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Department of Climate Change, Energy, Enviroment and Water

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  6. Commonwealth On-Farm Further Irrigation Efficiency Program – South Australian pilot

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Commonwealth On-Farm Further Irrigation Efficiency Program – South Australian pilot

The South Australian pilot of the Commonwealth On-Farm Further Irrigation Efficiency (COFFIE) program funded:

  • upgrades to irrigation infrastructure
  • other activities that improved the productivity of the farm business.

In return, water entitlements were transferred to the Commonwealth for environmental use. Additional water savings could be retained by the irrigator.

The South Australian pilot of COFFIE commenced in September 2016. The program closed to new applications in October 2018. The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board was the delivery partner.

The South Australian pilot of COFFIE delivers water as part of the efficiency measure projects. Read more about efficiency measures.

Fast facts on South Australian pilot of COFFIE

  • launched in 2016 and closed in October 2018
  • $12.1 million (GST exclusive) invested in 66 projects
  • 1.9 gigalitres Long Term Average Annual Yield (LTAAY) of water savings contracted
  • majority of participating farmers involved in wine-grape production
  • over half of projects involved upgrades to drip irrigation systems
  • median project size was $62,533.30 returning 10.8ML to the environment

Monitoring and Evaluation Report

The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board produced a program evaluation report funded by the Australian Government.

Read the report to learn of the outcomes achieved from irrigation efficiency projects through participant surveys and cases studies.

Download

Document File size
COFFIE MERI report PDF 4.1 MB
COFFIE MERI report DOCX 6.5 MB

If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Implementation review

The department produced a report outlining the implementation of the South Australian pilot.

Read the report about program design, lessons learned and an overview of achievements.

Download

Document File size
COFFIE program South Australian pilot implementation review PDF 1.7 MB
COFFIE program South Australian pilot implementation review DOCX 1.6 MB

If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Case studies

Watch our videos featuring farmers and projects funded under COFFIE.

Dave Reilly, date and grape farmer

Download alternative formats

Document File size
Video transcript – Case study 1: Dave Reilly, date and grape farmer DOCX 80 KB

If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Warren Doecke, dairy farmer

Download alternative formats

Document File size
Video transcript – Case study 2 – Warren Doecke, dairy farmer DOCX 77 KB

If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Read more about COFFIE projects:

  • Water matters, April 2019, Farmer gets a sweet water deal on dates and grapes
  • Media release, June 2018, SA COFFIE pilot progressing well
  • Media release, March 2018, Certified irrigation professionals bring confidence to COFFIE pilot

Project information

The pilot funded 66 projects delivering 1.9 gigalitres every year on average over the long term to the environment.

Download data on projects funded under COFFIE.

Project locations

Projects were funded in the South Australian Riverland and Murray regions.

Download the map of projects funded under COFFIE.

Download

Document File size
Map of funded projects PDF 288 KB

If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Eligibility criteria

A guide for participants was produced outlining the projects and participants eligible for funding under COFFIE.

Read the guide for participants.

Download

Document File size
Guide for participants: Commonwealth On-Farm Further Irrigation Efficiency (COFFIE) Program Pilot South Australia PDF 466 KB
Guide for participants: Commonwealth On-Farm Further Irrigation Efficiency (COFFIE) Program Pilot South Australia DOCX 2.0 MB

If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Public consultation on COFFIE design

The department sought comments from interested organisations and individuals in 2015 to inform the design of COFFIE.

Read the report about issues raised by stakeholders during the consultation. The COFFIE pilot program design was modified to reflect outcomes from this process.

Download

Document File size
Key themes: Commonwealth On-Farm Further Irrigation Efficiency (COFFIE) program consultation PDF 1.5 MB
Key themes: Commonwealth On-Farm Further Irrigation Efficiency (COFFIE) program consultation DOCX 1.2 MB

If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.

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Last updated: 19 December 2022

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We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.