AROUND 200 irrigators will receive close to $151 million in funding from the federal government to upgrade and modernise their on-farm water infrastructure.
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The funding comes from the On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program as part of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan.
The allocation is the fifth round of funding from the program specifically to improve on-farm irrigation, totalling more than $500 million since the implementation of the Plan.
Ms Ley said the OFEIP program is already delivering a range of benefits to irrigators across her electorate, like greater control over water delivery and redesign of paddock layouts, giving growers greater flexibility in their management of their properties.
She believes many will be able to introduce higher-value crops for the first time.
“Participants have also benefitted from other productivity improvements, like increased crop yields and the ability to produce a full crop from lower water allocations,” Ms Ley said.
However, while the money is welcome in the eyes of Griffith Business Chamber water spokesman Paul Pierotti, be believes the funding takes away from the real issues.
Mr Pierotti said the funding can’t fix ‘fundamental’ issues coming with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
“Any spending on infrastructure is better than the blunt and brutal of water buybacks,” Mr Pierotti said.
“It must be remembered buybacks come with a costly return of productive water, the Basin Plan has a flawed fixation with stripping production water.
“It’s about managing water throughout, and some water has been gained through better efficiency.”
Ms Ley said the latest round of OFIEP is expected to generate more than 60 GL in water savings for the environment and 32 GL of water savings to be retained by irrigators for their use.
However Griffith water users aren’t convinced, suggesting water management has only contributed minutely to water saving since the Plan’s inception.
“Most water has been gained from buybacks, and any buyback can lead to a tipping point,” Mr Pierotti said.
“Their fixation on deriving a number won’t work, but they continue to do it anyway.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce said the funding would deliver more efficient water-saving infrastructure across the region.
“The Coalition Government continues to prioritise investment in infrastructure to increase water savings, not indiscriminate water buybacks which was the destructive policy adopted by the previous Labor Government,” Minister Joyce said.
But Mr Pierotti remains unimpressed.
“Benchmark yourself against the best,” Mr Pierotti said.
“Not the worst.”