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Ag News : 12/11/2009

Includes: Information available on dairy shed water licencing;

By Department of Primary Industries - 24th November 2009 - Back to News

It is important for anyone owning and/or operating a dairy farm in Gippsland to understand what the Dairy Shed Water Licence Transition Program is and how it may affect them.

The Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) Dairy Extension team is working with the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) which is running this program, to help ensure the dairy industry understands the program. Other organisations involved are rural water corporations, such as Southern Rural Water (SRW) which licenses water in Gippsland, and the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF).

This program aims to accurately license all dairy shed water use and involves an amnesty period ending on February 26, 2010.

All dairy farmers registered with Dairy Food Safety Victoria were sent an information pack about it in early October.

If you haven’t received an information pack, check if the program affects you by reading the information on the DSE website (www.ourwater.vic.gov.au/saving/farms), ringing the DPI/DSE Customer Service Centre on 136 186 or asking your dairy adviser for an overview of what the program entails.

If you have received the information, consider whether others involved in your farm business need to be consulted either in the application process or with estimating current water use.

For example if you lease the farm, run a dairy business and received the information pack yourself, you may need to inform the farm owner of the program as it is usually the farm owner who needs to apply for the water licence. If you are a farm owner, but don’t operate the dairy, your sharefarmers or workers will be able to help you estimate the current volume used in the dairy shed processes, as needed on the application.

Whatever your role on the dairy farm, it’s a good idea to first check the detail of the farm’s current dairy and irrigation licences.

Do you have a licence and if so, for what volume?

Then think about all the sources of water you use in the shed and which ones need to be licensed. These include rivers, creeks, dams and groundwater. Then consider how the water moves from one use to the next; how it’s stored both before and after various uses such as milk cooling, washing and platform sprays; and the first use of the water.

This will help you decide the easiest way for you to estimate water taken from licensed sources for your shed. The two useful methods outlined in the booklet ‘Dairy Shed Water – How much do you use?’ are the flow rate method for hoses and storage volume method for tanks.

Where should you go if you need more help?

SRW is managing the application process and will provide information on whether you need a licence, your current licences and the fees to upgrade an existing licence or obtain a new licence. Contact SRW in the first instance for enquiries via www.srw.com.au or phone 1300 139 510.

If your water corporation is Melbourne Water, call 131 722.

Most dairy advisers are now familiar with this booklet and along with Gippsland DPI staff, will be able to provide some assistance. Check with your local milk company supply representative, water corporation field staff and other dairy advisers as to how they can help.

Farmer forums and speakers at farmer meetings will be arranged depending on local interest. Contact DPI, SRW, VFF or your dairy adviser to express interest on behalf of your group or region, and keep an eye on the local press for details of coming events.

This is an opportunity to understand how much water is used in the dairy shed and consider ways to be more efficient.

DPI has a booklet to assist in the calculation of the water use in the dairy. To obtain a copy of ‘Dairy Shed Water – How much do you use?’ contact the DPI Customer Service Centre on 136 186 or ring Benita Kelsall or Julie Williams at DPI Ellinbank on (03) 5624 2222. You can also visit the DPI website www.dpi.vic.gov.au and search for ‘water use’.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com