Murray Darling Basin Project

View the Latest News on the MDB Plan Here

The RDA-NI Murray Darling Basin (MDB) project will facilitate a coordinated approach in our region to the water reform process. The Project aligns the objective of new MDB Authority Chairman Craig Knowles to utilise local expertise for the new MDB Plan, with the RDA-NI objective of maintaining the economic integrity of the region. To achieve this, RDA-NI MDB Project Officer David Thompson is working with two Water Working Groups – one in the Namoi, and one in the Border Rivers-Gwydir to devise and seek funding for relevant projects. These Water Working Groups bring together all the local scientific and economic expertise to bear on the problem of better water management, and have access to panels of local technical expertise.

Projects will cover a number of aspects of water planning and regional economic development. This includes collating detailed local information on environmental assets and their watering requirements to inform the national MDB Plan, implementation of on-ground works to service assets and improve water use efficiency, socio-economic impact assessment of water planning, and economic development initiatives to offset any loss of productive water as a result of plans.

The ultimate objective of the project is to work with regional agencies to provide a uniform stance for the region on the water reform process, and conduct a coordinated suite of projects to deliver the required environmental outcomes while maintaining and/or enhancing the economic integrity of our northern-inland region.

For more information on RDANIs Murray Darling Basin projects, please contact the Project Officer, David Thompson dthompson@rdani.org.au
 

Latest Funding Round for DPI Irrigation Modernisation Program

NEW - Funding is now available for irrigators in the NSW Border Rivers and Lower Namoi regions under round three of the $83 million NSW Sustaining the Basin: Irrigated Farm Modernisation program.

The funding and support package for eligible irrigators includes:

• Up to 80 per cent of the cost (to a maximum of $2,000 per farm) to undertake an irrigated farm water use efficiency assessment to identify irrigation water losses;
• Up to 80 per cent of the total project costs to implement approved water saving infrastructure projects;
• Training opportunities to assist irrigators and industry stakeholders in the operation and management of new or upgraded infrastructure to achieve the proposed water savings.

The project is funded by the Australian Government through the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure program. 

Interested irrigators have until 30 May 2014 to lodge an expression of interest.

A number of community meetings will be held for interested irrigators. Further information is below. 

Schedule of Community Meetings 

Please contact Sandra Maybury (IFM.info@dpi.nsw.gov.au or 02 6938 1966) for further information on the above community meetings.

DPI Farm Irrigation Modernisation - Application Details

DPI have provided more information on the requirements for funding applications under their irrigation modernisation program.  This information is available in the following download.  There are links in the download to the presentation made at community forums, and also a video of responses from irrigators.

Note - funding is provided on a competitive basis, and also a first-in, first-served basis.

Round 1 applications close 30/11/2012

Round 2 applications close 30/4/2013

The infrastructure funding will provide up to 80% of the infrastructure costs.  The irrigator must agree to transfer a minimun of 50% of the water savings in the form of regulated river general security water access entitlements to the NSW Government.

In addition to funding for infrastructure works, funding is also available for irrigation farm water use efficiency assessments (IFWUEA).

Key contacts in our region for the program are:

Farm Irrigation Modernisation - Applicant Information (166 KB)

DPI Funding for Farm Irrigation Modernisation

The downloadable document below provides information on funding available to irrigators for on-farm water use efficiency works.  It also has a schedule of public meetings to be held in our local area about this funding opportunity.

Farm Irrigation Modernisation Funding Available (209 KB)

Funding opportunities - Murray Darling Basin projects

Murray Darling Basin Funding Opportunities (543 KB)

The Economic Impact of Water in Northern Inland NSW

The Economic Impact of Water in Northern Inland NSW (279 KB)