The $10.6 million Kindred- North Motton Irrigation Scheme in the Tasmania’s North-West has been opened by the state Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Bryan Green.
Mr Green said the latest in a string of new Tasmanian irrigation schemes aimed at boosting agricultural productivity through increased water security would be a significant boost to growers in the area.
“Farmers have invested $3 million in this scheme, which is in a region that has some of the richest soils in the country,” Mr Green said.
“Their investment will see 35 on farm jobs created and 18 indirect jobs, which will help grow the region’s economy.
“The district services highly productive pasture and cropping land around the townships of Kindred, Sprent, Abbotsham, Forth, Gawler, Ulverstone and North Motton.”
The scheme has the capacity to supply 2500 megalitres of water per annum with the supply sourced from the Forth River.
Reliability is underpinned by releases from Lake Paloona; a water-storage owned and operated by Hydro Tasmania.
From the Forth River, water is pumped to a holding dam located near Sprent and delivered throughout the district by distribution pipelines, which minimises losses associated with other delivery systems.
Water in the distribution pipeline is pressurised at the Spent Dam Pump Station for supply into either the main Spalford line or the small Sprent Line.
Mr Green said the project was made possible thanks to the outstanding construction efforts of three Tasmanian companies.
“Shaw Contracting built the Sprent dam. Zezt manufactured and supplied the HDPE pipe (high density polyethylene pipe) and VEC Civil Engineering built the pump stations and distribution pipe network.”
This scheme is the sixth project to be completed under the irrigation development program.
