Media Releases

A Challenge to share water knowledge

The CSIRO and the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Irrigation Futures want to hear from businesses, community groups and farmers who have already adopted a sustainable approach to water and irrigation under The Irrigation Sustainability Challenge.

The Challenge aims to have the irrigation industry adopt a continuous-improvement philosophy and to adopt sustainability practices that may already be is use out in the community. The project team is interested in hearing from rural groups and businesses related to the water and irrigation industries interested in giving the “challenge” a go.

Over the project’s two-year timeframe, we aim to build a network of local LandCare teams, growers, irrigators and businesses, to environmental groups to share information.

“There is a great range of experience among water-users,” explains project scientist Mark Shepheard, “with some only just starting to think about environmental issues, about the community, whereas others have years of experience, and we think these people can learn from each other.”

The project will additionally be working with case study organisations in:

• The Lower Burdekin of North Queensland
• Western Sydney
• The Murrumbidgee and Coleambally Irrigation areas of southern NSW

These areas present a chance to integrate research with issues of irrigation sustainability in rural and urban setting.

Looking objectively at the sustainability of irrigation in these communities, The Irrigation Sustainability Challenge aims to demonstrate that reporting across the ‘Triple Bottom Line’ of social, economic and biophysical issues can provide water industries with “a good picture of where they’re travelling in relation to a sustainable future,” says Mark Shepheard, “and give them something they can measure against, and try and improve upon.”

The Challenge team sees the project as enabling water-based businesses to connect with their community, while improving social well-being within Australia’s rural areas.

For information on how you can take part in the Sustainability Challenge , visit www.irrigationfutures.org.au

Further Information:
Mark Shepheard, CRC for Irrigation Futures
02 6960 1500 0428 865 909
Mark.shepheard@csiro.au
Media Assistance:
Cris Kennedy, CSIRO Land and Water 02 6246 5850, 0403 739 108
Cris.Kennedy@csiro.au

Contacts:
Dr Evan Christen