The region proposed for Detention currently incorporates a small number of land holdings that provide a range of agricultural products that support dairying. This varies from dairying to pasture and cereal crops for stock. The construction of a dedicated irrigation scheme will increase the area of land able to be irrigated – thereby allowing changes in agricultural activity to high value commodities, and trading and movement of water between properties.
The proposed concept will result in the construction of approximately
12-15 kilometres of distribution pipelines to service properties from
Montumana to Hellyer. The proposed scheme will provide flexibility to
supply irrigators in these areas through either a piped supply or
riparian release into the Detention River or Wilsons Creek.
To date, there has been insufficient demand expressed to develop a detailed engineering concept design report. The current proposed scheme assumes a minimum of 3,000 ML of water sales for the scheme to proceed. The concept scheme has been developed with an uplift in costs to reflect current pricing and to allow for the installation of additional pump stations and pipelines to allow for servicing of properties. The proposed scheme incorporates a pump station with a 0.4 kilometre rising main from the Detention River pumping winter flows to a dam to be constructed on the Alarm River. A preliminary water assessment suggests that there may be insufficient water available to support delivery of 3,000 ML in accordance with TI’s irrigator service charter, this will need to be confirmed through further water monitoring.