Water for agriculture

The Strategy will support farmers to adapt and grow their businesses in an increasingly dry climate.

How the Strategy supports farmers

Water is critical to agricultural production in the Central and Gippsland region, including for:

• irrigating crops and pastures
• providing domestic and stock water to farms.

With river water declining and possibly less water available in the future, we are working with farmers to:

• improve water efficiency on and off farms
• increase the use of fit-for-purpose recycled water and stormwater.

This will improve the reliability and security of water supplies and help to protect the environment.

The Strategy will grow businesses

The Strategy will support farmers to adapt and grow their businesses by:

• encouraging more efficient use of water and best-practice irrigation through the Sustainable Irrigation Program
• investigating greater access to recycled water and treated stormwater
• looking at ways to make it easier to buy and sell water and investigating local opportunities to make water trading rules more flexible without affecting other water users or the environment.

Existing water entitlements for farmers will remain protected to safeguard the region’s food security.

Page last updated: 08/09/23