Taken from the National Water Commission website.
Farms, Rivers & Markets
A Whole-of-System Approach to Doing More With Less Water
Total funding: Up to $8.6 million plus GST from the Australian Government towards the costs associated with supporting the work of the project. Total value of the project is over $19.5 million with contributions from the University of Melbourne, Victorian Water Trust, Tallis Trust, National ICT Australia and the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment. The project has been developed by Uniwater (a joint initiative of the University of Melbourne and Monash University)
About the project
The project will use the Dookie research farm and surrounding Broken River region in the Goulburn Valley to develop new methods to efficiently manage surface and groundwater resources for both agriculture and the environment. The project will take a whole-of-system approach, recognising that the management of farms, rivers and water markets must be integrated in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. It will encompass three components:
- Farms - which use irrigation water as part of the production system
- Rivers and groundwater - which need to be managed together to meet environmental and production needs
- Markets - which require greater sharing of information to promote choice, innovation and efficiency.
Farms
The project will establish efficient and profitable farming systems at Dookie Farm to make farming operations more resilient in the face of climate change. Using electronic modelling, followed by a series of practical experiments, it will explore how the various sources of water - bore water, recycled water, rainfall, water stored in dams, and irrigation water - can be used in flexible combinations to ensure profitable, environmentally-sustainable and risk-proof agricultural production systems. Farming challenges to be addressed in the project include:
- Finding the most effective balance between dry-land and irrigated operation
- Finding the most profitable mix of farming systems to manage uncertain water supplies and to take advantage of rainfall or cheaper water when available
- Adapting farming systems to provide the greatest environmental benefit at farm and catchment scale Adopting new technologies, such as smart irrigation systems, depending on their cost-effectiveness.
This data will then be used to create predictive tools to assist farmers in a range of situations as they test their decisions against possible future conditions
Rivers
New technologies, such as real-time information and control using wireless sensor networks, will provide more accurate information on the interactions of river, ground and surface water at times of differing irrigation demand, climatic conditions and environmental need. This will provide a detailed understanding of the water balance and flow conditions in the river, including the exchange between ground and surface water and the water quality implications of such exchanges. It will also identify more detailed environmental objectives for groundwater and surface water, for example, where and when low flows are required for the survival of larval native fish. This will enable more flexible allocation arrangements and more precise methods of distribution. Combined with alternative farming practice, the Rivers component of the project will:
- Boost farming efficiency and profitability by improving water delivery services and providing a greater choice of water supply options
- Improve river health and protect long-term groundwater supplies
- Reduce waste and enable dual supply (where the same water can be used for more than one purpose).
Markets
Water markets provide investment choices for farmers, for example, the temporary trading of water between irrigators has proved beneficial in supporting profitability when water supplies are scarce. The Project will build on new developments in economics to design markets that take account of previously 'missing' elements, such as environmental and social benefit. New market approaches can introduce trade between irrigators and the environment. Together with new water products and services better suited to consumer needs, markets can promote dual use of the same water and create new opportunities for efficient and effective use of both environmental and irrigation water.
Project benefits
Key NWI outcomes are increased efficiency of water use in agriculture and more effective and efficient management of environmental water. Project specific outcomes include:
- Comprehensive water and natural resource accounting for farms, rivers and catchments
- More flexible use of all farm water sources
- Greater efficiency of the water supply chain from the dam to the crop
- Refined measures of ecosystem, river health and habitat needs
- Improved understanding of river hydraulics, hydraulic habitat, surface/groundwater interactions and long-term protection of groundwater resources
- Improved river operating systems and reduced river operating losses, to satisfy the requirements of both farmers and ecosystems more efficiently and effectively
- Innovative water markets enabled by better water measurement and flow control to allow trading between irrigation and the environment, surface and ground water, and to improve scheduling of water deliveries during peak demand periods.
About the Australian Government Water Fund
The Australian Government Water Fund is a $2.2 billion investment in water solutions for current and future generations. The Fund is a major investment by the Australian Government in water infrastructure, improved water management, and better practices in the stewardship of Australia's scarce water resources. It will create opportunities for industries, for investment and for jobs while at the same time protecting and restoring our environment. The Fund comprises three programs - the $1.6 billion Water Smart Australia program, the $200 million Raising National Water Standards program and the $400 million Community Water Grants program.