Tasmanian Fruit Growers Left ‘High and Dry’ Join Campaign for $150 Million Federal Irrigation Funding

Fruit Growers Tasmania has joined forces with TasFarmers to campaign for the Federal Government’s $150 million share of the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme funding.

Lowdina Orchard owner Ian Newnham said without the critical irrigation he would be forced to take drastic action at his Campania cherry and apricot farm. 

“If it doesn’t happen, I’ll be pulling up trees and downsizing our staL, it’s as simple as that,” Mr 
Newnham said. 

“Like a lot of us in and around the Coal River Valley, we expanded our business in anticipation for the irrigation scheme. We planted another couple of thousand apricots and probably 10,000 cherry trees in preparation for the promised water. 

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“It was an educated bet, given that every other scheme promised in the past has been funded and there is a long lead time from planting to fruit for us.

“Now, it seems we’ve been left high and dry because the Federal Government didn’t put its money where its mouth was in the last Budget, we were all gobsmacked.”

Fruit Growers Tasmania CEO Peter Cornish said the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme was critical to the future and growth of the state’s $325 million fruit industry. 

“The fruits, berries and cherries already being produced from across the GSEIS region are 
internationally prized and worth a premium price,” Mr Cornish said. 

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“Take cherries for example, Tasmania is the leading export state for cherries with over half of Australia’s cherry exports grown right here in our state. Across the scheme, there are five cherry exporters with over 100 hectares of orchards who export to China, Thailand, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. 

“There is plenty of potential to increase this and the demand is there, but we just need more water and that’s what this scheme can deliver.”

Last month, TasFarmers announced that their number one priority for the Federal Election was securing Federal funding to match $75 million from the State Government and $75 million from irrigators for the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme (GSEIS).

GSEIS will provide water surety for farmers with an expected net benefit of $291 million, as well as creating 225 construction jobs and 468 direct and indirect ongoing jobs.

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Background
The Greater South East Irrigation Scheme will integrate the three existing (stage 1, 2 and 3) schemes in the south east into a new, interconnected single scheme with a new water source to supply the Stages 2 and 3.

It will service existing and additional demand around Gretna, Jordan River Valley, Brighton, Richmond, Dulcot, Cambridge, Colebrook, Campania, Tea Tree, Orielton, Pawleena, Penna, Sorell, Forcett, Elderslie and Broadmarsh.

The proposed scheme will increase reliability of supply and support significant growth to one of the driest areas in the State. In this area, the principal primary production focus is cherries, apples, salad vegetables, wine grapes, stone fruit, cereal crops, lucerne, walnuts and olives.

The Scheme will source water directly from Lake Meadowbank in the Derwent Valley, supplied by Hydro Tasmania. 

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The existing schemes source water from a combination of the Craigbourne Dam via the Coal River (stage 1) and through treated water supplied by TasWater from Bryn Estyn (stages 2 and 3), which is Hobart’s primary source of drinking water. 

This Scheme is one of the third tranche of projects identified in the Pipeline to Prosperity Program. This program was added to Infrastructure Australia’s “priority initiatives” in 2019