rounds.
During registration irrigators will be asked to provide their G-MW outlet and property number.
Irrigators will also need to provide an electronic copy of a current Whole Farm Plan showing the proposed works.
At the announcement of the latest funding, Agricultural Minister Peter Walsh said the Victorian Farm Modernisation Project was expected to deliver 53 gigalitres (GL) of water savings, of which 30GL would go to the environment.
In return for funding to upgrade on-farm irrigation systems, participating Goulburn-Murray irrigators would return 55 per cent of their water savings to the Commonwealth and retain the remaining 45 per cent for their own use.
"The Victorian Farm Modernisation Project demonstrates that water recovery can be achieved without undermining our valuable irrigated agriculture sector," Mr Walsh said.
Undera dairy farmers, Peter and Bernadette Quinn, received funding through Round 2 of the Farm Water Program to carry out significant work on their 200 hectare out block.
The Government launched the latest round of funding on their farm recently.
The couples' on-farm project involved laser grading (20.2ha), irrigation scheduling (moisture monitoring on 53.55ha), gravity channel work (68.86ha) and installation of a centre pivot to irrigate 37.4ha. The works achieved a total of 264ML of water savings, with half transferred to the government for environmental purposes.
Mr Quinn was pleased with the project and said the main benefits were increased productivity of the land and labour savings as a direct result of automation.
