West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (the CMA) and Agriculture Victoria have opened a new round of farm plan incentives, and for the first time, farmers in Warragul, Thorpdale, and Noojee are eligible to apply.
Up to $10,000 per farm is available through the Lake Wellington Irrigation Efficiency Incentive Program to help with the cost of a professionally designed irrigation plan.
"A farm plan sets down on paper the irrigation design for an individual property," Agriculture Victoria senior irrigation extension officer Alexi Killoran said.
"This can be a simple irrigation system, right up to a detailed survey and design with integrated farm infrastructure. The final farm plan provides a comprehensive document to refer to whenever the farm business is ready to implement the planned design.
"Designing an irrigation farm plan is the first essential step for any irrigation renovation," said CMA irrigation development co-ordinator Brad Missen. "Through the Irrigation Incentives Program, the CMA and Agriculture Victoria will work with you to develop a plan and design that's tailored to your property and farm business."
"As part of the farm planning process, the business goals and values, irrigation design, water use efficiency, staged development, and any environmental or statutory requirements are considered and planned for," Brad explained.
Boisdale beef farmer Nicky Reeves recommends the program: "I had lots of support from the Ag Vic team through the farm planning process. They provided different points of view, and together we found ways to solve the irrigation problems on farm.
"With their help I felt comfortable interacting with statutory authorities to make sure everything was compliant and approvable, and the rules and regulations were explained so that they made sense, and I understood why they were necessary."
The IEIP has been running in the Macalister Irrigation District for 25 years with irrigators helping to retain 46 gigalitres of nutrient rich water, carrying an estimated 23 tonnes of phosphorus, on-farm every year.
"That's a huge load of phosphorus being kept out of the waterways and the Gippsland Lakes and wetlands and it's thanks to those farmers who put their hands up to get involved in our sustainable irrigation programs that we've been able to see these great results," Brad said.
"We want to continue supporting as many irrigators as possible which is why we're excited to expand the program outside the Macalister Irrigation District," he said.
"If you've never had an irrigation farm plan developed before or it's been over ten years since you've made any irrigation improvements, now is the time to do it."
Applications are now open with funding allocated on a first-come, first served basis.
Call the CMA on 1300 094 262 or visit wgcma.vic.gov.au/farm-plans for more information.
The Lake Wellington Irrigation Efficiency Incentive Program is run by West Gippsland CMA and Agriculture Victoria and funded by the Victorian Government's Sustainable Irrigation Program.