Healthy HeadWaters Water Use Efficiency project - technical advice
Financial assistance is now available to eligible Queensland Murray–Darling Basin irrigators to engage an irrigation consultant to help them assess the performance of their current irrigation operations and plan to improve their on-farm water use efficiency.
Irrigators may use the information and advice in their decision on whether to apply for infrastructure funding under the Healthy HeadWaters Water Use Efficiency (HHWUE) project.
Services
Funding is available for services in the following fields:
- measurement of evaporation and seepage losses from on-farm storages
- measurement of on-farm storages
- water auditing (system performance and/or whole farm water balances)
- farm level irrigation design
- water accounting and removing overland flow conditions.
Other services may also be eligible for funding. Irrigators considering services not included in the above list are encouraged to contact DNRM to discuss eligibility.
Eligibility
An applicant must:
- hold a tradeable surface water allocation in the Condamine and Balonne, Border Rivers or Moonie catchments that is used for irrigated agriculture
- have the ability to permanently trade at least 10 megalitres as an unencumbered water allocation.
Funding available
Funding will cover up to 80 per cent of an irrigator’s costs to engage an irrigation consultant (to a maximum of $4000 GST exclusive per business ABN). The consultant will be required to provide the irrigator with a written report of their findings on water use efficiency options for the irrigator’s situation.
Consultants
In order to receive funding, irrigators must use an irrigation consultant holding at least one of the following qualifications/certifications:
- Irrigation Australia Certified Irrigation Designer
- Irrigation Australia Certified Irrigation Agronomist
- Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland.
Application process
Irrigators seeking to access funding must submit a completed technical services application form. DNRM will advise on the outcome of this application in writing within five working days.
The following documents are available to irrigators applying for technical advice. To request a hard copy or further information, contact the HHWUE project team on telephone (07) 4529 1321 or email hhwue@dnrm.qld.gov.au.
Technical advice in water use efficiency brochure (PDF, 611K)*
Technical advice funding guidelines (PDF, 61K)*
Application form (PDF)*
Report form (PDF, 739K)*
* Requires Adobe Reader
Last updated 1 February 2013
