Southern Highlands Irrigation Scheme
Tranche Two

After years of drought, the area around Bothwell is set to be transformed by water stored and piped to irrigators by Tasmanian Irrigation

The Southern Highlands Irrigation Scheme commenced operations in November 2017 and services the Bothwell area in the Southern Midlands of Tasmania. Water is harvested into the Southernfield Dam from the Shannon River and delivered via 58.4km of pipe from the dam at Waddamana Road in the north to Bothwell, and south to Hollow Tree. A pipeline also runs east from Bothwell to Pitcairns Marsh.

A pump station is located south of Waddamana Road on the banks of the Shannon River. The pump station can pump to the dam, into the scheme or a combination of both at the same time. There are also two booster pumps at Bothwell and Hollow Tree.

Towns / area serviced

Bothwell

Principal primary production focus of scheme

Poppies, pasture seed crops, cereals, hemp seed and pasture production for beef and sheep

Length of irrigation season

120-day summer delivery (past three seasons in excess of 200 days)

58

KMs of Pipeline

1

Dam

3

Pump Stations

0

Power Stations

Approval October 2013
Construction started October 2015
Operations commenced November 2017
Capacity 7,215 ML
Cost $31.26 million
Number of irrigators 20
Forecast opening November
Forecast closing March
Daily flow rate 60.13 ML / day
Initial water sales cost $1,200 / ML
Percentage of entitlements sold 100%
ML available to buy 0
Operational
Order Water from the Scheme

Contacts

Please contact our friendly team for more information about the Southern Highlands:

Robert Stacey
Scheme Operator
Anthony Monk
Scheme Operator
Richard Hallett
SHIS Irrigator Committee Chair