Farmers welcome progress on Ringarooma Irrigation Scheme

Tasmanian farmers today welcomed the next milestone in the journey towards wholesale irrigated farmland that will deliver an unprecedented era of agricultural production in the state.

That milestone was the official launch of the preferred option for the Upper Ringarooma Irrigation Scheme (URIS), which will deliver 9000 ML of high-reliability summer irrigation water to Alberton, Branxholm, Legerwood, Ringarooma, Talawa and Trenah.

The water is to be stored during the winter in a proposed dam on Dunns Creek and distributed during the growing season via 42 kilometres of underground pipes and the Ringarooma River.

The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) said it was a welcome addition to the other irrigation projects on the North-East, the Winnaleah Irrigation Scheme Augmentation and the Headquarters Rd Dam near Scottsdale, which was filling.

“The Upper Ringarooma catchment is one of our best areas for beef, sheep and dairy production,” TFGA chief executive Jan Davis said today.

“It is prime agricultural land, but less than half of the irrigable area is irrigated. We reckon that most of the new water supply will be used for dairying. The rest will irrigate poppies and potatoes and land used for finishing livestock.”

She said that 35 farmers, operating 43 farms, had sought water allocations and it was felt latest demand was even greater.
Jan Davis http://www.tfga.com.au/