The Schwager family from Wee Waa in Northern NSW run a relatively small irrigated farming operation - but they say they’ve been given a huge boost by a water sustainability program, with the benefits flowing directly through to the local economy.
The Commonwealth-funded NSW Sustaining the Basin: Irrigated Farm Modernisation program recently awarded its ninth and final round of funding, with five successful proponents joining more than 80 project partners who have taken part since the launch in 2012.
DPI program leader Dr Michael Grabham said the program has enabled the recovery of more than 34 gigalitres so far, through investment in farm modernisation projects including overhead irrigation technology, reconfiguration of water storages, laser levelling of fields, and upgrading to automated systems.
Water recovered to December 2017 comprises of 23,631ML of entitlements transferred back into the Murray Darling Basin for environmental flows, and an extra 10,595ML kept on farm for production.
The Schwagers and their son Liam grow cattle and crops on the 750-hectare “Fernleigh” between Wee Waa and Narrabri.
The program is helping them to laser level fields, renovate a storage dam, and upgrade part of their farm to a bankless channel irrigation system – allowing them to return 98ML to the Basin without impacting production.
“We run just over 200 cattle and we grow 120 – 320 hectares of summer crop depending on water availability, plus a similar area of winter crop when the conditions are right,” Mr Schwager said.
The program, implemented by DPI, has seen $102 million invested in improved infrastructure in NSW. About $79m has been funded Federally, with irrigator partners contributing an additional $23m to projects. DPI staff will continue to provide training resources and support to irrigators over the next twelve months, before the program closes.
“The new infrastructure will make it a lot easier for me than it probably was for Dad when he started out 30 years ago,” said Liam.
Flow-on benefits for Wee Waa
The program is also providing a boost to local businesses in small rural towns.
David ‘Crocket’ Johnson runs Crockweld, a steel fabrication and mobile welding business based in Wee Waa. He and his three employees make water gates, pipes and distribution tanks for irrigators like the Schwagers.
“The bulk of our jobs are with the farm sector,” Mr Johnson said.
“There are not a lot of opportunities for diversification in a small rural town like Wee Waa, so we have specialised in working with irrigation.”
“Almost all of our jobs relate to agriculture, including servicing and truck repairs for other businesses that work for the farmers. Without the farmers and projects like STBIFM, we wouldn’t exist. The whole town, every business in Wee Waa, relies on the irrigation sector.”
Self-employed contractor, Matt Shearin, also worked on the Schwagers’ project.
Mr Shearin is based in Wee Waa, his three kids are at local schools, and he leases his own small farming operation.
He has supplied harvesting services for the cotton industry for many years and has just expanded into a new business with the purchase of a thirty tonne second hand excavator.
Mr Shearin’s first excavator job was with the Schwagers, completing channel work, removing outdated infrastructure, and installing new pipes and gates.
“This sort of funding creates opportunities for people like me, and other contractors and businesses in the community,” he said.
“The fuel companies, the steel suppliers, the blokes driving trucks to bring in equipment, the contractors who supply the laser buckets, they all benefit.”
Alex Druce
Politics and rural issues journo in Sydney. Give me a yell at adruce@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Politics and rural issues journo in Sydney. Give me a yell at adruce@fairfaxmedia.com.au
