State Government announces $15.3 million investment to ensure water security for Manjimup and Pemberton

The State Government has finally unveiled its plan for the $15.3 million earmarked for the Manjimup and Pemberton region after the contentious Southern Forests Irrigation Scheme was officially scrapped in July. The plan has been developed off the back of the Southern Forests Irrigation Scheme Reference Group report provided to the State in early February. The task force — made up of farmers and civic leaders from the Manjimup-Pemberton area — determined water security was best managed at the individual farm level. It found any State Government funding should be directed to activities including increasing capacity of existing dams and improving stream monitoring, rather than other large water infrastructure schemes. State Government support will now be directed to individual growers to drought-proof their business, and co-fund projects underpinned by science that demonstrate an increase in water security, provide benefits to the broader Manjimup-Pemberton community and consider the water needs of the environment. WA Water Minister Simone McGurk said the State was committed to delivering updated and improved water planning to support a strong and vibrant agricultural sector through water security and adapting to the impacts of climate change. “The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation will investigate a number of options to improve stream monitoring and potential water carry over for on-stream farm dams,” she said. “The Warren Donnelly Water Advisory Committee will continue to provide an avenue for growers and the community to contribute and advise the State Government on water planning in the Warren-Donnelly catchments.” Two monitoring sites in the Donnelly River catchment have already been reinstated and an expanded stream measurement monitoring program to collect more surface water and groundwater information across the Warren-Donnelly River catchment will also be investigated as part of the new Warren-Donnelly surface water allocation plan. Warren-Blackwood MLA Jane Kelsbie said securing sustainable water resources for the future benefit of the horticultural industry and Manjimup and Pemberton communities was vital. “We have listened and responded to community concerns about water resources in the Warren-Donnelly and remain committed to funding science-based solutions to water security,” she said. The State Government is also working with the Commonwealth Government on the potential to install a Doppler radar station in the Manjimup area, to provider growers with more detailed weather information.