IAL Conference, June 2012

Irrigation Modernisation:

A Partnership Approach in the SA Murray-Darling Basin Region

Brenton Fenwick1 and Michael Cutting1

1South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board

Summary

• This presentation provides an overview of two programs under the Australian Government’s Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program in which the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board has acted as a program Delivery Partner

• The presentation will focus on the successful partnerships that have been established with the irrigation community in the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin region

• The South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board is one of eight Regional NRM Boards in South Australia

• The Board’s role and responsibilities are detailed in the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 and include: - Undertaking an active role with respect to the management of natural resources within its region;

- Preparing and implementing a Regional NRM Plan; and - Promoting public awareness and understanding of the importance of integrated and sustainable natural resources management within its region

The SA Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board

The SA MDB Region

• The SA MDB NRM Board has always had a strong focus on promoting the adoption of sustainable irrigation practices across the region

• From 2000 - 2010 the Board funded and delivered the Improving Irrigation Efficiency Project which provided education and awareness programs to the regions irrigators

• During this time over 240 irrigation management training workshops were conducted which over 3,600 irrigators attended

• The Sustainable Rural Water Use & Infrastructure Program provided an excellent opportunity for the Board to continue working in partnership with the irrigation community and build on previous outcomes

A Focus on Sustainable Irrigation in the SA MDB

Irrigation Modernisation in the SA MDB

•The SA Murray-Darling region has a history of the early adoption of precision irrigation techniques and technologies

• Significant prior investment in off-farm delivery infrastructure has provided ‘water on demand’ and the impetus for on-farm upgrades

• The Sustainable Rural Water and Infrastructure Program has enabled further consolidation of this prior investment through 2 key funding programs:

- On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program (OFIEP)

- Private Irrigation Infrastructure Program – SA (PIIPSA)

• Originally $300m available over three competitive rounds but an additional $150m was just allocated to the program in the recent Federal budget

• Individual irrigators cannot apply directly and applications must be submitted through an eligible program Delivery Partner

• SA MDB NRM Board secured $1.652m in Round 1 (21 projects) & $13.5m# (112 projects) in Round 2 on behalf of SA MDB irrigators

• To date the OFIEP will deliver total water savings of ~4.7GL over the first two rounds in the SA MDB

# In-principle funding level

On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program (OFIEP)

On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program: SA MDB Round 2 Sub Project Types

Sub Project No. Description No. Projects Water Savings

1 Sprinkler to drip irrigation conversion

23 719

2 Conversion to drip irrigation and the installation of soil moisture

monitoring equipment

29 1,387

3 Installation of soil moisture monitoring equipment

13 408

4 Conversion to drip irrigation and irrigation system automation

31 1,570.5

5 Conversion of surface irrigation to drip irrigation

2 85

6 Full cover sprinkler to partial cover sprinkler conversion, soil

moisture monitoring & automation

2 50

7 Modernisation of existing drip irrigation systems

6 201

8 Integrated on farm modernisation 6 255

Sub Total (R2) 112 4,695.5

Private Irrigation Infrastructure Program – SA (PIIPSA)• $110m available (SA River Murray only)

• Irrigators must undertake an off-farm upgrade to be eligible for funding but integrated on-farm efficiency works can also be included in PIIPSA

• Individual irrigators can apply directly if they hold water entitlements >500ML

• SA MDB NRM Board is a Delivery Partner for 16 projects through R2 - $7.212m which will generate ~1.9GL of water savings

• Of the 16 irrigator projects that the SA MDB NRM Board is a Delivery Partner for in Round 2, 8 could have applied in their own right

Delivering a Partnership Approach in the SAMDB

• The SA MDB NRM Board has strengthened existing partnerships with the irrigation community through the SRWUI programs

• The funding success to date is a product of the Board working in partnership with the key irrigation trusts, (CIT & RIT), local irrigation agronomists and local irrigation contractors

• The Delivery Partner model provides overarching coordination and collaboration to all aspects of the process from application preparation through to project implementation

• Facilitates a streamlined approach to interact with the Australian Government working through the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

What Does the Future Hold?

• Round 3 of the OFIEP is currently open

• Building on the momentum of 2 previous successful funding submissions there has been strong interest shown in Round 3 within the SA MDB region

• At this early stage of Round 3 application development there has been a greater diversity in the types of the potential irrigation modernisation works proposed e.g. laser levelling, centre pivot irrigation compared with the previous 2 rounds

Conclusions

• The Australian Government’s Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program in the SA MDB region will deliver significant and lasting water savings to the environment and ensure irrigators have sufficient capacity to adapt to a future with reduced water availability

• Investment through the current Australian Government programs is building on previous private investment in efficiency works, highlighted by the strong focus of activities involving extensions to existing soil moisture monitoring networks, filtration and fertigation upgrades and improved irrigation system control

•The successful regional Delivery Partner model operating through the SA MDB NRM Board will actively pursue additional funding through subsequent rounds of the irrigation infrastructure programs to build on the gains achieved to date

Acknowledgements

• Central Irrigation Trust

• Renmark Irrigation Trust

• SA MDB Industry Groups

• SA Department for Water (DFW)

• Costa Exchange

- Trevor Sluggett

- Peter Keynes

• Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

- Kylie Collet

- Melissa Partridge

- Kirsty Rolls