For the past nine years, Campbell Town farmers Mady and Pat Taylor have been leasing water from neighbouring properties and pumping out of the local river when levels and river health allow.

“It’s been a bit of a juggling act to be honest,” Mady shared.

“We never know if we will have enough water to finish our crops or livestock, which makes it very uncertain and stressful.”

That’s why Mady and Pat are investing more than $3 million in irrigation infrastructure, including pivots across almost 70 per cent of their 650-hectare Greenhill property, and have applied for 850 megalitres of water entitlements from the Northern Midlands Irrigation Scheme.

This 25,500-megalitre project is on track to deliver first water in 2026. With farmland tightly held around the Taylors, intensification on their existing holding is their focus.

“Water is an incredibly valuable investment for our farm to shore up the future for us and our agricultural business,” Mady said.

“We will intensify our livestock and cropping enterprises, grow high-value crops like potatoes more often, finish our Merino crossbreds and Angus and Hereford cattle rather than selling them as stores and employ a farm worker to help Pat.

“Tasmanian Irrigation water will also make our business more attractive for our children Alice and Ruth if they choose to take on the farm, as we have set it up in a more sustainable manner.”

Mady, who works as a national Corporate Affairs Advisor for Nutrien Ag, said high-surety irrigation water also underpins innovation, ideas, technology and education.

“We are already seeing the next generation, new families and new workers coming into the Northern Midlands community. There is no doubt that irrigation schemes have a huge positive impact on rural areas.”