Queensland irrigation scheme progresses

The Queensland Government has introduced legislation to support the future implementation of Local Management Arrangements (LMA) for irrigation schemes.

The legislation is in response to concerns raised by irrigators about the long-term sustainability of the existing SunWater irrigation channels.

If passed, LMA would place the channel irrigation schemes under the ownership and operation of local irrigators.

Board members for the next stage of the LMA project have also been appointed, for both the first round of transitioning schemes (transition schemes) and the second group that will be carrying out further investigation on how they could operate under local management (investigation schemes).

Minister for Energy, Biofuels and Water Supply Mark Bailey said that the LMA project empowers local growers to control key water infrastructure.

“Local management will also use local knowledge and know how to reduce costs, increase productivity of the irrigation scheme, and add value to our agricultural sector,” Mr Bailey said.

“This Bill and the board appointments are important steps in the process to deliver local management arrangements.”

Mr Bailey said having the legislation in place early will allow for the implementation of local management as soon as the irrigators and Government agree on the arrangements for the transfer.

“I congratulate the new Chairs and Board members, who have an important leadership role in this process to build support and encourage engagement from scheme customers for local management throughout the next stage of the LMA project,” Mr Bailey said.

“The Boards will then be responsible for agreeing the final terms of the transfer, and then managing the transition of operations and control from SunWater to local management.”

The Board members of the ‘transition’ schemes are:

Emerald	Eton
Ms Annette Smith (Chair) Ms Anne-Marie O’Callaghan Mr David McDougall Mr Peter Galea Mr Ross Burnett Mr Hamish Millar	Mr Lee Blackburn Mr John Mucscat Mr John Palmer Mr Josephine Prior Mr Tom Wallwork
St George	Theodore
Mr Luke Stower (Chair) Mr David Moon Mr Glen Price Mr Ross Landsberg Mr Scott Armstrong	Ms Liz Alexander (Chair) Mr Ed Donohue Mr Greg Austin Mr Kirk Anderson Mr Malcolm Finlayson Mr Peter French

Mr Bailey said the Government was currently finalising a replacement chairperson for the Eton scheme.

“The ‘investigation’ schemes would be responsible for carrying out further investigations and preparing revised business proposals for submission to the Government,” Mr Bailey said.

“Those business proposals will then be considered by the Government to determine whether any of those schemes are ready to commence the transition to local management arrangements.”

The board members for the ‘investigation’ schemes are:

Bundaberg	Burdekin
Mr Maurie Maughan (Chair) Mr Dale Holliss Ms Lynn Smart Mr Mark Mammino Mr Peter Borrows Mr Phil Miller	Mr Mario Barbagallo (Chair) Mr Dan Coutts Mr Evan Shannon Mr Mauro Garbuio Mr Peter Gilbey Mr Peter Hall
Lower Mary	Mareeba
Mr Geoffrey Wormwell (Chair) Mr Allan Birt Mr Bernie Wilson Mr Trevor Crook Mr Trevor Dean Mr Warwick Yates	Mr Joe Moro (Chair) Mr Brett Stevenson Mr Grahame Kirkwood Ms Maryann Salvetti Mr Murray Smith

Mr Bailey encouraged irrigators to work with their Boards to ensure the success of this program – that has been actively pursued by irrigators for many years.