Back to Search ResultsWater Efficiency Program
Grant
Closes: 31st of December 2023
Value: Unspecified - Over $1 million
Run By: Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
Further Information: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/water/mdb/programs/basin-wide/water-efficiency
If you have held water rights for at least 3 years in the Murray–Darling Basin you may be eligible for funding.
An eligible participant is someone who:
- owns an eligible water right
- is capable of transferring that water to the Commonwealth under a contract to do efficiency works to achieve water savings.
You can apply as a project partner or through a delivery partner. If you have a project over $1 million, you can now register your interest as a project partner. Projects under $1 million must be applied for through a delivery partner.
Eligibility criteria for project partners in NSW are:
- Projects must be made public.
- Projects do not negatively impact on social and environmental outcomes.
- The project assessment for funding must be clear, timely, simple and transparent, and not unduly increase red tape.
- Programs or projects support regional economies.
- Programs or projects do not have negative third-party impacts on the irrigation system, water markets or regional communities.
- Projects need to be assessed for their potential to impact on the price of water.
- Any cultural impacts identified, protected or improved.
- Program design should include close engagement with community and industry leaders.
- Where practical, seek to develop and implement integrated implementation of efficiency measures to maximise benefits to the irrigation network and local enterprises.
- Monitoring and evaluation, including of socio-economic outcomes, should be built into programs and used to regularly review and adapt programs, as required.
- Projects must deliver real water savings and not result in profiteering or rorting.
- Projects should identify improved capacity to respond to changes in business environment including drought and climate resilience.
Last Updated: 15th of October 2020