The Southern Midlands irrigation scheme will be situated across the Central Highlands and Southern Midlands Council regions. The scheme also has potential to support irrigation activities in the Brighton Council region.
The region proposed for the Southern Midlands currently incorporates a significant number of land holdings that provide a range of agricultural products. This varies from livestock to broadacre cropping to wool and a small amount of dairy, fruit and wine grapes. 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, trading and movement of water between properties.
Demand for 31,500 ML summer season was indicated from initial Expressions of Interest sought in March 2018.
The concept design for the scheme is based on a 30,000ML, 180-day summer irrigation season with the potential for an additional winter season being explored. The proposed scheme consists of a low lift pump station sourcing water from Hydro’s upper Derwent catchment suppling through the Bothwell region with a lift pump station near Shiners Hill providing water through to Jericho and Kempton. There is potential to provide supply through to Hollow Tree, Elderslie and Broadmarsh areas with additional branch lines. The scheme also provides an interconnection with the existing Southern Highlands Irrigation Scheme and the potential for connections into the South-East Irrigation Schemes.