Farm Water Management Planning project
Being drought prepared is about having enough water, where you want it and of good quality. But when the dry season is upon you, then it is too late to be as prepared as you would have liked. Farm water security has multiple benefits including stock health and production, environmental and biodiversity improvements, and importantly, peace of mind at a stressful time.
Farm water security has multiple benefits including stock health and production, environmental and biodiversity improvements, and importantly, peace of mind at a time of climate challenge.
Can you answer any of these questions?
- How much water do your stock (and domestic use) need for a day or week or year, in Summer or Winter?
- How much water storage capacity do you have on your property?
- Does water quality impact stock health and performance?
- Can you build a dam of any size anywhere on your property?
- How can you get water to where you need it on your property?
If you could only answer the first two, then you are well on your way to managing your water and mitigating drought impacts.
BUT if you couldn’t answer those or any others, then perhaps a Farm Water Management Plan is what you could undertake to help map out your options.
On-farm Water Management Project
The On-farm Water Management project aims to reduce the impact of drought through the preparation and implementation of on-farm water management plans (FWMP).
A FWMP determines water needs (stock and domestic) and the capacity to meet these needs (dam, tank, bore). Landholders and farm managers will then implement proven on-farm actions to ensure they have adequate water in the right places across the farm (via storage and reticulation). By managing water, drought impacts on livestock, productive pastures, soil, and natural assets, will be minimised, and production, both during and recovery after drought will be improved.
A series of workshops will be held across the Murray region to assist with the development of FWMPs and assistance will be provided to landholders at 1:1 follow-up sessions to finalise the plans if required.
This project is applicable to all situations where farm grazing enterprises exist, and stock and domestic water is managed on-farm. Within the proposed project area - across Murray and parts of Riverina and South East regions – there are diverse enterprises including grazing, mixed cropping and livestock, and intensive industries such as feedlots, covering over 10 million ha. The project concept, structure and methodology are readily adaptable across grazing enterprises in SE Australia. The project is supporting the adoption of management practices and technologies for better drought preparedness for our landholders.
Project Delivery Partners
The project is a collaborative partnership with the NSW Government through Murray Local Land Services, and farmer and industry organisations across the Murray, Riverina and Southeast Local Land Services regions, including:
- Holbrook Landcare Network
- Riverine Plains
- Western Murray Land Improvement Group
- Corowa District Landcare
- West Hume Landcare
- Rice Growers Association
- Riverina Local Land Services
- South East Local Land Services
This project is also supported by Southern Growers, and Irrigated Cropping Council
Get involved
If you are interested in joining this project and being better prepared for drought, please contact one of the regional groups delivering the project in your area.
Click here to see some of the upcoming events
Funding Partners
The FWMP project is a $1.9 million project, including the generous in-kind contributions from partner organisations and landholders hosting demonstration sites. Funding of $1.5 million is being provided from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
This is a Southern NSW Drought and Innovation Hub project funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
For more information
Contact Paul Simpson, Land Services Officer Local Land Services 0439 384 749 Paul.Simpson@lls.nsw.gov.au