Farming communities in Tasmania's north-west have celebrated the official opening of the Don Irrigation Scheme this week.
It's the first project delivered under Tasmanian Irrigation's Tranche Three program.
Board chair Kate Vinot said the $54.4 million scheme is providing famers in the Don, Forth, Barrington and Sheffield districts with access to nearly 5,000 megalitres per season of high-reliability irrigation water.
"The Don Irrigation Scheme is delivering high-surety water, which gives local irrigators the confidence to invest in their farming businesses, including conversion to higher-value enterprises," Ms Vinot said.
"This will increase the productivity of agricultural activity in the region and deliver broader benefits across the local and State economies. Because investing in irrigation infrastructure is about more than supporting farming.
"When we ensure a sustainable future for agriculture, we build resilience in the wider community. When farms prosper, jobs are created, small businesses that supply farms do well, families move into or have a reason to stay in communities, social infrastructure is maintained and expanded, and communities thrive."
Tasmanian Irrigation has built 16 irrigation schemes across the state, thanks to a unique funding model seeing co-investment by the state and federal government as well as irrigators.
Michael Badcock, a sixth-generation farmer and chair of the Don Irrigator Representative Committee, said it would give local farmers more security.
"It used to be a gamble whether it would rain in any given year and whether we'd have enough water to finish crops. It was a survival game at best," Mr Badcock said.
"Now, farmers can plan crops with confidence. That increases the value of individual farming operations and also has a flow-on effect to local communities and the wider economy in terms of job creation and attracting new industries, such as vegetable processing.
"The change I've seen in my lifetime is the confidence that comes with access to reliable water. Tasmanian Irrigation can get this happening on a scale that is beyond individual farms or even cooperative ventures."
It is hoped the irrigation schemes will help improve Tasmania's drought resilience as the state heads into summer and faces the warm and dry conditions of an El Nino.
Environmental protections are also built into the Scheme through a requirement for irrigators to have a Farm Water Access Plan in place before they access water for irrigation.
The framework is administered by Tasmanian Irrigation and establishes clear guidelines for irrigation water use to minimise potential impact on soil, biodiversity and waterways.
