The $54.4 million Don Irrigation Scheme is complete and is now delivering essential water to Tasmania's north-west coast farmers, while creating almost 50 ongoing jobs.
This reliable source of water is giving farmers on the north-west coast the confidence to expand high-value agriculture and increases drought resilience in the Don and Barrington areas.
The scheme is also creating almost 50 jobs, including on-farm employment and in downstream processing and handling. This is in addition to the 60 jobs supported during construction.
The scheme has the capacity to deliver 4,750 megalitres (ML) of water in each summer irrigation season and the same volume each winter to Don, Forth, Barrington, Sheffield and surrounds. In total the scheme has the capacity of the equivalent of 3,800 Olympic swimming pools of water each year.
This water will be delivered through new infrastructure which has been installed, including 54km of pipeline, 3 pump stations, 67 property outlets and 3 balance tanks.
This scheme features a 3,000 ML network of pipes and pumps at Don to provide water to Forthside, Forth, Lillico and Don as well as a 1,750 ML Barrington network that will service the area from West Kentish to Melrose.
The $54.4 million project is jointly funded by the Australian Government ($26.3 million) through the National Water Grid Fund, the Tasmanian Government ($14.8 million) and through irrigators purchasing scheme water entitlements ($13.3 million).
The scheme has sold approximately 75 per cent of the water available for the summer irrigation season. Any irrigators interested in purchasing the remaining summer and winter water should contact Tasmanian Irrigation.
Quotes attributable to the Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP:
"Water is one of our country's most precious resources. Projects like the Don Irrigation Scheme are crucial to make sure we get water to where it can be best used, while minimising any environmental impact.
"This project is delivering year-round water to north-west coast farmers to boost agricultural production and allow investment in more and higher-value crops.
"It also protects our environment by including strict rules to make sure that the water from the scheme can only be used in ways which minimise any negative environmental impacts.
"It's fantastic to see this scheme delivered to help Tassie farmers continue to grow some of the best produce in the country. It's great for jobs and great for the environment."
Quotes attributable to Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Jo Palmer MP:
"Access to high reliability irrigation water is a game changer, and Tasmania is leading the nation.
"We know irrigation schemes have profoundly changed the nature of agricultural activity in Tasmania and will continue to support the growth and diversification of the agricultural sector for decades to come.
"It gives farmers the confidence to expand their businesses, diversify, intensify, increase rotations, employ more people, establish farmgate experiences and enter contracts with processors.
"The Don area is one of the state's most productive agricultural areas, which is why this scheme will play an important part in reaching the Rockliff Government's target to sustainably grow the annual farm gate value of Tasmanian agriculture to $10 billion by 2050."
