New Dams For Australia
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Government
Australia's Government is Looking at Investing in Nearly 30 Irrigation Schemes and Reigniting Along-stalled Programme of Dam Building to Combat Growing Water Shortages Constraining Agricultural Production
Australia's government is looking at investing in nearly 30 irrigation schemes and reigniting along-stalled programme of dam building to combat growing water shortages constraining agricultural production.
The country is a leading producer and exporter of crops such as wheat, sugar and cotton, but output faces risks from prolonged drought across much of the Australian east coast.
Australia has previously floated ambitious plans to use dams and irrigation to develop marginal land in the outback, but financial and environmental constraints mean it has not built a major new dam in decades.
According to a government policy paper released on Monday, the amount of water available per capita from dams has fallen more than 20 per cent since 1980 and is set to drop further. Agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce said investment in water infrastructure must be prioritised, but the paper did not say how the new projects might be funded or give financial detail.
"Effective water infrastructure will be critical to the profitability and productivity of Australian agriculture into the future," Mr Joyce said at the publishing of the government's preliminary agricultural policy paper in Canberra.
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