In order to encourage the continuing growth of Tasmania’s agricultural industries, the state government has committed $30 million to building a second tranche of irrigation projects, including the Circular Head Irrigation Scheme that will deliver reliable water to prime dairy and cropping land in the state’s far north-west.
A further $500,000 of funding has also been allocated to Tasmanian Irrigation, the government’s irrigation specialists, to investigate the potential for interconnectivity and modernisation across all irrigation districts, new and old.
Circular Head has significant agricultural growth potential once it can provide certainty of access to high quality, reliable water to pursue further opportunities.
The recent launch of the preferred option represents a milestone for the Circular Head Irrigation Scheme project.
This 21,400 mega-litre scheme would take water from the Welcome, Montagu, and Arthur rivers in periods of high flow, store it in dams, and then deliver to participating landholders through a 100km network of underground pipes via several pump stations.
The scheme will boost employment in Circular Head and across Tasmania with up to 108 full-time positions expected to be created on-farm and in the farm service sector.
The local community believes there is a strong case for such a scheme to drive the expansion of existing dairy and irrigated cropping enterprises.
Once Tasmanian Irrigation has received community feedback on the preferred option the project will commence water sales and then a business case for the scheme will be developed.
