Target 10 Communicator
April 2011 Edition
Farm Water Program - Round 2
Pre-qualification forms returned to DPI by 3 May 2011 to be eligible.
The Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (CMA) is preparing a funding proposal for the Federal Government's On-farm Irrigation Efficiency Program Round 2 (Farm Water Program) on behalf of the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District.
Under the Farm Water Program, funding is being sought for irrigators to undertake water saving activities, such as improved surface irrigation, laser grading, drainage re-use systems, automatic irrigation, improved sprinkler and sub-surface irrigation and irrigation scheduling.
At this stage, funding has not been approved by the Federal Government for Round 2 of the Farm Water Program, however in preparation for Round 2, the Goulburn Broken CMA is calling for irrigators interested in seeking funding under the program to participate in a pre-qualification process.
Please note that pre-qualification is the first step in determining irrigator eligibility and irrigators must be able to answer ‘yes’ to all of the following criteria to be eligible to apply for funding:
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I currently hold a surface water share (high or low reliability) in the Goulburn-Murray Water region and have a Water Use Licence. |
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The land on which I plan to do works is irrigated or has been irrigated in the past. |
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The works have not commenced. (Works must not be started until contracts are signed.) |
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My project will save at least 20 ML of water and I am happy for at least half of the water savings (minimum 10 ML) to be transferred to the Australian Government. |
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I will be able to obtain the relevant approvals to transfer this water unencumbered to the Australian Government e.g. from my mortgagee(s) or other parties who have an interest in ownership of the water. |
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I am able to answer yes to at least one of these questions related to access to water:
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I have a current whole farm plan (WFP) showing the proposed works. |
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I will be able to complete the proposed works within 24 months from the signing of contracts. |
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I have public liability insurance cover of at least $20 million. |
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My project will be at current best practice irrigation (See Frequently Asked Questions for definition of current best practice). |
You must be able to meet all of the above eligibility criteria and have returned the pre-qualification form to the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) by Tuesday, May 3 2011 to qualify for the next stage of the process. If you meet all of the eligibility criteria, a DPI Project Officer will assist you in preparing the Preliminary Project Information, which is the second phase of the application process.
If irrigators believe they are eligible for the Farm Water Program, they should contact their local DPI Project Officer to receive an information pack and discuss eligibility and or water savings activities.
| Irrigation Area | Contact Person | Location | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murray Valley | Jeremy Patt | DPI Tatura | (03) 5833 5274 |
| Central Goulburn | Chris Nicholson | DPI Tatura | (03) 5833 5932 |
| Shepparton | Rabi Maskey | DPI Tatura | (03) 5833 5378 |
| Rochester-Campaspe | Brendan Stary | DPI Tatura | (03) 5833 5273 |
| Loddon Valley and Torrumbarry |
Kathy Long, Susan Emmett Michelle Slater, Adam Taylor |
DPI Echuca DPI Kerang |
(03) 5482 1922 (03) 5452 1266 |
| North East | Dennis Watson | DPI Rutherglen | (02) 6030 4567 |
Frequently asked questions and an eligibility checklist can be downloaded from the Goulburn Broken CMA website www.gbcma.vic.gov.au (see Farm Water Program under the programs section).
Please note the eligibility criteria, FAQs and guidelines may change following any approval from the
Commonwealth Government.
