DPIE is currently seeking watercourse landholder input to develop business cases for the Lower Gwydir and Gingham Watercourses, Lower Mehi River and Ballin Boora Creek.

Over the next few months they will be working with the local community to develop the business case. There will be a series of community gatherings followed by local workshops to: discuss project objectives and opportunities, bring local knowledge and community needs into the scoping of potential measures, create strategies for on-ground outcomes.

Landholders in the project area should have received information in the mail however if you are located in the project area and did not receive a letter please contact us.    The community gatherings from next Monday 19 July – 22 Thursday July 2021

Find out more:

Online: environment.nsw.gov.au/nbtk/gwydircmp

Email: gwydir.cmp@environment.nsw.gov.au

The Gwydir Valley Floodplain Management Plan is due for it's five-year review as per the plan requirements.  The review is to determine whether its provisions remain adequate and appropriate for ensuring the effective implementation of the water management principles.  The public submission period provides opportunities for water users, stakeholders and other interested parties to inform the review of these plans. Comment is specifically being sought on:

1. Is the floodplain management plan(s) adequate and appropriate for ensuring the effective implementation of the water management principles?
2. Are there issues with the plan(s) that were identified since commencement and impact on effectiveness of implementation?
3. Are there potential amendments to the plan(s) that should be considered?

The NSW Government session will cover key information to help you get measurement ready. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions to a panel from the department's Water division and NRAR.

Trade stalls will be held after the information session so you can meet and connect with metering suppliers, installers and key department staff from the floodplain harvesting licencing and approvals team.

Moree
Thursday, 11 March
10:00am – 1:30pm
Max Theatre, Level 1/30 Heber St, Moree
Register to attend this session

NSW Department are holding face-to-face consultation on proposed rules for floodplain harvesting in the Gwydir Valley for the regulated and unregulated water sources, in Moree on Wednesday 24th February and Thursday 25th February.  Due to COVID safe restrictions you must register.  Visit the Department website below.

We encourage all members and associated agricultural businesses to attend to hear about this historic reform and how NSW intends to manage it into the future.   Implementing floodplain harvesting will be a significant regulatory shift for our industry and will have community impacts, ad water users adjust to new rules. 

There will be an NDrip field day in Wee Waa, on Thursday 28th January from 10:00 to 11:00am. If you are interested in looking at this gravity powered micro-irrigation system, Please RSVP to peter.birch@elders.com or phone 0428.669.157

GVIA digital technologies and automated Irrigation field day is being held on Wednesday 10th February 2021. Our Covid-19 plan required participants to register to attend. Buses will be leaving Reynolds Fogarty at 7:30am please also register for this. 

Are you aware of pig damage in your crops or to livestock enterprises, but find it difficult to quantify the extent of the damage, and what that equates to in dollar terms? 
To answer this question, Local Land Services has worked with AgEcon to undertake a study that puts figures on the real cost of feral pigs on several different enterprises and to compare control options. 
Join the LLS online for our first webinar back for 2021. Register here. 
When
11 Feb 2021 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dont Forget the GVIA has funds available to support producers in our region with the control of feral pigs. For more information contact the office; 02 67521399

Irrigation Australia has announced the first dates for the NSW subsidised storage meter installation and validation courses.  To ensure you have a compliant storage meter with the NSW Floodplain Harvesting Measurement Policy, your storage meter must be inspected and or new approved meter, installed by someone that has completed this course.  

There is an information session being held for installers and suppliers to learn more on Thursday, 22 October 2020 10:30am-12:30pm and you need to register online at https://kapara.rdbk.com.au/landers/b01851.html  For more information visit Irrigation Australia website or review the Healthy Floodplains Measurement page.

The NSW Government released their 20- 40-year draft Gwydir Regional Water Strategy to look at how to improve regional water security, build resilience and stronger communities and environments. It is about how to best manage the challenges that are facing the Gwydir region. This strategy looks at historical and a worst case scenario of climatic sequence as part of the assessment of challenges that may face the region.  The strategy provides a long list of proposed projects, both infrastructure, rules-based, research and review and skills orientated, to be considered by the community.  These should be reviewed by the community as a chance to have a say on future investment in the region.  

There is a live webinar on 15 October 2020 and face-to-face meetings in Moree on 22 October 2020.

Save the Date: The GVIA will host the Smarter Irrigation for Profit 2 field day on Wednesday the 10th of February 2021. We will be having the field day at Keytah, where several of our Smarter Irrigation researchers and partners will be talking about new technology, smart sensing and remote control. Follow the link to the website for more information on Smarter irrigation for Profit 2