Looking Ahead to season 2025/26

Some climate models are beginning to suggest the possibility of a spring break, with improved rainfall forecast across eastern Australia. While these projections remain uncertain, there is cautious optimism that Tasmania may benefit from this shift. Should it eventuate, it would bring significant relief to the agricultural sector, which has been under considerable pressure due to prolonged dry conditions.

However, despite the potential for a wetter spring, concerns are mounting among farmers about what summer may hold. Recent months have seen extremely dry and challenging conditions in South Australia and Victoria, and there is growing unease that similar patterns could extend into Tasmania. The unpredictability of seasonal conditions underscores the importance of robust planning and preparedness.

Tasmanian Irrigation is fully equipped and ready to support irrigators throughout the 2025–26 irrigation season. Our infrastructure and operational teams are prepared to deliver water where and when it is needed, in accordance with irrigator entitlements and allocations. The true value of irrigation becomes most evident during dry spells, when timely water access can make the difference between crop failure and success, or between stressed pastures and productive growth.

TI remains committed to ensuring reliable water delivery, supporting agricultural resilience, and helping irrigators navigate the challenges of a changing climate.

IRC meetings being held / completed and why they are important;

Tasmanian Irrigation has recently concluded all 19 Irrigator Representative Committee (IRC) meetings, marking the completion of a significant annual engagement process. Spanning over the last three to four months, this initiative demands substantial coordination across multiple teams, involving extensive staff hours dedicated to preparation, financial analysis, and forecasting

These meetings serve as a cornerstone for transparent communication with our irrigators, providing a platform to present detailed financials and collaboratively determine the water price and Asset Renewal Levy (ARL) for the upcoming irrigation season. The process is not merely administrative, it reflects our commitment to fairness, accountability, and responsiveness to the needs of our stakeholders. A consistent theme among TI staff throughout this process is the importance of empathy and perspective. We strive to approach pricing decisions by placing ourselves in the shoes of our irrigators, recognising the pressures they face and the impact our decisions have on their operations.

While TI, like any commercial enterprise, is exposed to global market forces and rising costs and no practical avenue to absorb them, we remain committed to leveraging our scale, industry relationships, and collective bargaining power to negotiate favourable terms with suppliers and mitigate cost pressures wherever possible.

This approach underscores our broader mission: to deliver reliable, cost-effective water services while maintaining financial sustainability and fostering trust with our irrigation communities.

Repairs and maintenance priorities for winter

Winter presents a critical window for Tasmanian Irrigation to undertake essential repairs and maintenance across our infrastructure network. With irrigation demand at its seasonal low, this period allows us to safely access assets, perform detailed inspections, and carry out both preventative and corrective works without disrupting water delivery.

Our winter maintenance program is strategically prioritised based on asset condition assessments, operational risk, and feedback from irrigators and field staff. Key focus areas include:

• Structural Integrity Checks: Dams, weirs, and major pipelines are inspected for signs of wear, erosion, or fatigue. Any identified issues are addressed to ensure long-term reliability and safety.
• Pump Station Servicing: Pumps are overhauled, electrical systems tested, and components replaced as needed to ensure optimal performance heading into the next irrigation season.
• Valve and Meter Maintenance: Critical control valves and flow meters are calibrated and serviced to maintain accuracy and responsiveness during peak demand periods.
• SCADA and Telemetry Upgrades: System diagnostics are performed on remote monitoring and control systems, with software updates and hardware replacements implemented where necessary.

In addition to routine maintenance, this winter’s program successfully delivered a series of targeted upgrades and rehabilitation projects identified through Tasmanian Irrigation’s asset management planning. These works were aligned with our long-term strategy to extend asset life, reduce the risk of unplanned outages, and enhance service delivery across our irrigation schemes.

Key completed works include the replacement of the Derby Valve House, along with associated civil works to improve operational reliability and safety. At the Meander Dam, we completed significant rectification and structural strengthening of the de-stilling basin, ensuring the continued integrity and performance of this critical infrastructure.

We also addressed storm damage sustained during August and September, which had impacted multiple assets across the North East and Northern schemes. These repairs were prioritised and successfully completed, restoring full functionality and resilience ahead of the 2025–26 irrigation season.

Dam Levels

Most Tasmanian Irrigation dams are in a strong position heading into the 2025–26 irrigation season, with storage levels generally healthy across the network. However, there are a few notable exceptions that require close monitoring and proactive management:

• Southernfield Dam (Bothwell) is currently sitting at approximately 30% capacity, well below optimal levels.
• Mill Creek Dam (Smithton) is at 50% capacity, which, while better, still presents a risk if dry conditions persist.

To help mitigate potential shortfalls, TI has proactively engaged with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE) to request a temporary reduction in the trigger levels required to harvest water from Duck River and Mill Creek. This measure aims to maximise water capture opportunities during any rainfall events leading into spring.

In parallel, the TI team has arranged a third party water purchase to support irrigators in the Southern Highlands. While this will provide some relief, it will not offset the shortfall, and irrigators may still face difficult decisions particularly around whether to order higher cost water from Great Lake to meet summer demand.

Dam Safety

Over the past three months, Tasmanian Irrigation has undertaken a series of dam safety activities including daily and periodic inspections, condition assessments, and targeted rectification works, most notably the strengthening of the Meander Dam de-stilling basin to ensure continued compliance with safety standards and to maintain the integrity of critical water infrastructure ahead of the 2025–26 irrigation season.

Statewide asset priorities

Continuous improvement of our SCADA systems remains a key statewide priority for Tasmanian Irrigation. Recent enhancements have strengthened control and monitoring capabilities, improved alarm rationalisation (an ongoing effort), and boosted operational efficiency and responsiveness across multiple schemes.

In parallel, TI’s Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) is undergoing a comprehensive five-year refresh in 2025. This update will ensure our asset strategies remain aligned with ISO 55000 standards and continue to support long-term service delivery, risk management, and informed investment planning.