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Collaboration drives Success in modernising Macalister Irrigation District for sustainable farming and environmental outcomes

Collaborating with West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and Agriculture Victoria, we modernised the Macalister Irrigation District, enhancing farming, water efficiency, and sustainability for Gippsland's farmers and environment.

By news@gippsland - 16th September 2024 - Back to News

There's a saying that goes: "if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together". Working with West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and Agriculture Victoria on modernising the Macalister Irrigation District, we've found this to be true. Partnering with them has enabled us to pool our skills and expertise to deliver holistic solutions that lead to better customer, community and environmental outcomes.

Collaborating with West Gippsland CMA and Agriculture Victoria, we modernised the Macalister Irrigation District, delivering sustainable solutions for farmers and the environment

Collaboration in action

We caught up with Brad Missen from West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority to talk about the value of collaboration and how customers can reap the benefits. $200 million has been spent on modernising the Macalister Irrigation District over the last 20 years. What has the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority's role been in this project?

In partnership with the Australian government, via the National Water Grid Authority, and the Victorian government, Southern Rural Water delivered a modernised pipeline in the Macalister Irrigation District. The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority understood the value this project would bring to the Macalister Irrigation District and worked in partnership with Southern Rural Water to add real value to the farming communities.

We did this by working with farmers to help them with on farm planning, improving their irrigation systems, and creating solutions to best water their crops. The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority is part of the Victorian government's Sustainable Irrigation Program. The program is delivered by catchment management authorities, Agriculture Victoria and rural water corporations to help irrigators improve water efficiency and implement land management practices that support good environmental outcomes.

Key water partnership

Why is the partnership between West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and Southern Rural Water an important one? The partnership between the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and Southern Rural Water is important for managing water efficiently and keeping it sustainable in Gippsland. This teamwork is key because each group has a special role.

Southern Rural Water, and its government partners have invested in infrastructure upgrades across the Macalister Irrigation District that improves water delivery efficiency, saves water and encourages investment in best practice irrigation on-farm. This work aligns with our goal of keeping waterways healthy, and by including Agriculture Victoria to develop farm-plans, we can collectively improve farm productivity, soil condition and reduce run-off to deliver benefits for farmers and the environment.

This collaboration is important because when we all work together, alongside farmers, we can deliver whole system solutions that maximise the value of our precious water at every point from the source to the sea. It's win-win for farmers, local communities and internationally important habitats like the Gippsland Lakes.

Farm planning process

How does the on-farm planning process work? The farm planning program has been around for 25 years and has become important for farmers who want to upgrade their systems. Through the program farmers team up with expert farm designers and irrigation specialists who help them look closely at their farm's needs and find ways to improve it.

It's detailed work that can help farmers take an integrated, long-term view of their assets, resources and operations to plan and build systems that amplify their strengths and prepare them for future challenges and opportunities. There is a lot of interest in these planning services, especially with big projects like the Macalister Irrigation District modernisation upgrade, because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for farmers to future-proof their business.

On-farm planning benefits

What benefits does the on-farm planning work deliver? Another big advantage of the on-farm planning process is that each farm goes through additional checks to make sure they follow important rules, like:

• Protecting floodplains
• Native plants
• Cultural heritage sites

By working together during the planning stage, farmers, farm designers, and government agency staff can find solutions that benefit both the farm and the environment. We know the farming community cares about keeping the land healthy and leaving it in good shape for future generations. The farm planning process is a great way to help them achieve it.

Irrigation support services

How can farmers access and discuss best-practice irrigation? Agriculture Victoria is the delivery partner in the Sustainable Irrigation Program, and they provide a range of support services to farmers in Gippsland and across the state. They run irrigation demonstration sites, field days, irrigation farm planning sessions, training events and can provide one on one support to assist irrigators with specific issues affecting their property.

Most of their services are free and can be tailored to meet the needs of individual irrigation businesses. The easiest way for irrigators to get support is to go to the Agriculture Victoria website or contact their Maffra office on 03 5626 1691. We also organise regular forums to talk with farmers, the community and stakeholders across Gippsland so we consider their expertise and lived experiences when developing plans to manage our rivers and lakes sustainably.

These two-way conversations, with lots of different people, are important because it means the plans and tools we help build are fit for purpose for those who need them. The modernisation of the Macalister Irrigation District is jointly funded by Southern Rural Water, the Australian government through the National Water Grid Fund and the Victorian government.

Pictures from Southern Rural Water Instagram page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com