Water for Fodder—Review

We reviewed Round 1 of the Water for Fodder program.

This was a requirement in the agreement between the Australian and South Australian Governments.

The Australian Government has announced that Round 2 will not proceed.

Learn more.

Terms of reference

The review examined:

• water availability
• risk exposure of water-dependent agricultural sectors across the Basin
• the appropriateness of the current eligibility requirements
• possible improvements to the administration of the program.

Download

Department of Agriculture, 2019

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Independent report into water availability and risk exposure

The department engaged an independent consultant to review the:

• water availability in the Basin
• risk exposure of water-dependent agricultural sectors across the southern Basin in 2020-21.

The consultant made eight key findings:

1. Adelaide Desalination Plant production will be required in 2020–21, although it is constrained by operational considerations and water availability in both the River Murray and Western Mount Lofty Ranges.
2. At this time, South Australia does not have sufficient water security based on the current low water availability in the Mount Lofty Ranges and Murray-Darling Basin to permit Round 2 of the Water for Fodder program.
3. Only under specific water availability conditions could the Adelaide Desalination Plant be used to substitute River Murray water.
4. Significant rainfall is required to improve storage levels above 2019–20.
5. Allocations are expected to start low.
6. Water market prices likely to remain high if low water availability continues into 2020–21.
7. The projected demand and consequences for different irrigated commodities will be a driven by water availability and capacity to pay for water.
8. Commodities with a higher capacity to pay for water have more opportunity to purchase water and remain sustainable.

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Marsden Jacob Associates, 2020

The report has not been prepared by the department and may not meet Australian Government accessibility guidelines. If you require an accessible version of the report, please contact the author.

Eligibility and program improvements

We asked for your feedback about the eligibility requirements and how we could improve program administration.

We received over 800 survey responses and several written submissions.

Submissions received

Key industry stakeholders were invited to provide feedback. A number of private individuals also made written submissions.

We would like to thank all those who made a submission.

Disclaimer: Submissions have been published below unless authors have not authorised publication of their submission on the department’s webpage.

Views or opinions expressed in submissions reflect those of the organisation or individual making the submission. The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment does not endorse the views or opinions expressed in any submission.

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment makes no representations or warranties regarding the contents of submissions published on this website, including with respect to factual accuracy and intellectual property. Intellectual property in submissions is held by the author of the submission and the author is responsible for factual accuracy. The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment disclaims all liability in relation to the publication of the submissions on this website.

Submissions

Published submissions may not meet Australian Government accessibility guidelines as they have not been prepared by the department.

• Alister W Watt (PDF 172 KB)
• Coleambally Irrigation Co-operative (PDF 142 KB)
• Goulburn-Murray Water (PDF 334 KB)
• Murrumbidgee Irrigation (PDF 153 KB)
• NSW Farmers Association (PDF 235 KB)
• Renmark Irrigation Trust (PDF 343 KB)

Download the report on stakeholder views

Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, 2020

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.