As part of the Future of Orbost & District Project, East Gippsland Shire Council has been working closely with the Agricultural Innovation Working Group to understand water demand and availability, helping strengthen long-term water access and security.
Mayor Cr Jodie Ashworth said that while water alone doesn't drive growth, it is a vital enabler supporting innovation, productivity, and diversification across local agriculture.
"Projects like this give communities hope and highlight opportunities for growth and innovation with the resources theyhave," Cr Ashworth said.
Through the work of the Agriculture Innovation Working Group, the project has uncovered several key findings. Although Southern Rural Water (SRW) manages licences under strict regulations and no new licences are available on the Snowy River, there is flexibility within the existing system.
Many farmers may not realise that current water licences can be transferred - permanently or temporarily -potentially making better use of underutilised allocations.
The Future of Orbost Project also acknowledged the success of the collaboration.
"Council's done a lot of the grunt of the work," said Innovation Working Group member Chris Nixon. "That's abig help when we're flat out running the day-to-day operations of our farms.
"It's important that Council and other key stakeholders recognise that, for job creation, diversifying the industry, and value-adding to our products, we need their support - and Council has done that here. We're thankful for the help we've received."
Farmers looking to explore opportunities can use:
· Victorian Water Register(waterregister.vic.gov.au): Transparent access to water entitlement information.
· SRW's Water Trading Guidance: Step-by-step support for buying, selling, leasing, or transferringwater, including a Facebook group to connect with other farmers.
"Farmers seeking personalised advice are encouraged to contact their local SRW representative. Through this project, we are helping unlock sustainable growth and build resilience in one of the region's most important industries, showing that even through tough transitions, hope and opportunity remain," Cr Ashworth said.
