Expressions of interest are now open for round four of the $240 million South Australian River Murray Sustainability Irrigation Improvement Program (3IP), with almost $40 million available for irrigators.
South Australian irrigators holding an SA River Murray water licence may be eligible for 3IP funding to help make significant efficiency and business improvements to their irrigation enterprise.
The competitive grants program was created in collaboration with industry as part of the Murray Darling Basin Plan negotiations. The 3IP is supporting the growth of strong and sustainable irrigation communities and helping secure the future health of the South Australian River Murray region by recovering 40GL of water access entitlements from participating irrigators.
South Australian Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Leon Bignell, said, “I’ve visited recipients of these grants and they’ve told me this program has been an incredible boost and it has allowed them to do things they could never have done before.
“Some producers have installed high-tech hydroponic and irrigation systems – delivering huge water savings – and repositioning their businesses to target export markets with higher value crops such as blueberries and pistachios.
“We’re part of a growing world market and it is great to see people in the Riverland getting on board, using this money wisely, creating more jobs and really making sure that an economy that suffered so badly during the drought is thriving now and into the future.
“As well as helping South Australia achieve its water recovery targets under the Basin Plan, we know more than $64 million will be co-invested and about 500 jobs will be created as part of this program,” Mr Bignell said.
Expressions of Interest close 21 April 2017.
