Water Sales are now open for Tasmania’s largest ever irrigation project – the 38,000 megalitre Greater South East Irrigation Scheme.
Landowners are invited to contractually apply to Tasmanian Irrigation for water entitlements for this $522 million project, which has been designed to deliver reliable and fit-for-purpose water to existing and new irrigators, merge the existing South East Stages One, Two and Three Irrigation Schemes, and eliminate reliance on the potable TasWater supply by sourcing all water from Lake Meadowbank.
CRPA President James Bresnehan urged landowners in the area not to miss the opportunity to shore up water entitlements for their own property, and also to ensure the scheme’s success for the whole region.
“Don’t just think about what you need now, but consider what you may need for future expansion of your farming operation, or in times of drought,” James said.
James said that anyone unsure about water sales, or the operation of the proposed scheme should take advantage of Tasmanian Irrigation’s extensive consultation options.
“The team at Tasmanian Irrigation has made significant effort to provide information and to be available for discussions about the new scheme. We highly recommend local landowners go along to a Tasmanian Irrigation drop-in session, or contact the team directly to make sure you have all the information to make a decision.”
CRPA members Sophie and Justin Nichols say that high-surety irrigation water has given them the confidence to diversify, value add, innovate and expand their Littlewood Farm operation at Richmond to 32,000 strawberry plants.
“Access to Tasmanian Irrigation water has totally transformed the region and we are all looking
forward to the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme being built to give us increased water reliability and quality,” says Justin.
“Irrigation water has enabled us to trial 38 different crops on the property over time, including garlic, green peas, chick peas, Japanese squash and now drip-irrigated strawberries.
“We picked 800 kilograms of strawberries in our first year. Last year we picked nine tonnes. There is no way we could have grown our business without the security of the Tasmanian Irrigation water.”
Sophie says that irrigation water is like insurance.
“You may not need it every year but it’s so important to have it for the years that you do,” she said.
“Yes, we will be applying for extra water from the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme as we will never regret having too much in drier years.”