Seeking Comments about Sustainable Irrigation
North East Catchment Management Authority are seeking feedback from the community and other stakeholders to guide the renewal of the North East Sustainable Irrigation Plan (the Plan).
The Plan will set strategic direction and identify activities to enable sustainable irrigation in the North East catchment area.
A Discussion Paper, which can be found at INSERT LINK has been developed using information from a recent electronic survey of irrigators, existing data and discussions with Agriculture Victoria, Goulburn Murray Water and the Department of Land, Water and Environment (DELWP).
Project Manager Brooke Hermans from the North East CMA said that through the release of the Discussion Paper “We hope to make sure that the information presented is accurate and that local priorities are reflected.”
“We also want to ensure that all stakeholders who are interested in or affected by the outcomes of the Plan are given the opportunity to have input”.
Comments on the Discussion Paper close on 26 October 2018. A further period of public consultation is scheduled in early 2019 when a full draft of the North East Sustainable Irrigation Plan is released.
Irrigators also can still add their own information and priorities through an online survey which has been re-opened for people who didn’t complete the survey in July 2018. This can be accessed by visiting INSERT LINK.
Land and Water Management Plans (LWMP) are regionally developed plans that set out the objectives and actions to support sustainable irrigation. They are the building blocks for ensuring government and community efforts are aligned and funds are used effectively. They have a community and irrigator focus; recognise the importance of both farm productivity and sustainability; and help align decision making by local agencies and local, regional and state land and water managers.
The North East LWMP will provide a platform for cross-agency and industry engagement, being used as a guiding document for land and water management programs by a range of agencies including North East CMA, Goulburn Murray Water, the Environmental Protection Authority, DELWP and Agriculture Victoria, all of whom play a role in implementation of the Plan.
The Victorian Government’s Sustainable Irrigation Program utilises the North East LWMP to guide investment for programs generally related to improved practices on irrigated land including and salinity and nutrient management in the region.
This project is a component of the Sustainable Irrigation Futures Initiative (SIFI) partnership, a further four-year collaboration between the DELWP Sustainable Irrigation team and its delivery partners which include the North East CMA and the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources.