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Water Use Efficiency

Explore the resources below or join us at an event to learn more about how you can improve your water use efficiency on your farm. 

This project is rolling out between July 2024 and December 2025 across Tasmania. The project is being delivered by Pinion Advisory with support from the TAS Farm Innovation Hub through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.


Irrigation Planning and Development

Thorough irrigation system design is essential for efficient water use, straightforward management, and increased business profitability. When planning a new or modifying an existing system, several critical factors must be considered to ensure optimal performance and compliance. Support exists to help navigate the design phase, it is recommended to seek independent professional advice in the planning phase.

This factsheet summarises the key considerations for successful irrigation design.

Key Considerations for Successful Irrigation Design

Irrigation System Design - Natural Resource Considerations

There are three key areas to consider when assessing the viability of an irrigation system design:

  • the natural resources
  • the financial viability
  • the operational readiness.

The following presentation steps through the main concepts to consider when assessing the natural resource considerations related to irrigation system design.

Click here to download the presentation slides : Irrigation System Design Presentation

With professional support it is possible to design a system which can deliver savings in labour, water and energy, leading to improved water use efficiency.

You can find out more by watching the following presentation and through the slides provided.

Click here to download the presentation slides: 

  1. Irrigation System Design and Planning  - A/Prof Joseph Foley 
  2. Irrigation Design Planning - James Curran and David McLaren 

Case Studies

The following case study videos share the irrigation system design journey of Tasmanian business, Juniper Lea, in Dairy Plains.  
Managing the benefits of water resources for irrigation

Set at Juniper Lea, a converted dairy farm in Dairy Plains, hear from John Wilson (Owner and Director of BWB Management) and Luke Davey-Baldock (Juniper Lea Farm Manager) as they outline how instrumental the water resources at Juniper Lea have been in supporting the development of the successful dairy farm. John and Luke explain how Juniper Lea went from an ex-piggery and failed plantation block to now supporting 1000 head of milking cows through the careful and considered design and implementation of irrigation. This includes:
• how the business approached the initial conversion and irrigation design process
• available water sources for Juniper Lea
• on-farm water storage
• importance of drainage for irrigating pastures
• running and managing centre pivots and solid set irrigation
• what the irrigation season looks like at Juniper Lea
• what the future looks like for Juniper Lea for further irrigation development
Irrigation design decision making

In this second Juniper Lea case study video, John and Luke provide an in-depth explanation behind the decision making process for designing new irrigation developments. In particular, John explains the key design factors taken into consideration when making decisions on irrigation infrastructure, the importance of seeking independent advice during the design process, and how they look to optimise both the productivity under the irrigator and the return on investment. John and Luke discuss the use of both centre pivots and solid set sprinklers across the property and why they have decided to use this approach for different parts of the farm, particularly as they began to explore new irrigation development opportunities. John and Luke also share their advice for those looking to implement new irrigation systems.
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