Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water Jane Howlett sent her best wishes to the water industry ahead of the Christmas break.
Access to reliable water is vital to the Tasmanian Government’s plans to grow the value of agriculture. Water underpins our electricity supply, supports our mining and forestry industries and a business case is being developed for a green hydrogen hub supplied by Hydro water.
It’s also critical for our drinking water supply and our aquatic ecosystems, significant in Aboriginal culture and enjoyed by Tasmanians and visitors alike.
How we balance these competing uses and users requires careful management to ensure we have clean and reliable water for all Tasmanians.
Tasmania, like the rest of the country, is no stranger to the effects of a changing climate. This year we had both flooding and drought conditions experienced across much of Tasmania.
The prolonged dry resulted in record demand for reliable irrigation water. Tasmanian Irrigation responded by delivering an unprecedented 100,593 megalitres of water to Tasmanian farmers.
This was a 177 per cent increase on the quantity of water delivered last year and demonstrates the commitment of Tasmanian Irrigation to getting water to its customers where and when it’s needed.
Importantly, this water enabled crops to be finished, pastures to prosper and livestock to reach target weights. Without it, farmers face reduced yields, crop failure, selling off livestock and reduced revenue, which would have had a marked flow-on effect for Tasmania’s economy.
There is no doubt that the investment that has occurred in Tasmania over the past 15 years in irrigation infrastructure has underpinned substantial job creation, regional economic growth, and on-farm drought proofing.
During the Christmas period many of us are looking forward to spending quality time with family and taking a break from the busyness of their daily lives.
But we know that’s not always the case for our farmers and water operators. Water demands don’t stop just because it’s Christmas Day.
I know many of our dedicated farming families will be working this holiday season to ensure there is incredible produce on our tables.
Without their efforts we wouldn’t be able to celebrate this time of year in the way we do, so thank you.
My warmest Christmas wishes to you all. I hope 2024 has treated you well and I look forward to seeing what we can do bigger and better in 2024.
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