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Southern Rural Water has announced 100 per cent low-reliability water shares for the Macalister Irrigation District with the additional allocation due to the fact Lake Glenmaggie currently sits at 83 per cent capacity. Photo: File
A full allocation for the MID’s irrigators
SOUTHERN Rural Water has announced 100 per cent low-reliability water shares for the Macalister Irrigation District. Irrigators will receive 100 per cent allocation on their low-reliability shares this season, in addition to 100 per cent high-reliability water shares. Southern Rural Water announced the additional allocation increase after reviewing the current volume in Lake Glenmaggie. Water supply manager Simon Wilkinson said that with Lake Glenmaggie at 83 per cent full, there was plenty of capacity for Macalister Irrigation District farmers to complete their final irrigations before the close of the season on May 15. "Lake Glenmaggie is a highly reliable storage with a catchment four times the size of the Thomson Dam, despite being only one-fifth its size," he said. "Irrigation demand had been slower this season, largely due to consistent rainfall throughout the season and a wet catchment. “We had confidence in the storage volumes to open the season with 100 per cent high-reliability water allocation. "Good inflows throughout the season has meant Macalister Irrigation District customers received spill entitlement up until December 15, using more than 8000 megalitres (ML) during this spill period. “This effectively allowed them to ‘reset’ their allocation for 100 per cent high-reliability water shares from December 15, 2021 onwards.” With the consistent rainfalls through the season there has been a reduced demand on the irrigation system. This has seen one of the lowest delivery periods of recent times with only 63,000 ML being delivered to date. Mr Wilkinson reminded Macalister Irrigation District stock and domestic customers that the pipeline outlets, along with channel water, are not available when the irrigation system is shut down for winter. “Those relying on it will need to make alternative arrangements for the shutdown period between May 15 and August 15,” he said. Irrigators can contact the Water Supply team on 1300 139 510 for more information.
Young Farmers Scholarships are available
YOUNG farmers across the state can now apply for the 2022 Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarships to help their careers grow and support their contribution to Victoria's vibrant agriculture sector. Launching this year’s scholarship program last week, Agriculture Victoria’s acting executive director of Agriculture Policy, Dr Julie Simons encourages young farmers to apply for the scholarships that will allow them to take the next steps in their agricultural careers. “In an industry that is undergoing constant evolution, fostering our young talent and giving them tools to thrive and succeed is vital,” she said. Under the program, which has awarded 89 scholarships since 2015, eligible young farmers can boost their skills and careers with up to $10,000 each to upskill through training or education, and to invest on-farm or for further professional development. In 2021, 13 young farmers were awarded scholarships covering the breadth of Victoria’s agriculture regions and industries including beef, sheep, cropping, horticulture, dairy, viticulture and aquaculture. The scholarship program has supported these farmers to upskill in topics such as agribusiness, livestock management, and farm business management. Following on, scholarship recipients often invest in professional development or business planning, or in on-farm initiatives such as electronic ID tags, digital scales or consultant support. Applications for this year’s round of scholarships are open to farmers aged 35 or under who have been working in farm businesses for at least three days a week for the past three months, with at least two years total experience on-farm. To find out more about the program and to apply for a scholarship, visit https://agriculture. vic.gov.au/support-and-resources/networks/ young-farmers
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