The Federal Government has announced $469 million in funding to support four major new infrastructure projects in New South Wales.

 

Federal Minister for Water Tony Burke approved the funding for the projects that are expected to return an average of 80 billion litres of water to the system each year. Mr Burke said the funding would equip farmers in NSW with world-class irrigation technology and improve rural water management systems.

 

"The funding for NSW is part of the $5 billion the Federal Government is providing to for infrastructure investment in irrigation modernisation and related projects across the Basin," Mr Burke said.

 

"The water acquired from these projects will be used to improve the health of Murray-Darling Basin rivers, wetlands and floodplains and make an important contribution towards reaching the sustainable diversion limits under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

 

"All of the water saved through this package will be achieved through improved water infrastructure efficiency. It means irrigators can increase productivity through improved technology and there is more water to return to our precious environment."

 

The four major rural water infrastructure projects supported by the funding were proposed by NSW for delivery under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Murray-Darling Basin Reform.

 

Projects to be delivered under the agreement will improve on-farm irrigation systems for farmers, increase stock and domestic water supply and introduce new, modernised metering and telemetry systems.

 

The key elements of the four projects are:

  • $137 million for the 'Basin Pipes' project to replace inefficient replenishment schemes and stock and domestic license schemes with new and secure pipelines;
  • $83 million for an 'Irrigated Farm Modernisation' program in the Macquarie, Namoi, Gwydir and Border Rivers Valleys, additional to the $6.6 million already spent on an on-farm pilot program in the Border Rivers and Gwydir Valley
  • $198.6 million for a state-wide program to upgrade rural water meters in addition to the $22.4 million already committed to a pilot project in the upper Murray Valley, with a total project value of $221 million; and
  • $50 million to implement the NSW Floodplain Harvesting Policy.