DISTRICT PROFILE
Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District
AUSTRALIA Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District
VICTORIA
18
G
oulburn-Murray Irrigation District (GMW) has established itself as the largest rural water provider in Victoria, Australia. Everyday, GMW manages and delivers over 70 percent of Victoria’s stored water and half the area’s underground water. On average GMW delivers close to 2 million mega liters of water to rural, urban, and environmental users over a 68,000 square kilometer region—an area almost one-third the size of Victoria. Within GMW’s area are 1,200 dairy farms, which provide 21 percent of Australia’s milk, and 400,000 hectares of irrigated crops, such as wheat, barley, triticale, corn, and oilseeds. When combined, both industries provide $5.9 billion of value to the local and national economy. All in all, GMW has over 14, 131 gravity irrigators, 676 irrigators on pump systems, 11,071 surface water diverters, 8,786 groundwater diverts, and 1,269 domestic and stock customers. To supply water to its thousands of farmers, GMW operates 10,900 kilometers of channels, pipelines, and drains and 24 storages, making GMW Australia’s largest water delivery network. It would be easy to rest on its laurels; however, GMW is not letting off the gas. Instead, the water group is turning to the future, working to create a better system and provide IRRIGATION LEADER
