As part of the southern connected Murray-Darling Basin, the area is renowned for providing secure, year-round water to support a variety of irrigation-based industries and accounts for approximately 70 per cent of Victoria’s irrigation.

In the face of a changing climate, water security offered by Victorian Goulburn and Murray High Reliability Water Shares (HRWS) is a major drawcard for agricultural enterprises.

Irrigation water primarily comes from two sources, including:

1. Regulated waterways sourced from water storages including Eildon, Hume, Eppalock and Loddon. This is the largest and most reliable source of water in the region with over 1,000GL/y managed by Goulburn Murray Water and Lower Murray Water.
2. Groundwater is very site specific and varies in reliability, quality and quantity. It includes:

• Mid Loddon Groundwater Management Area and the Water Supply Protection areas of Loddon Highlands, Lower Campaspe and Katunga. These areas have individual management plans to increase water reliability, with the ability to trade water across each area.
• Shepparton Irrigation Region Groundwater Management Area which has a large volume of “shallow” groundwater, mostly from recycling excess irrigation applications, and is very site specific.

Water trade availability, reliability, and quality have had a significant bearing on attracting agricultural development to the region.

Regulatory approvals processes are established for new irrigation developments.

All irrigation developments within the GMID must obtain a Water Use Licence¹ (WUL) or a Take and Use Licence² (T&UL) to enable water to be applied to land for the purpose of growing crops. Approval for these licences need to be progressed in parallel with the approvals process for the associated works through a Works Licence.

All new irrigation developments (and significant re-developments) within the Goulburn Murray Water region need to follow the Northern Victoria New Irrigation Development Guidelines (NVIDG). Within the Lower Murray Water supplied irrigation areas, downstream of Nyah, irrigators need to follow the Mallee New Irrigation Development Guidelines. This should be discussed with an Agriculture Victoria Irrigation Development Coordinator (IDC) before proceeding.

The IDC will provide free impartial advice on a range of topics including explaining requirements and your responsibilities regarding native vegetation and cultural heritage considerations, planning controls for earthworks and off-site impacts to ensure all irrigation design options are discussed and understood.

1. A Water Use Licence (WUL) applies to declared regulated waterways. Each licence has conditions set by the Minister for Water which are specified on the licence.
2. A Take and Use licence applies to either a fixed term or ongoing entitlement to take and use water from an undeclared waterway, catchment dam, spring, soak or aquifer. Each licence has conditions set by the Minister for Water which are specified on the licence.

An investment of more than $2 billion from the Victorian Government’s Connections Project has modernised the GMID in recent years to increase efficiency, improve the delivery of water to irrigation businesses and secure the region’s future.

Water saving measures have included upgrading channels with plastic lining and clay remodelling, automating the operation of irrigation channels through meters and decommissioning some channels. The modernisation has resulted in 429GL of water savings per year and is estimated to increase irrigation water delivery efficiency in the GMID to at least 85 per cent.

For irrigation businesses, the modernised system provides consistent high flows, with shorter ordering times and capacity for automated control of outlets. The consistent high flows, or instantaneous flow rate, is particularly important for high flow flood irrigation.

Enhanced irrigation efficiency has resulted in water, labour and input cost savings on-farm, with many agricultural businesses expanding or diversifying to achieve wider economies of scale in their production.

The Robinvale Irrigation District was extensively modernised in 2009 and provides a high pressure piped supply that mostly serves high value table grape production. It is the only district in Victoria where most irrigators do not require their own pumps.

Guided by the community-led Goulburn Murray Resilience Strategy – which sets out a ‘resilience framework’ to help respond to the region’s most pressing issues – your agricultural investment will be prepared to adapt, transform and thrive in the face of a changing climate.

Temperatures and sunlight during the growing season combined with good management techniques means premium quality product for farmers in the region. Lower rainfall during the autumn harvest period is prized for the reduced risk of rain damage to horticultural crops.  The region is renowned for producers of perishable products including fruit to produce varieties for early, mid, and late markets.

Repurposing of former dairy country has created flat, easily developed land with good access to water and electricity.

A range of fertile soils can be found in the region, which have been extensively mapped and categorised based on their suitability for irrigation. The area has a diversity of soils from Mallee soil types in the Swan Hill region to Riverine soils in the GMID. There is an extensive knowledge base to match appropriate irrigation systems and crop types to soil types and drainage status. This information can be accessed from local irrigation companies, industry groups, private consultants and Agriculture Victoria.

Land use strategies across the local government areas of the GMID ensure that planning schemes support agricultural growth and change, and are responsive to rural issues.

The wide open spaces of the western portion of the GMID lend themselves well to intensive animal production with stringent biosecurity practices.

In addition to on-farm biosecurity, the GMID has several active regional programs to support the management and education of the serious horticultural pest, the Queensland fruit fly. They include:

• No Flies on Us! program
• The Greater Sunraysia Pest Free Area (PFA).

Action plans to reduce fruit fly numbers involve:

• Use of sterile insect technology
• Trapping programs
• Identifying hot spots
• Voluntary host tree removal programs
• Community awareness and engagement programs through field days, workshops and local media advertising.

Running rivers, sweeping lakes, dense forests and thriving vegetation are the backbone of the GMID’s rural lifestyle, supporting biodiversity and the wider economy. These natural assets also underpin the agricultural industry, contributing to carbon sequestration and stimulating the restoration economy.

The health of our region’s natural assets is safeguarded through regional catchment strategies, biodiversity plans, environmental strategies and on-the-ground initiatives to enhance native vegetation in the GMID.