The Australian Federal Government has announced $100 million of funding for the Tasmanian Tranche 3 Pipeline to Prosperity project, adding to the thriving Tasmanian agricultural sector.
Water is liquid gold and irrigation is transforming Tasmanian agriculture, creating jobs and expanding farm production to meet the growing demand for Tasmania’s premium produce.
Pipeline to Prosperity will be the third tranche of irrigation schemes developed in Tasmania by State and Federal Governments in partnership with farmers. The Tasmanian Government has already committed $70 million to Tranche 3 of Pipeline to Prosperity.
The Federal Government commitment will enable Tasmanian Irrigation to proceed with five irrigation projects, whilst the planning for other proposed schemes continues.
Access to this irrigation water will enable farmers to consider new high-value enterprises such as wine grapes, dairy, cropping, horticulture, value add existing enterprises and livestock finishing.
Irrigation development is a key plank of the Tasmanian Government’s AgriFood Plan and to meet Tasmanian Irrigation’s target to grow the farm gate value of Tasmania’s agricultural sector to $10 billion per annum by 2050.
When fully implemented, Pipeline to Prosperity will deliver 10 proposed irrigation schemes which will provide an additional 78,000 ML of water, creating thousands of jobs and returning an estimated $114 million each year to the agriculture sector, and the Tasmanian economy more broadly.
