Irrigation Journal Summer 2020

SUMMER 2020 • VOLUME 36 NO 04

Feature Climate change policy

New courses Electrofusion welding polyethylene pipelines and Certified Storage Water Level Installer/ Validator

ISSN 0818–9447

Rural Metering water helps rejuvenate olive grove

Two new directors join the board

IN THIS ISSUE: NEW INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CITY OF PERTH IMPROVES IRRIGATION WATER SECURITY, QUALITY AND MANAGEMENT MANAGING SYSTEM DRAINAGE IN DRIP IRRIGATION NEW PUMP SET PICKS UP THE PRESSURE INDUSTRY MEMBERS TAKE TO THE DIGITAL AIRWAVES

PIONEER PRIME DIESEL DRIVEN SKIDS & TRAILERS

A comprehensive range of Auto Prime diesel packaged options for fixed and portable installations.

HWR SERIES

Wear-resistant pumps manufactured with high-chrome white iron to maximize resistance against destructive abrasives and maintain peak performance in light slurry applications.

VORTEX SERIES

A unique pumping solution that eliminates costly and disruptive downtime by passing through the most challenging solids using a recessed impeller.

WET PRIME SERIES

Self-priming pumps designed for reliable solids and clear liquids handling. Continues to reprime automatically after initial priming.

VERTICAL TURBINES

Submersible turbine pumps available in custom configurations to meet demanding application requirements.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTORS

Our submersible motors are tough, built to last and come in a variety of construction options.

END SUCTION CENTRIFUGAL

Close-coupled, electric motor driven pumps available in singleor three-phase standard voltages to fit your site requirements.

DRIVES & PROTECTION

Equip a Franklin drive to protect, monitor, and meet the different needs and demands of each application with the same pump.

CLEANWATER CENTRIFUGAL

Centrifugal pumps that feature heavy-duty ductile iron volutes, designed to handle tough applications with high efficiency.

VR SERIES

Vertical multi-stage pumps are available in high- and low-speed models for superior durability, efficiency, and performance in a wide variety of applications.

106-110 Micro Circuit, Dandenong South, Victoria 3175 , Australia Toll Free: 1300 FRANKLIN / 1300 372 655 Fax: +61 3 9799 5050 Tel: +61 3 9799 5000

www.franklin-electric.com.au

67 Proximity Drive, Sunshine West Victoria 3020, Australia Phone +6 1 399881650 Fax: +61 39988 1666

www.pioneerpump.com

CONTENTS FEATURES PUMPS AND PUMPING FEATURE New pump set picks up the pressure

18

Common types of irrigation pump: Which one is right for me?

20

CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY FEATURE Latest climate report shows warming trend

26

Campaign to encourage wise water use in WA

27

What’s in store for rice growers and the irrigation industry in a changing climate?

28

Tasmania plays the long game in response to climate change

30

Resilience strategy designed to help shape region’s future

32

6

FEATURE ARTICLES Space technology helps monitor national water quality 14 New infrastructure for City of Perth improves irrigation water security, quality and management 16 Managing system drainage in drip irrigation

22

Water market transparency: improvements on the way 40 Total makeover for Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club Golf Course

43

REGULAR ITEMS Chairman's Message 3 From the CEO 4 Technology: Urban 6 Technology: Rural 10 Research 12 IAL News 33 The Big Issue 38 Around Industry 42 Contractors' Corner 44 Professional Development 46 Smart Watermark 48 ICID Insights 49 State Roundup 50 Business Feature 52 New Products 53 Bookshelf 54

28

12

ON THE FRONT COVER: Mel Wyatt, who owns Nangkita Olives in South Australia with partner Brook, and Jeremy Burgess, from Irrigation and Water Meter Solutions.

The Wyatts recently upgraded the irrigation system on their olive grove, which included the installation of a water meter. With only twelve months of watering under the new system, Mel and Brook are much more knowledgeable about their irrigation system and the effects of irrigating more efficiently on tree health.

43 SUMMER 2020

1

Build On Your Professional Development Irrigation Australia’s range of nationally accredited courses and qualifications are designed to provide you with the right skills and knowledge to pursue a career in the irrigation industry.

Take a look at the topics being delivered over the coming months

Join Our Face-to-face & Online Training

Certificate III in Irrigation Technology AHC32419 Duration: 18-24 Months Mode of Delivery: Face to Face & Virtual Classroom Delivery

Certificate III in Irrigation Upgraded Course AHC32416 > AHC32419

Duration: 12 Months Mode of Delivery: Face to Face & Virtual Classroom Delivery

Range of Training Courses 1. Certificate III in Irrigation Technology

7. Urban Irrigation Design

2. Certificate IV in Irrigation Management

8. Commercial Irrigation Design

3. Centre Pivot & Lateral Move

9. IRRICAD Design

4. Introduction to Irrigation | Agriculture

10. Basics in Wiring & Electrical

5. Introduction to Irrigation | Urban

Troubleshooting

6. Irrigation Pumps & Systems

Storage Meter Installer & Validator Includes CSV Certification Duration: 3 days Mode of Delivery: Face to Face

Irrigation Installer Includes CII Certification

Duration: 3 Months Mode of Delivery: Face to Face & Virtual Classroom Delivery

Certificate IV in Irrigation Management AHC41119 Duration: 12-18 Months Mode of Delivery: Virtual Classroom Delivery

Blended Learning

Visit our website for upcoming training dates www.irrigationaustralia.com.au/training

Practical Approach

Industry Expert Qualified Trainers

11/58 Metroplex Avenue, Murarrie Qld 4172 | 1300 949 891 | info@irrigation.org.au | irrigationaustralia.com.au

WELCOME

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE Had COVID-19 not come along, 201920 might have been a normal year for Irrigation Australia, with efforts directed at delivering services to members, lobbying on behalf of our members and industry, and optimising the use of our precious water resources for the benefit of the community. Change would have occurred as normal rationally and progressively - free of major risk and in line with the expressed desires of our members, measured through things such as industry surveys.

Irrigation Australia was not immune to the impact of the pandemic, however, and the results of travel bans in particular precipitated some very rapid changes which were essential for the survival of our organisation, and which no doubt will remain into the future.

Our response to the crisis included measures to continue delivery of services and to reduce operating costs to maintain viability as much as possible, e.g. converting training courses to online virtual events; reviewing business costs and, where possible, reducing expenditure, for instance negotiating a short-term rent reduction on our Brisbane office; converting the Journal and The Overflow to digital format; qualifying for the COVID-19 Job Keeper assistance program; and postponing the conference and exhibition to March 2022.

The response from the management team, strongly supported by the board, was I believe as good as it could possibly have been in the circumstances, and I thank all for their outstanding efforts during this period.

In particular, taking training to a virtual online delivery method in a matter of weeks was an amazing feat, and the Irrigation Australia training team is to be congratulated for their rapid response to the cancellation of all scheduled face-to-face training.

The support received by Irrigation Australia from industry has also been fantastic, and the increasing numbers participating in both training and certification activities augurs well for the continuing professional growth of our industry.

Your Irrigation Australia Board and management team recognise that input from regions is critical to ensure that this national organisation can be aware of and understand local issues and support its members in practical ways.

While restrictions under COVID have mostly precluded physical meetings for much of Australia, working on regional support will be a key area of effort as these restrictions are lifted in the future.

On behalf of the Irrigation Australia Board, thanks to members who participated in our recent annual general meeting. We again had an excellent turnout of people (including eight life members) attending the virtual meeting, underlining the interest that members have in their association. I interpret this attendance, and the absence of many questions or much ensuing discussion, as a vote of confidence in the association’s direction.

One matter of importance announced at the AGM was the election of directors. Each year a number of board members are required to vacate their positions, and subject to their length of service, may renominate.

Director Les Olivieri decided not to renominate on this occasion, and we thank him for his dedicated service over the past six years, including much of that time as chair of the audit and risk committee. Les has given outstanding service on behalf of Irrigation Australia, and we all wish him well in his retirement.

Thank you to all Irrigation Australia members who invested their time in voting for their preferred candidates.

The four directors who decided to renominate (Colin Bendall, Carl Walters, Peter Durand and John Pivac) were all successfully re-elected for another term.

Two new directors were elected at the AGM – Rob Nadebaum from Rain Bird and Greig Graham from Rivulis.

You can read about their reasons for nominating and thoughts about the industry on page 33.

I am confident that they will both bring considerable knowledge and diversity of experience to the board of Irrigation Australia, and through this enhance its operations.

Thanks also to Kieran Killoran for his nomination and his commitment to the ongoing development of our industry.

At the board meeting immediately after the AGM I was reappointed as chairman and I sincerely thank my fellow directors for their continued support and confidence.

The focus of the board is to represent our membership, so I encourage every member who has a concern, opinion or suggestion to contact a board director and let them know.

Andrew Ogden Chairman

SUMMER 2020

3

WELCOME

FROM THE CEO Our readers may already be aware that the Irrigation Australia Board have accepted a recommendation to further postpone the 24th International Congress, 73rd IEC meeting and Irrigation Australia Conference and Exhibition to 8-14 March 2022 in Adelaide. This message provides a good opportunity to explain the reasons behind this decision.

As it should be, the primary consideration for any event is delegate safety, and we were not confident that the COVID-19 pandemic will be sufficiently under control by July next year. While there are encouraging signs that a vaccine could be developed, its manufacture and distribution, as well as immunising billions of people, are challenging issues that will take time to organise. We are hopeful that by 2022 the situation will have improved, so delegates from all around the world will be able to travel safely to attend our event.

We were also not confident that unrestricted international travel will be permitted by July 2021. As the international part of this conference relies on attendance of delegates from the 78 member and associated member countries of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) who represent over 90 per cent of the world’s irrigated area, a further postponement was a sensible outcome.

While many conferences and meetings have converted to a virtual platform, this format would not have been suitable for this event. Its objective is for Australia to showcase our irrigation systems and technologies to ICID member countries and, in turn, learn from their expertise and experience. It would be difficult to achieve this with a virtual format, so our preference, supported by ICID, was for an in-person event.

The decision also brings a change in location to the Adelaide Convention Centre (ACC), regarded as one of the world’s most modern, flexible and technologically advanced meeting and event centres. A striking landmark on Adelaide’s riverbank, the ACC offers more than 20,000 m2 of flexible meeting and event space. South Australia has a global reputation for having industryleading producers in the agricultural, viticultural and horticultural sectors with annual revenue from food, wine and agribusiness currently around $15 billion.

Adelaide’s international airport is well placed for international visitors, only a short distance to the ACC and city accommodation and, post-pandemic, we expect more international locations will add Adelaide as a destination. South Australia has a water-enabled economy and is a global leader in water solutions, innovation, technology and education and has a bold Water for Growth Vision for 2030.

Check out Irrigation Australia's social media feeds.

Our ICID Australian National Committee fully support this decision and prefer that, as a national association, Irrigation Australia should offer pre- and post-conference technical tours in other locations across Australia.

ICID, our event partner, has been holding its flagship triennial event, the International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage, since 1951. It is yet to be held in the southern hemisphere, so Irrigation Australia welcomes the opportunity to host this significant international irrigation event in 2022.

We soon will make announcements on abstract submissions, student awards, a new website and logo, exhibition floorplan, technical tours and social events. We hope that after a lengthy gap from our last event the Australian irrigation industry will support us in making this one a memorable success.

Please contact me if you have questions about or suggestions that you would like to make about this significant irrigation event in 2022.

As this will be the last Irrigation Journal before Christmas 2020, on behalf of the board, staff and the team that bring you the Irrigation Journal we wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year.

Bryan Ward CEO

www.facebook.com/irrigationaustralia www.instagram.com/irrigationaustralia @IrrigationAUS www.linkedin.com/company/irrigation-australia-limited www.youtube.com/user/IrrigAust

NEW Rotor Rain Plus Do w nl er ci

oa

d

Spe

®

High Performance Mini Sprinkler

CLICK HERE

Introducing Antelco’s new range of high performance mini sprinklers for orchards and row crops. Australian designed and manufactured and packed full of features that growers will love Easy turn eld disassembly

Rotor StakeTM installation - typical orchard

www.antelco.com

Sprinkler Adaptor installation - typical trellis

1/2" Male Thread Sprinkler on 1/2" Riser - permanent installation

PUTTING WATER WHERE IT COUNTS!®

TECHNOLOGY: URBAN IRRIGATION CONTRIBUTION TO URBAN GREENING: A REVIEW SNAPSHOT • The benefits of green space in urban settings are many – from contributing to personal wellbeing and mental health, to cooling and aesthetics – and planners and designers are looking more to incorporate green areas in cities and towns • Geoff Connellan describes some of the major changes occurring in urban planning and the green environment and their implications for irrigation • Factors being considered in planning include the impact of climate change on irrigation management and species to be grown, passive irrigation, the use of technology in helping provide green areas and ways for demonstrating water use efficiency

to maintain soil moisture and that spaces previously not irrigated or irrigated at a low level, may now need to be irrigated at higher rates.

There are a range of scenarios and situations where irrigation will be required and demand for water supplies will increase, including the following: • for higher quality turf surfaces • to promote rapid grass recovery from increased use and wear • for lawn areas for recreation use within parks that are otherwise not irrigated • for providing conditions that meet street tree soil moisture needs • to secure water supplies for dry and drought periods • for meeting increasing demands from climate change.

Climate change impact

The structure of the urban environment is changing. There is now more emphasis on green infrastructure, which includes green roofs, green walls, pocket parks, urban forests and feature landscapes. The intent is that these spaces and elements will provide multiple benefits to the community. Exposure to and experience of these spaces has been shown to contribute to the wellbeing of individuals. In this article, Geoff Connellan examines some of the changes occurring in the urban green environment and the role of irrigation.

Parks provide a range of green services including cooling, habitat, aesthetics and the opportunity to experience nature, all of which have been shown to have mental and physical benefits. The role of parklands in providing spaces for the community for recreation and enjoyment has been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Planning is the key Lawn spaces where people can sit and relax and trees and landscape plantings that are healthy are needed to provide these green services. Planning needs to consider how they can be delivered. As part of this planning, the design of the space and of landscape plantings is crucial.

To deliver target benefits, plants need to be healthy and provided with conditions that enable them to grow and develop. This means that irrigation will generally be required

6

The impact of climate change on how we manage green space in the future is an important consideration for planners.

Climate change will affect irrigation management through the increased deficit between evaporation and rainfall. For south-eastern Australia forecasts (2090), rainfall reductions will be around 10 per cent and evaporation will increase by 9 per cent. This represents a deficit of 19 per cent which will need to be satisfied. While 2090 may seem a long way off, some trees planted today will be experiencing the 2090 conditions.

Adding to the deficit are predicted significant reductions in runoff from catchments.

The bottom line is that many existing trees will need irrigation to meet the stress conditions in the coming years.

Water for greening - passive and active irrigation While urban green spaces have been and continue to be heavily dependent on potable mains supply, there is now a focus on developing alternative sources, in particular, rainwater and stormwater.

Many schemes have been developed where stormwater is retained in the local area and used directly or indirectly, through harvesting and storage, to irrigate green spaces.

Passive irrigation, where rainwater and stormwater are directed to landscape plantings, including trees, is a logical strategy to enhance plant growth and provide some level of protection against dry conditions. It is certainly a viable option for many urban landscape situations.

Some of the characteristics and properties of passive irrigation that need to be considered by planners and designers are listed over the page.

Green spaces that provide multiple benefits require high vegetation standards, often with significant irrigation.

Characteristics and properties of passive irrigation include the following: • physical site constraints, including elevation, limiting the delivery options to plantings • the reliability of supply, which relies on rainfall, needs to be factored in • achieving lateral distribution of water in the soil can be a challenge • ensuring soil facilitates uptake of water by the roots • how plant site storage capacity limits volume of runoff that can be captured.

It is important to point out that passive irrigation will not suit all situations. For many urban situations, active irrigation is necessary to achieve the desired services from the green space. Most turf areas are going to be irrigated with active systems.

Landscape plantings, including street trees, may also require active irrigation. Summer delivery, when rainfall sources are not sufficient, may be needed to maintain tree health at a time of the year when the ecosystem services are most valuable.

The capacity of the active system to apply water precisely, be a secure supply, and deliver water in a controlled manner at the right time is a key attribute.

Technology and greening Developments in irrigation technology have positioned the industry to be able to provide the tools to achieve target greening outcomes and to apply water efficiently.

Advances in monitoring and control, particularly the

continual measurement of water use and monitoring of the system hardware, are important. Environmental sensors including weather station (ETo), rainfall and soil moisture are also extremely important feedback sources to irrigation scheduling decision making.

System flow monitoring, both for water use measurement and for monitoring system hydraulic function, has proven to be valuable and is now widely adopted.

Remote monitoring and operation of controllers greatly reduces labour time and leads to more effective management of the system. As an example, alerts notifying operators of faults in the system can save many hours of unproductive time and costs.

Some green spaces do present challenges for irrigation technology, including the capacity to accurately monitor, at reasonable cost, the soil moisture level of green roof media.

While drip systems have proven their effectiveness in urban landscapes, lightweight green roof media properties, together with small plants, means that achieving coverage (lateral wetting) is a challenge for effective (lateral) coverage. Sprays are sometimes used as an alternative or in combination to help plants establish.

Demonstrating efficiency A common requirement embedded in green scheme objectives is that the irrigation water use is efficient, although evidence of actual efficiency is rarely presented.

Rather it is more common to refer to uniformity coefficients, for example DU, CU and SC, and water saving (%). None of these are measures of efficiency.

SUMMER 2020

7

TECHNOLOGY: URBAN Water management for this roof garden was designed to incorporate stone mulch and dual irrigation using both drip and spray (for establishment).

At this site, the savings were due to the above-average rainfall; when the weather conditions experienced during the irrigation season were considered, some unnecessary watering occurred.

Details of the working of this measure are outlined in several publications, e.g. Efficient irrigation for conservation: guideline for water efficient urban gardens and landscape, Waterwise Qld, Queensland Government; Best Practice Guidelines for Functional Open Space (CWW, 2016) and Water Use Efficiency for Irrigated Turf and Landscape, CSIRO (2013) Connellan.

Using this measure more broadly would demonstrate irrigation efficiency to third parties and provide a driver to improve the management of the system.

Best practice guidelines are powerful documents. They describe the standards for irrigation design and practice and demonstrate to the broader community that the industry places high priority on efficiency and building quality irrigation assets.

Irrigation - partner in greening The most appropriate measure of efficiency is the Irrigation Index (Ii), which is the ratio of how much water was applied to how much water was required. Values greater than 1.0 indicate waste.

While water savings are commonly reported, this can vary depending on the reference selected to show savings. It can be compared to the previous year or to the forecast water budget, based on long-term average climate data, and it can be compared to a reference year. The reference year approach is used by some organisations to show progress in water use performance over time.

The table is an example of the various ways in which water use is reported.

TABLE. WATER USE CAN BE REPORTED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.

The bottom line

Site

1.5 ha sports field, warm season grass

Water used (actual)

4.45 ML

Budget amount (long-term avg climate data)

5.00 ML

Water saving (actual cf. budget)

0.55 ML

Information

Water saving (actual cf. previous year)

0.85 ML

Application rate ML/ha (actual)

2.97 ML/ha

Irrigation Index (Ii)

1.13

Geoff Connellan E: geoff.connellan@bigpond.com Hard copies of Water Use Efficiency for Irrigated Turf and Landscape are available for purchase from Geoff.

While savings are demonstrated in the example shown in the table, the efficiency measure indicates that some water is being wasted, as shown by the Ii value of 1.13, which represents wastage of 13 per cent.

8

Currently, irrigation is generally not 'at the table' when urban schemes are being proposed or in the early planning stages, rather irrigation is often considered as an add-on.

The irrigation industry should be looking to change this perception. It has the technology and technical expertise to facilitate the growth of urban greening and contribute directly to the benefits to be provided by green spaces. We need to be taking advantage of the opportunities to play a greater role in the planning and development of schemes potentially incorporating irrigation.

There are now a wide range of professionals covering irrigation, including environmental engineers, stormwater professionals, landscape architects and urban planners.

A stronger engagement with these professionals and associations would benefit not only the schemes, but also be of high value to the irrigation industry.

By adopting some or all of these solutions, you will see significant savings in water use and play an active role in water conservation for generations to come.

Geoff Connellan, Melbourne

THE NEW X2™ IS A POWERFUL DIAL CONTROLLER

X2 CONTROLLER: • Up to 14 stations • 2" backlit display • 5' cord and plug • Simple programming like X-Core®

OR IT'S A SMART WI-FI CONTROLLER

X2 CONTROLLER WITH WAND FOR WI-FI: • All X2 features • Hydrawise® management with the WAND module

MANAGE IRRIGATION YOUR WAY WITH THE X2 CONTROLLER. X2 lets you keep the dial-based programming that you're used to or upgrade to industry-leading Hydrawise cloud management with the plug-in WAND module.

Hydrawise provides additional water savings, controller status alerts, and remote access capabilities. Now that's smart watering.

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL IRRIGATION | Built on Innovation® Learn more. Visit https://hunter.direct/x2

National Free Call: 1 800 HUNTER Toll Free Fax: 1 800 651 680 www.hrproducts.com.au hrsales@hrproducts.com.au

Tel: 1 300 856 368 Fax: 1 300 856 369 www.nelsonirrigation.com.au info@nelsonirrigation.com.au

Suite 7, 202 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, 3168, Australia Tel: 61 3 9562 9918 Fax: 61 3 9558 6983

TECHNOLOGY: RURAL METERING WATER HELPS REJUVENATE OLIVE GROVE SNAPSHOT • Jeremy Burgess from Irrigation and Water Meter Solutions in South Australia has been involved in upgrading the irrigation system for an olive enterprise • The upgrade included installing a water meter and an automatic control system to improve application rates and uniformity • The information provided by the water meter has changed the way the site is managed so that irrigation water is applied more evenly and more efficiently in shifts and cycles based on soil moisture and ET • Owners of the farm, Brook and Mel Wyatt, are now much more knowledgeable about their irrigation system and the effects of irrigating more efficiently on tree health

Mel Wyatt and Jeremy Burgess check flow information using a mobile phone.

10

Jeremy Burgess from Irrigation and Water Meter Solutions in South Australia is so enthusiastic about the potential of water meters to improve irrigation system management that when Irrigation Australia introduced its meter installer and validator certification he travelled interstate to complete it.

That was almost a decade ago.

While there was little call for his skills initially, Jeremy said that with irrigators being required to comply with non-urban metering rules in South Australia around five years ago, his investment in the professional qualification is now bearing fruit.

Installing meters is not just a business opportunity for Jeremy.

“I am passionate about water meters because they are useful and are an education tool for irrigators allowing them to track where the water is going, from when it is pumped from the source to when it is applied,” he explained.

“This information is power.”

Olive grove gets a makeover To illustrate how important having access to water meter data is, Jeremy described a recent project in an olive grove, “Nangkita Olives”, near Nangkita in the Adelaide Plains.

In October last year, he began working with Brook and Mel Wyatt, who had decided to expand their olive enterprise and bought about 28 ha of established trees in the area.

Jeremy’s initial assessment of the irrigation system, which was supplied by underground water, revealed that a serious makeover involving a number of changes, including installing a water meter, was needed to enable better application and allow for forward planning.

A drip irrigation system was already installed but the previous owner obviously had issues with getting enough water to the trees and had punched in button drippers along the tubes to increase supply. This had not worked and resulted in uneven application rates and some trees being waterlogged and affected by fungal and water-related diseases.

Sadly, this type of do-it-yourself modification is all too common in the irrigation industry. It highlights the importance of using a professional, e.g. with Irrigation Australia certification, who understands the complexity of factors such as water hydraulics, scheduling and application uniformity and how they affect irrigation water use efficiency.

After an assessment of the setup, Jeremy advised Mel and Brook that the best option was to replace the existing drip tube with double laterals along each tree row and install a water meter and a reverse automatic control system, advice that they accepted.

“We installed a Goldtec Dream 2 irrigation control system and connected the Bermad Sensus water meter pulsing output to the controller,” said Jeremy. “The system is used to apply water and for fertigation, either through time or volumetric dosing.”

Pump performance was a key factor in ensuring that the drip rates were correct. The fact that Mel and Brook could watch flow rates on their phones meant that they could identify issues with pressures in the driplines. Ultimately, a decision was made to install new drip tube as this was the most effective way to ensure more even application rates over the whole grove.

Meter is the heart of the system Jeremy regards the information provided by the water meter as crucial to managing the system and changing the way the site is watered.

“It’s similar to the dashboard of a car, where all the information you need to drive it safely and efficiently is displayed in the one place and in front of you,” he explained.

All the information about the irrigation system that is gathered through the meter can be displayed on a mobile phone or a computer so that Mel and Brook always knows when an irrigation is scheduled, how much water is being applied and how uniformly. They have also been able to identify drainage issues and ensure more accurate watering to the rootzone, both of which have helped with canopy management and flowering.

“Having the information has turned things around for the owners so that they are now using less water and applying it more efficiently,” said Jeremy.

Rather than the haphazard approach to scheduling that was evident previously, water is now applied in shifts and cycles based on soil moisture and ET. With only twelve months of watering under the new system, Mel and Brook are much more knowledgeable about their irrigation system and the effects of irrigating more efficiently on tree health. Ultimately, this will be reflected in improved yields and a more sustainable olive enterprise.

Next steps Jeremy said that the project is not finished yet, and that the next step will be to install soil moisture sensors to provide even more information about conditions in the grove and how the irrigation system is performing.

As well, a new design is being developed for submain alterations and divisions using soil profiles and water penetration as parameters.

About Irrigation and Water Meter Solutions Irrigation and Water Meter Solutions, which prides itself on quality results, has been servicing South Australian growers for over 20 years, installing all types of automation and irrigation systems.

Anne Currey, Irrigation Australia

The previous drip tube was replaced with double laterals along each tree row.

SUMMER 2020

11

RESEARCH RECYCLED WATER HELPS GREENHOUSE TOMATOES BEAR FRUIT SNAPSHOT • Research at the University of South Australia over two years tested groundwater, recycled water and a 50:50 mix of both, across four irrigation scenarios with soil moisture levels at 60, 70, 80 and 100 per cent of field capacity • The irrigation method tested was deficit irrigation, which is often used for recycled water

About the research The research, which simulated tomato-growing conditions in Northern Adelaide Plains (NAP), was conducted in a greenhouse and used pots to test different irrigation methods. It was conducted over two consecutive years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) during the most popular growing season (September to March) for greenhouse tomatoes in NAP region.

• Recycled water outperformed both groundwater, and a water mix of 50 per cent groundwater and 50 per cent recycled water

Recent research completed by the University of South Australia shows that water quality and deficit irrigation schemes each have significant effects on crop development, yield and water productivity – with recycled water achieving the best overall results.

For irrigators using recycled water on their tomatoes crops in this way, the findings are important because knowing which method works best is vital for sustainable crop development.

Deficit irrigation and tomatoes Deficit irrigation, one of several irrigation management strategies used around the world in greenhouse tomato cultivation, is often applied where access to freshwater is diffcult or expensive. It was first used for growing tomatoes in the 1990s and research has been ongoing to explore its potential under different agronomic conditions, including in greenhouse-based production systems.

Under the technique, a certain degree of water stress is applied to a plant, either throughout the cropping period or in a certain timeframe of crop growth stages. The main aim of deficit irrigation is to maximise water productivity. It has been found that while crop yield might fall with deficit irrigation, when applied appropriately, any yield reduction is mitigated by increased irrigation water productivity.

Other advantages of water-saving irrigation techniques like deficit irrigation are their potential to reduce nutrient and fertiliser leaching below the rootzone and to inhibit crop disease and enhance soil aeration.

12

University of South Australia researcher Jeet Chand used pots to test the effect on tomatoes of irrigating with groundwater and recycled water at different soil moisture levels.

The researchers tested groundwater, recycled water and a 50:50 mix of both, across four irrigation scenarios with soil moisture levels at 60, 70, 80 and 100 per cent of field capacity.

Results clear Recycled water outperformed both groundwater, and a water mix of 50 per cent groundwater and 50 per cent recycled water.

The highest growth levels were unsurprisingly achieved through 100 per cent field capacity, but mild water stress (80 per cent water capacity) delivered positive water efficiency without significant yield reduction.

Lead researcher and UniSA PhD candidate, Jeet Chand, says that the findings provide farmers with valuable insights for productive, profitable and sustainable agricultural management.

“Water is an extremely valuable commodity in dry and arid farming regions, making efficient irrigation strategies and alternative water sources essential for agriculture production.

“Deficit irrigation is a strategy commonly used by farmers to minimise water use while maximising crop productivity but finding the most effective balance for greenhouse-grown produce can be tricky.

“In our research we tested optimum water deficit levels for greenhouse-grown tomatoes, showing that water at 80 per cent of field capacity is the superior choice for optimal tomato growth in the Northern Adelaide Plains,” Jeet said.

He added that the results were enhanced by the use of recycled wastewater, which not only augurs well for plants (by delivering additional nutrients) and for farmers (by reducing the need for fertiliser) but is also great for the environment.

The NAP represents 90 per cent of tomato production in South Australia and contains the largest area of greenhouse coverage in Australia.

Information You can access the research paper online

The World’s First Insect Repellent Drip Line & Drip Tape Rivulis X-Pell is proven effective in preventing insect damage to drip line/tape.* Reduces total system costs: Field damage, yield loss, intensive labor and time consuming repairs by minimizing damage to the drip line/tape.** Saves money by using lower wall thickness drip line/tape.

Is Safe. Reliable. Recyclable.

Rivulis X-Pell will be available in Rivulis T-Tape & D1000 Contact your Rivulis representative to learn more. * Results from field tests of 640,000m of control (non-X-Pell) versus Rivulis X-Pell drip line/tape conducted in Italy, Australia, Russia and Spain. ** These benefits are due to the minimization of damage to drip line/tape by insects.

GROW BEYOND

ARTICLE SPACE TECHNOLOGY HELPS MONITOR NATIONAL WATER QUALITY SNAPSHOT • New technology combining satellites and groundbased sensors is being assessed for its ability to monitor the quality of Australia’s inland waterways, reservoirs and coastal environments • Current satellite-based technology provides between 60 and 70 per cent coverage for Australia’s major water bodies; this technology could fill the gap • The technology is being developed by a partnership involving CSIRO and the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre, called AquaWatch Australia • The project could lead to a significant change in how Australia’s national water quality information is delivered and benefit policy makers, water managers and local communities

Satellites in space and a network of ground-based sensors could be used to monitor the quality of Australia’s inland waterways, reservoirs and coastal environments.

A 12-month scoping study for the new technology is part of a project called AquaWatch Australia being developed by CSIRO and the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC).

The aim of the project is to help manage water quality by having access to real-time data about natural events such as toxic algal blooms, the contamination of drinking water and excess runoff from irrigation.

Complementing existing systems Data gathered from space provides critical insights about water quality, however, currently available Earth observation satellites only provide between 60 and 70 per cent coverage for major Australian water bodies. And while the quality of some inland waterways is monitored directly by testing, this data isn’t routinely combined with satellite data.

To fill this gap, AquaWatch aims to complement existing systems and build a comprehensive national monitoring system using an extensive network of ground-based sensors placed throughout Australia’s rivers and waterways.

These sensors would work together with purposedesigned Earth observation satellites to deliver real-time updates, predictive analytics and forecast warnings to water managers.

During the initial scoping phase, CSIRO and SmartSat are collaborating with partners from the research sector, government agencies and industry including the University of Queensland, UNSW Canberra, Curtin University, Frontier SI, Water Research Australia and SatDek.

14

SmartSat CEO Professor Andy Koronios said the AquaWatch scoping phase will include assessing the current range of water quality monitoring programs across Australia, and identifying opportunities to drive efficiencies, advances and adoption of new space technology to safeguard our water resources.

“As well as monitoring the health of our inland rivers, dams and waterways, the project aims to grow the industry and create new job opportunities across the environmental data services sector, primary industry and agriculture and support drought resilience efforts,” he said.

At this early stage of the project a focus is consultation with collaborators from across industry, research and government as a way of better understanding the challenges faced in water health monitoring.

According to the AquaWatch team, the project could lead to a step-change in Australia’s national water quality information delivery, supporting decision makers in water agencies, local communities, water utilities and commercial water users to provide safe drinking water and manage this precious natural resource.

AquaWatch also has potential to monitor coastal wetlands, aquaculture farms, riparian vegetation and terrestrial biodiversity, mine sites, mangroves and coral reef environments.

At the conclusion of the initial AquaWatch scoping phase, CSIRO and SmartSat expect to have a framework for future development of the mission.

More information For more information download the factsheet.

Mission Area: Resilient & Valuable Environments We have been working with collaborators from across industry, research and government to co-design this mission. This summary reflects the mission in development and will continue to evolve.

Establish an integrated ground-to-space national water quality monitoring system by 2026, to safeguard our freshwater and coastal resources and grow Australia’s hightech space industry.

Opportunity Water is our most important and vital resource. The health of our inland waterways and coastal environments is essential for maintaining safe water for drinking, for use by primary industries and for preserving our natural environments.

The AquaWatch system would deliver real-time data for monitoring and managing our valuable freshwater resources, and our coastal environments. The program will be a step-change in Australia’s national water quality information delivery.

As well as monitoring the health of our inland rivers, dams and waterways, AquaWatch will also have potential application to monitoring coastal wetlands, aquaculture farms, riparian vegetation and terrestrial biodiversity, mine sites, mangroves and coral reef environments.

Proposed mission focus • • • •

Infrastructure and data services Earth observation satellites Network of ground-based sensors Predictive data modelling for real-time decisions

Impact • Improve management of vital safe drinking water and water resources including the health of the Murray Darling and the Great Barrier Reef.

• Drive the development of an Australian advanced manufacturing and engineering • Early warning to reduce economic impacts to fishing and tourism of harmful algae blooms and contaminants.

• Support the development of data analytics platforms, programs and data value-adding jobs that integrate prediction modelling, data analysis and environmental monitoring.

• Enhance urban and regional water resource management.

Current mission collaborators Success depends on strong collaboration across industry, research and governments. Together we can leverage existing knowledge and capabilities and develop new solutions for a more resilient Australia.

We have partnered with the SmartSat CRC to establish AquaWatch Australia. Our other early collaborators include University of Queensland, UNSW Canberra Space, Curtin University, SatDek and Water Research Australia.

We are seeking further collaborators to join us.

For further information

Image: Copernicus/Sentinel 2A/ESA. CSIRO Australia’s National Science Agency

Alex Held alex.held@csiro.au

Check out our Borehole Pump Range Choose from our 4” to 12” borehole range, that together with turbine pumps, now deliver flows up to 11,500 m3/h and head up to 700m. These pumps have been proven performers in Australian bores for over 20 years, with a highly effective European design that is assembled and tested in Australia – with local spares and local service from local partners.

Our extensive irrigation range also includes: • ISO End Suctions • Split Case Pumps • Multi Pump Boosters • Higra Amphibious Pumps (for flood prone areas)

Contact your nearest Lowara dealer.

1800 LOWARA | xylem.com/au

ARTICLE NEW INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CITY OF PERTH IMPROVES IRRIGATION WATER SECURITY, QUALITY AND MANAGEMENT SNAPSHOT • The City of Perth has recently invested in developing a more secure water supply for irrigating its green spaces and upgrading pumping and irrigation central control infrastructure.

• A new groundwater filtration system, installed in 2018, has resulted in significant savings in terms of maintenance and an estimated capital payback of five years for a system that has a life of around 15 years.

• In 2019, it commissioned a city-wide irrigation central control management system. Now 77 main controllers operate 104 irrigation systems controlling groundwater, storm water and scheme water fed irrigation systems.

The City of Perth’s Parks and Environment team is responsible for the care and maintenance of 120 ha of greenspace including heritage parks and gardens, foreshore reserves and pockets parks. Of these spaces, 106 ha are irrigated during summer, using more than 104 separate irrigation systems. Groundwater is drawn from both the superficial aquifer (West Perth) and the deeper Leederville aquifer (Langley Park and Ozone Reserve). In this article, Blake Humble from City of Perth describes recent improvements to water supply and upgrades to irrigation control systems.

New bore commissioned just in time With more than 60 ha of CBD greenspace reliant on one water source, the City of Perth recently started a range of water security initiatives, including an alternative water supply strategy, main drain research and monitoring program and the drilling and commissioning of a secondary Leederville aquifer groundwater bore.

The construction of the Ozone Reserve Leederville Aquifer bore started in May 2019. It was drilled using a rotary mud method to a depth of 360 m With the static water level at 5.0 m, and flow at 80 L/sec, drawdown was 11.96 m. The bore and pumping system using a Grundfos SP 160-3AA producing 45 L/sec at 45 m of head was commissioned in October 2019.

Fortuitously, two weeks after commissioning, the City of Perth’s Langley Park bore failed as a result of water getting

16

into the pump motor via the pump cable. The pump had to be pulled and the motor replaced. During this downtime the Ozone Reserve bore was put to duty and supplied over 30,000 kL to keep the City’s CBD green spaces irrigated.

Groundwater filtration system Groundwater is pumped directly through a groundwater filtration system, located in Ozone Reserve, to remove dissolved iron and is then stored in Lake Vasto for irrigation.

In 2017, the City of Perth released a tender to replace its Ozone Reserve groundwater chemical treatment system.

Tender specifications called for the supply, installation and commissioning of a non-chemical groundwater filtration system capable of filtering groundwater at a flow of 38 L/sec with an iron content of 20 ppm, ensuring that the maximum residual level of iron in the water delivered into Lake Vasto had an iron content of less than 0.3 ppm.

A 6 x 60-inch modular tank system was engineered with independent remote control and monitoring capabilities allowing for the ability to monitor flowrates through each unit. The lake level is also monitored allowing a comprehensive 24-hour, 7-day-a-week overview of system operation and performance.

Computer graphing and trending is carried out over each module, along with metering and total water use, allowing the city to compare future trends and use. The system was also designed to have zero water wastage.

Aeration pumps oxidate the soluble iron in the bore water, turning it into a solid, which is then captured by the media in the filtration modules. This process continues for 15 hours of bore-pump run-time before the system will automatically backwash to rid itself of the captured iron. A rinse cycle then flushes the modules collectively for three minutes before returning the system to service. During backwash and rinse cycles, all water is returned to Lake Vasto via a concrete backwash tank which is compartmentalised to allow the dissolved iron to drop out as it flows through the backwash tank. The lifespan of the filtration media is expected to be over 30 years before need to be replaced.

The heart of the filtration system is the filter controls which operate through a SCADA system, featuring a touchscreen interface. This enables the team to monitor and adjust lake fill levels, received emailed fault alerts, and even be able to reset the pumps should it trip for any reason.

The groundwater filtration system came online in early February 2018 with current water quality data showing the iron content to be 0.0 ppm.

A new groundwater filtration installation has reduced iron content to zero, reducing costs associated with fouling.

Maintenance challenges mainly consist of iron fouling on the inlet side of the filter manifolds and the aeration pump impellers, as well as the submersible pump fouling up over time. The expected maintenance cost of the new, non-chemical groundwater filtration system is estimated to be $15,000 a year, compared with a maintenance budget of $131,164 a year for the previous chemical treatment system.

It is estimated that the capital replacement cost of $545,890 will be recouped in savings in the next five years, and the useful life of the filtration system is expected to be more than 15 years. Therefore, the net cost savings over a 15-year useful life period are about $1,000,000.

City-wide central control management system In 2019, the City of Perth commissioned a city-wide irrigation central control management system. The RainMAN system controls 104 irrigation systems, with 77 main controllers (RTUs) controlling groundwater, storm water and scheme water fed irrigation systems.

The project included replacing 107 existing irrigation controllers, installing 80 RainMAN RTUs, RainWAN wireless nodes, 24VAC and decoder systems, city-wide cellular communications, two solid-state weather stations, 20 soil moisture sensors and local and remote water meters.

The project was rolled out slowly with a seamless “hot swapout” of the system where the contractors, Total Eden Watering Systems, decommissioned old controllers and recommissioned new units on the same day to avoid downtime. Wireless nodes were installed in various locations, which each connect to the nearest RTU. To resolve challenges caused by buildings disrupting communications, 4G modems were installed to ensure coverage, using a closed encrypted data network.

In the 2020 irrigation season, 68 of the 77 controllers had irrigation schedules informed by ET data. In the frontend, water budgets are calculated for each park based on historical evaporation rates and the city’s groundwater allocations.

Each month the maximum allowable ET replacement (mm) per irrigation event is entered into the irrigation central control to ensure the city’s groundwater used does not exceed its allocation/budgeted amount. The irrigation central control uses the ET data to determine station run-time length to replenish soil moisture levels. Twenty soil moisture sensors are also used to monitor irrigation effectiveness and inform irrigation management decisions during rainfall events. The irrigation central control also provides real-time data on water use and pump system faults.

Significant savings in water use and energy costs Using the irrigation central control for the 2019-20 irrigation season, the city saw a massive saving in groundwater use, with a total of 200,129 kL saved. Using the Leederville aquifer bores located in the CBD also saw a saving of 107,227 kL. Electrical costs associated with the operation of pumping infrastructure also decreased. In major parks such as Langley Park and Ozone Reserve, more than $2000 was saved thanks to the irrigation central control. Additionally, there are efficiencies in staff time and vehicle transport costs associated with physically travelling to each irrigation controller to turn off the controller during rainfall events which is now achieved by a few clicks of a mouse.

Information Blake Humble, Coordinator Parks Operations, City of Perth E: blake.humble@cityofperth.wa.gov.au P: 08 9461 3905

City of Perth recently upgraded its irrigation central control system with significant savings in water use as a result.

Note. This is an edited version of a presentation by Blake Humble at an Irrigation Australia breakfast and networking event held in August at Ozone Oval.

SUMMER 2020

17

PUMPS AND PUMPING New pump set picks up the pressure SNAPSHOT • After establishing that the problem with low potable water mains pressure was interfering with the efficient operation of the irrigation system and necessitating a long watering window, a new online booster system was installed • The system consists of five pumps with a control panel configured to offer a wide range of flows, which directly pressurises the incoming town mains supply without the need for a storage tank • It is installed in a concrete bunker uniquely painted to reflect the community and local environment and to deter vandalism

Early this year, the managers of the municipal sports ground in Caldwell in the ACT contacted Matthew Wilson from Total Irrigation Designers about issues they were having in maintaining the turf at the facility. The problem was that low potable water mains pressure was interfering with the efficient operation of the irrigation system and necessitating an excessively long watering window.

The sports ground, one of the largest in the ACT, consists of multi-use sporting fields and is popular with locals, being used for a range of sporting codes such as cricket, AFL and football.

CUSTOM BOOSTER SYSTEM After a site visit and consultation with the ground managers, Matthew recommended that an effective option would be to install a custom, directly online, booster system.

Waterland Irrigation, which is in Fyshwick in the ACT, was selected to install the system. According to company director, Brett Amey, the system consists of five pumps with a control panel specifically configured to offer a wide range of flows, which directly pressurises the incoming town mains supply without the need for a storage tank.

“This offered flexibility based on their pumping requirements and mains water system capabilities, which varied depending on the time and the day.

“As well, the control panel allowed for remote operation, a big timesaver for council staff,” he said.

Clients today are conscious of energy costs and this was no less the case for the ground managers. Lowara e-SV pumps, which were used because of their hydraulic efficiency, were combined with high-efficiency motors and operated via an Inca Controls custom-designed, variablespeed control panel. The aim was to deliver maximum efficiency, lower lifecycle costs and energy savings compared to early generation pump booster sets.

Waterland Irrigation built the pump station and installed the pumps, which all proceeded quickly and with no issues.

A feature of the station, which was installed on site in a

The concrete pump station enclosure features artwork by local artists as a showcase and to help deter tagging and vandalism

18

PROBLEMS SOLVED

The new pump station consists of five pumps with a control panel configured to offer a wide range of flows, which directly pressurises the incoming town mains supply without the need for a storage tank.

Brett explained that with the increased pressure from using pumps rather than relying on mains supply, the number of irrigation stations that could be operated at the same time went from one to three. This meant that applications could be scheduled more conveniently, and that the grounds could be irrigated in a shorter watering window than before. “Introducing the pumps also improved sprinkler performance and efficiency,� he said.

Council staff found the system was simple to operate and manage. With the use of both the pump set and control panel, integration of pulse output water meter is simple and accurate to install and can be read from both onsite and remotely.

THE BOTTOM LINE cement bunker supplied and installed by ABA Construction Managers, was that it was uniquely painted with designs to reflect the community and local environment. The concrete pump station enclosure was specified by local government and features artwork by local artists as a showcase and to help deter tagging and vandalism.

According to Brett, the job went smoothly, and the client is happy with the new pump system. As a result of the improved water pressure supplied by the pumps, the playing fields are now watered more quickly, the irrigation system applies water more efficiently and energy costs are lower.

Anne Currey, Irrigation Australia

PUMPS AND PUMPING Common types of irrigation pump: Which one is right for me?

SNAPSHOT • When choosing an irrigation pump for agricultural irrigation, parameters to use are the type of irrigation system and how it will be operated • This article examines the three most common types of agricultural irrigation pumps and looks at the advantages and disadvantages of each

A wide range of pumps can be used for agricultural irrigation. The best one for an application can be determined by looking at the type of irrigation system and how it will be operated. In this article, Franklin Electric look at three of the most common types of irrigation pumps—centrifugal, vertical turbine and submersible pumps—and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS Centrifugal pumps use an impeller that rotates unidirectionally within the casing to move water through the pump. They can further be divided by the type of impeller used: radial flow, mixed flow and axial flow.

Regardless of the type of impeller, these pumps can be either single stage, where the total head is the result of one impeller, or multi-stage, with a series of impellers aligned in one casing.

TABLE 1. CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS - ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES. Advantages

Disadvantages

Efficient over a range of operating conditions

Limited suction lift

Easy to install

Most designs need to be primed to prevent damage

Simple, economical and adaptable for a range of applications

The motor can overload if TDH is lower than the design value

Can use electric and internal combustion engines or tractor power No overloading with increased TDH If using a vertical design, it can be submerged and self-priming Can be installed above a water source

20

Centrifugal pumps can be either self- or non-self-priming, depending on requirements.

Centrifugal pumps are used to pump from reservoirs, lakes, streams and shallow wells, and can also be used as booster pumps in irrigation pipelines.

VERTICAL TURBINE PUMPS Vertical turbine pumps are mixed and radial flow pumps that are mounted underwater and attached by a drive shaft to a motor mounted above the water. They are also referred to as vortex, periphery or regenerative pumps.

They are most commonly used for larger pump applications where the motor is too big to fit into a submersible structure. They are ideal for clean liquid applications where high head, low flow, compact design and flexible operations are required, such as deep-well pumping.

TABLE 2. VERTICAL TURBINE PUMPS - ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES. Advantages

Disadvantages

High TDH and high discharge pressure

Low flow rate

Handle gas-liquid mixture

Cannot handle solids because of tight internal clearances

Low variability in flow rate with pressure change

Susceptible to damage from improper assembly

Compact design

Hard to install, inspect and repair

Can use electric or internal combustion power

Higher lifecycle costs than for centrifugal pumps

Self-priming

SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS Submersible pumps are designed to be installed completely underwater, with the motor sealed in an oil-filled cavity that protects it from the fluid. Larger submersible pumps are designed in the shape of a long, narrow cylinder so it can be used in water wells, while smaller submersible pumps can be used not only in wells but also in bodies of water such as ponds. They can also be placed in a sleeve made from wellcasing pipe and attached to an underwater structure in lakes and rivers.

These pumps do not need to be primed as they are already underwater and tend to be energy efficient as they only push out water.

Submersible pumps can be used in a range of applications, including water transfer. Solar submersible pumps are ideal for slow, steady water transfer and direct pressurisation applications.

TABLE 3. SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS - ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES. Advantages

Disadvantages

Self-priming

Hard to recover if maintenance is needed

Force and flow of liquid will not electronically short it out

If the gasket failed the force of the flow would cause corrosion

Uses direct pressure rather than suction power so liquids can be moved deeper more effectively

Upfront cost is higher for larger pumps than for deep-well vertical turbine engines

Good at moving fluid across long distances

Only use electric power Susceptible to lightning

Can be used for deep wells and in crooked walls Easy to install

Lowara has all your irrigation pumping solutions.

Less expensive than vertical turbine pumps (smaller diameters)

INFORMATION For information go to Franklin Electric website.

Source. The source for this article was Franklin Electric website.

Accessed 27 October 2020

STATISTICS CONFIRM IMPORTANCE OF IRRIGATION Figures in the 2018-19 Australian Bureau of Statistics Water Account and Value of Agricultural Commodities report confirm the importance of irrigation to every Australian’s diet.

According to the report, in 2018-19, irrigation underpinned the production of: • more than 90 per cent of Australia’s fruit, nuts and grapes • more 76 per cent of vegetables • 100 per cent of rice • more than 50 per cent of dairy and sugar.

These figures are based on gross value of farm gate product.

Drought conditions meant the 2018-19 year saw lower agricultural water use, with total value of irrigated production down from $17.7 billion to $16.5 billion. The Murray Darling Basin was still the most significant irrigation area, but it saw the biggest impact with value of irrigated production dropping by 16 per cent down to $7.2 billion.

CEO of the National Irrigators’ Council, Steve Whan, said “Even with drought, these values reflect the huge contribution irrigating farmers make to growing our food and fibre; generating jobs and income in regional communities; and for the nation.

Lowara e-SV Series Tough, efficient and built to last.

• Stainless Steel, for hard wearing and corrosion resistance • AS4020 certification, meeting municipalities requirements for potable water supply • Easy and flexible installation capabilities • Easy to maintain, make repairs without removing the motor • Low running costs • Special versions available e.g. low NPSH and high temperature Suitable for: • Water Supply • Pressure Boosting

• Water Treatment • Irrigation

Call us today to see how Lowara’s e-SV range of pumps can assist with your water requirements.

“Three quarters of all our vegies come from irrigated agriculture. Without these farmers, most Australians would be getting their vegies imported, frozen or in tins,” he said.

11/20

Ph: 1300 4 BBENG www.brownbros.com.au DELIVERING PUMPING SOLUTIONS

ARTICLE MANAGING SYSTEM DRAINAGE IN DRIP IRRIGATION SNAPSHOT • System drainage, or drainout, is recognised as an issue with tree crops irrigated using drip systems with long laterals and large submains, especially if pulse irrigation is practised • Studies in the Mallee have identified that there are a number of ways of minimising drainout, including using dripline that is designed to retain water in the pipe, installing dripline non-leakage valves and slave valves on downhill submains and positioning valves at the bottom of slopes • Two examples describe the approaches of two orchardists to managing drainout

Drip irrigation has become the standard irrigation system for irrigated horticulture in the Mallee. While most irrigators are operating their drip systems efficiently, recent work by Agriculture Victoria has highlighted that they can achieve even greater efficiencies by addressing system drainage, often referred to as ‘drainout’. In this article, Jeremy Giddings discusses the issue and identifies some solutions, from retrofitting to designing a new system.

an irrigation event. The most commonly claimed benefit is that it encourages greater lateral water movement.

After each irrigation event, the effect of gravity is that drainout will continue to the lowest points in the valve.

Similarly, drainout will continue to occur after each pulse event. This can result in water accumulating in these areas, affecting tree health and orchard access. Low points in orchards suffering from excessive water and nutrient application also are prone to diseases such as hull-rot.

As a result of drainout, many irrigators are reducing or eliminating their use of pulsing and running longer irrigation shifts.

Options for minimising the level of system drainage There are several options for minimising the level of drainage generated from drip irrigation systems (described over page).

Which one will depend on existing system hydraulics, run lengths, static head and personal preferences, so will be site specific. Options also will differ between areas on the same property, all of which says it is essential for growers to get advice from an irrigation professional.

Drainout occurs after each irrigation event, when the remaining water in submains and laterals continues to run inside the pipework to the lowest point(s) in the orchard or vineyard and is emitted. The benefits of reducing drainout include more even water application, reduced localised rootzone waterlogging and improved crop production.

Drainage a problem with long laterals and pulsing While drainout is not a new problem, for large systems with long laterals and large submains it can generate a lot of water, particularly when irrigation is applied frequently, and especially if pulse irrigation is practised.

Studies have found that water can be emitted in low areas continuously between 60-minute irrigation pulses, and for as long as 24 hours following complete irrigation shutdown. The more frequent the irrigation event, the more often drainout occurs following each system shutdown/turnoff.

Pulsing being reduced Pulsing is the practice of applying water in short durations with intervals in between, say, one hour on, one hour off over

22

Dripline non leakage valve installed on a lateral

Retrofitting. Drip irrigation systems have conventionally been designed to run laterals (and submains where possible) downhill. This itself is a major cause of system drainage.

While system drainage cannot be eliminated, it can be minimised or redistributed from an existing zone of concentration in a way that does not involve a total system redesign.

Dripline products to retain water. Most manufacturers can supply a dripline that can retain water in the pipe up to a maximum pressure (typically between 1.5 and 2.5 m). These products are usually designated CNL (compensating nonleakage) or ND (non-drain).

When pressure in the laterals drops (following valve shut-off at the end of an irrigation cycle) and the desired pressure is achieved, a mechanism in the dripper stops it from continuing to emit. This results in the pipe remaining full. If the static head of the area is favourable, this could be an option to reduce dripline drainage.

Dripline non leakage valves. Most system drainage is generated from submains, with this water moving into dripline laterals and then emitting in low points. Dripline non-leakage valves can be installed at the beginning of drip laterals to stop the submain draining into low-lying areas after system shutoff. They also can be installed part of the way down the slope to stop all the water in the dripline draining to the low point in the valve area. Irrigation suppliers will ensure that the valves are installed and located correctly.

Sustaining (slave) valve on downhill submains. A simple but possibly more expensive option is to install sustaining valves on submains downhill of existing valves at intervals based on static head (usually between 2 and 3 m) to reduce the volume of drainage at the end of the submain (and associated laterals). This option spreads the drainage onto soil types further up the slope, which may better accommodate excessive water application.

Non-return valve on uphill submains. A low-cost option is to install a non-return valve on submains uphill of valves at intervals based on static head (usually between 2 and 3 m) to reduce the volume of drainage at the start of the submain (and associated laterals) This option also spreads the drainage into different locations.

Other minor alterations. Removing flush submains located on high areas to reduce system drainage back through the laterals to low-lying areas is an option worth considering. The flush submains would be replaced by lateral hose valves. Shortening flushing submains may also be an option in certain situations.

New designs When designing for a new system, there are some important factors to consider as a way of avoiding problems with drainout.

Valve position. Positioning valves at the bottom of slopes in new designs allows system drainage to be controlled by running appropriately designed submains uphill. Adding check valves at specific static intervals (at 1.5 to 2 m) upslope from the valve will reduce drainage back to the valve and associated laterals.

Positioning valves in the middle of submains to reduce the need for large diameter submains is also worth considering, e.g. 50 m of 150 mm submain holds 1,005 L of water, 100 mm 475 L of water, whereas 80 mm holds 264 L. These reductions in drainage volume are significant.

Smaller sized submains create a smaller water reservoir, therefore minimising, but not eliminating system drainage.

The clustering of valves and backup filters can require the use of larger submain piping. Although valve clustering simplifies automation and reduces stops when cleaning backup filters, it should not be used if system drainage problems will be created. However, if the blank submain runs uphill, the submain will not drain when the valve turns off, therefore drainage to the area will not have been increased.

Additional submains. This option shortens lateral run lengths and therefore the volume of lateral drainage created, particularly when combined with smaller diameter laterals. it also provides the opportunity to select valve areas that better match soil types in a dune-swale situation.

Managing drip irrigation to minimise drainout Irrigation managers are now modifying their irrigation pulsing by increasing run times and reducing the number of pulses applied. And some are questioning their need to pulse altogether.

System hygiene is crucial for any drip system. Water remaining in the system can result in silt and organic matter building up in submain piping. The solution is to pay attention to flushing and injection of biocides (chlorine or hydrogen peroxide). This is not a new recommendation as all drip irrigation systems should be treating with biocide and flushed regularly.

Some believe if water is retained in a CNL dripline this may attract root growth, particularly if trees become stressed such as during harvest and are looking for sources of water. This could be an issue for subsurface drip irrigation or areas where the dripline is buried under windblown soil. It is important that unless an irrigation system is designed and managed as a subsurface irrigation system, the dripline should not be allowed to be buried for long periods. Periodic manual lifting of dripline out of drift and organic matter is necessary.

In some situations, it may be necessary to manually remove the retained water in pipe at the end of the season before freezing temperatures over winter, to avoid pipe damage.

Manual drainage may also be required to avoid emitter damage due to long-term contact with certain injected chemicals, which may be retained in non-drain dripline.

SUMMER 2020

23

ARTICLE CASE STUDY 1: ANDREW BOWRING, KYALITE Andrew Bowring, who manages 360 ha of pistachio orchard, irrigating directly from the Wakool River at Kyalite in NSW, describes his experience.

After initial pistachio developments irrigated with low-level sprinkler, we looked to develop our first patch of drip in 2006 and wanted to pulse irrigate. We were concerned about system drainage. At the time the existing irrigation designer did not believe that system drainage could be eliminated. Some modifications were agreed to, resulting in a system we are reasonable happy with. Although a few wet spots are present, after 14 years no issues exist.

Future designs Since 2006 there have been additional irrigation developments and we are now comfortable in producing irrigation systems where system drainage is kept to an absolute minimum. Options we have adopted include: • Splitting appropriate blocks into two, with two submains.

• Using CNL dripline in all patches, which holds 1.5 m.

• Adding in-line non-return valve (dripline check valves) at 1.5 to 2 m static head intervals. Two have been added to short laterals on very steep ground.

• Running submains upslope and installing non-return valves (check valves) at 2 m static intervals.

Latest developments have these valves brought to the surface for both maintenance and to ensure future managers know they exist.

• Installing slave valves to downhill sloping submains, and ensuring valves are synchronised when bypassing the pilot for flushing.

• Trying to keep lateral shorter than 150 m.

• Shorter flushing submains, generally no more than eight rows long. Previously 10 to 12 rows were collected in flushing submains.

• More pulses from 30 minutes to 1 hour to minimise drainage.

Andrew Bowring with a nonreturn valve brought to the surface on an uphill submain.

Andrew’s recommendations Don’t simply accept an irrigation design, rather go through the design valve by valve to find the best option. This will usually result in greater capital outlay initially but a much better end result.

24

CASE STUDY 2: TROY RICHMAN, ALMAS ALMONDS Troy Richman is Almas Almonds’ General Manager and oversees about 1,200 ha of almonds in both north-west Victoria and south-west NSW. Almas Almonds retrofitted 730 ha of drip irrigated almond orchard in 2017-18, creating a low drainage system. This became necessary when tree started to die as a result of rising watertables in the low points of the landscape. Using a bucket test over 24 hours, emitters were found to be applying up to four times as much water as intended. This translated into about 10 L of water discharging from 2.3 L/hr drippers when a one-hour pulse was applied. Testwell monitoring confirmed the presence of watertables.

Bucket testing during and after system shutdown identified a very uneven application of water, and in turn nutrition, with crop biennial bearing compounding the problem.

Retrofit options • Having the existing system assessed by an irrigation designer, conducting a valve-by-valve assessment with the understanding that no one answer fits all situations.

• Removing flushing manifolds and replacing them with flush taps in certain situations, especially if the flushing submain was not important at the design stage to equalise pressure.

• Reducing valves sizes where possible

Further information Jeremy Giddings: Jeremy.giddings@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Acknowledgements • Andrew Bowring, Irrigation Manager, Kyalite Pistachios

• Installing DNL with guidance from designers on their location, installation (direction) and maintenance requirements. These were installed on a contour, meaning they are not located in a straight line across a patch. Only one per lateral due to pressure loss.

• Where impermeable soil layers existed, subsurface drainage was installed as part of the drainage review and irrigation upgrade. It is rare that only one solution can fix the issue, and an overall look at the remediation activities was required.

Future designs Over 400 ha has since been developed with dripline drainage in mind, resulting in systems which have significantly minimised, but not eliminated drainage.

Options incorporated include: • adopting a set of design parameters including having no more than 4 m elevation within a single valve unit • installing check valves for submain drainage • having a minimal drain system has facilitated an increase in pulsing with little drainout losses.

Troy’s recommendations Conduct a bucket test to determine the actual application of water under normal irrigation practice. Do the test for a 24-hour period to determine the true amount of water being emitted.

• Peter Henry, Agronomist, Netafim Australia • Deidre Jaensch, Industry Development Manager, Almonds Australia • Troy Richman, General Manager, Almas Almonds • Trevor Sluggett, Agronomy Manager, Total Eden Renmark

Thinking about joining Think Water?

“The marketing program, shared knowledge, business systems and support that are offered

by Think Water, have been crucial in allowing us to grow our business to the level we are now. Think Water’s support services allow us to focus our expertise on looking after or customers.”

Jodie & Conrad Think Water Smithton & Cradle Coast

www.thinkwater.com.au/franchise

CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY FEATURE Latest climate report shows warming trend SNAPSHOT • The Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO have just released the sixth biennial State of the Climate report • Key trends noted include an increase in extreme fire weather and length of the fire season, and declining rainfall in the south-east and south-west of the continent

The sixth instalment of the joint Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO State of the Climate report was released 13 November 2020. The report, released every two years, shows Australia is continuing to warm and experiencing more frequent extreme weather events such as bushfires, droughts, and marine heatwaves.

KEY TRENDS Continued warming of Australia’s climate, an increase in extreme fire weather and length of the fire season, declining rainfall in the south-east and south-west of the continent, and rising sea levels are some of the key trends detailed in the report.

Drawing on the latest climate observations, analyses and projections, the biennial report provides a comprehensive and scientifically rigorous analysis of Australia's changing climate, today and into the future.

“Our science clearly shows that, due to increasing greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere, Australia’s climate is continuing to warm, and the frequency of extreme events such as bushfires, droughts, and marine heatwaves is growing,” Director of CSIRO’s Climate Science Centre, Dr Jaci Brown, said.

Australia’s changing rainfall pattern is another key observation documented in the report, with contrasting trends being observed across the north and south of Australia.

"In the south-west and south-east of Australia we are seeing drier conditions, particularly in the cool season months of April to October. In south-west Australia, for example, cool season rainfall has decreased by around 16 per cent since 1970. These trends are projected to lead to more time spent in drought in the coming decades,” said BoM’s Manager of Climate Environmental Prediction Services, Dr Karl Braganza.

KEY TRENDS IDENTIFIED IN THE LATEST STATE OF THE CLIMATE REPORT 26

CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE WISE WATER USE IN WA Faced with the impacts of climate change and reduced rainfall, Western Australians were urged to rethink their water use and to practise waterwise habits as part of a new awareness campaign announced at the beginning of National Water Week (19 to 25 October) by Minister for Water Dave Kelly.

In contrast, rainfall has increased across most of northern Australia since the 1970s. While highly variable from year to year, there have been more ‘wetter than average’ years in recent decades.

COVID-19 lockdowns and the economic downturn helped reduce global emissions in 2020 but has not been enough to make a discernible impact on carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Measurements taken at the Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station in north-west Tasmania show that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have been increasing since pre-industrial times (around 1750), with fossil fuel emissions being the main driver of this growth.

The aim of the campaign is to inspire action among individuals, communities and organisations to use water more wisely.

The Water Corporation's new campaign aims to educate the community on how climate change has reduced rainfall and affected Western Australia's water supply, how the state is responding, and what the community can do to keep up their waterwise practices.

The figures are indisputable and uncomfortable, with Western Australia's climate having changed significantly since the 1970s, so that the south-west now one of the areas on the planet most affected by climate change due to declining rainfall. On average, the amount of rainfall runoff into dams has fallen by more than 80 per cent compared to the 1970s (see figure).

KEY OBSERVATIONS • The warming trend outlined in previous State of the Climate reports is continuing.

• Australia's climate has warmed on average by 1.44 (± 0.24) degrees since 1910, leading to an increase in the frequency of extreme heat events.

• Oceans around Australia are acidifying, and have warmed by around one degree since 1910, contributing to longer and more frequent marine heatwaves.

• The rate of sea level rise varies around Australia’s coastlines, but overall, sea levels are rising in line with global trends.

• There has been an increase in extreme fire weather, and in the length of the fire season, across large parts of the country since the 1950s, especially in southern Australia.

• Rainfall between April and October has declined across parts of southern Australia.

• Rainfall has increased across parts of northern Australia since the 1970s.

• Fewer tropical cyclones for the future, but a greater proportion projected to be of high intensity, with large variations from year to year.

• Global carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the atmosphere reached 410 parts per million (ppm) in 2019 and the CO2-equivalent of all greenhouse gas reached 508 ppm. The rate of CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere has increased with every passing decade since atmospheric measurements began.

• Emissions from fossil fuels are the main contributor to the observed growth in atmospheric CO2. Around 85 per cent of global CO2 emissions in the decade from 2009 to 2018 were from fossil fuel sources.

INFORMATION The State of the Climate 2020 report can be found on the

CSIRO website

Figure. Streamflow into south-west Western Australian dams 1911-2018 (Source: website Copyright: Water Corporation of Western Australia).

"Perth has just experienced its fourth driest and warmest winter on record and, and with higher than average temperatures and decreasing rainfall in the south-west of the State, everyone needs to continue being waterwise in the home and workplace to help conserve this precious resource,” said Minister Kelly.

While the Water Corporation continues to secure Perth's water supplies by adding more climate-independent sources to the mix, the minister said that individuals, businesses, and governments all have a part to play in conserving the state’s precious water resource.

The campaign encourages Western Australians to make small changes to their daily water use practices and incorporates the tagline Think Climate Change. Be Waterwise. The first part of the campaign will run until the end of December 2020 across print, broadcast and digital media.

The first television advert can be seen at https://youtu.be/M_7VQbWO9Fg

CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY FEATURE What’s in store for rice growers and the irrigation industry in a changing climate?

SNAPSHOT • New South Wales Department of Primary Industries has invested $8 million in its Climate Vulnerability Assessment project with the aim of identifying risks and opportunities likely to result from climate change • The project team is using modelling to identify agricultural industries that could benefit from adapting their operations to cope with climate change impacts. Irrigated crops, including rice, citrus, grapes, cotton, wheat, barley, lucerne, maize and sorghum, are among the 40+ commodities being investigated, with rice being the first cab off the rank.

• Rice is currently grown under flood irrigation in impermeable soils that can hold water in the paddy through the season. In a significantly warmer climate, flood irrigation may no longer be needed to protect the sensitive flowering plants from cold temperatures potentially opening the industry to alternative irrigation methods including spray irrigation.

The NSW DPI Vulnerability Assessment project aims to help primary industries plan and respond to climate change Irrigated cropping is one of seven sectors, along with livestock, horticulture, broadacre cropping, fisheries, forestry and biosecurity, that are the focus of the Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) project in NSW. Primary industries in Australia have always depended critically on climatic conditions, and climate change is altering those conditions. The New South Wales government’s Primary Industries Climate Change Research Strategy (CCRS) recognises this and is investing $8 million in the Climate Vulnerability initiative.

The CVA will identify risks and opportunities likely to result from a changing climate, with climate vulnerability modelling providing scientific evidence to support planning and policies to address climate change.

DPI researchers are working on models that will demonstrate which industries could benefit from adapting their operations to cope with climate change, as well as highlighting those crops and commodities with potential for geographic expansion as the climate warms and rainfall patterns shift.

An experimental rice crop at the NSW DPI Leeton Field Station. (Image supplied by Brian Dunn)

28

NSW DPI rice trials at Yanco have provided foundational data for Climate Vulnerability Assessment modelling. (Image supplied by Tina Dunn)

RICE FIRST CROP TO BE INVESTIGATED Irrigated crops under investigation include rice, citrus, grapes, cotton, wheat, barley, lucerne, maize and sorghum.

Rice was selected as the first irrigated crop for analysis because of its regional and economic importance and its relatively simple irrigation system.

Rice yields are particularly susceptible to damage in cold conditions at key growth stages. A warming climate, therefore, may prove beneficial for some rice growers.

However, the rice industry, which is reliant on the availability of irrigation water, could also in future be affected by reduced rainfall and inflows into storages, and greater competition for water from the expansion of more profitable crops such cotton and nuts.

Climate vulnerability assessment models have been developed to investigate the impact of a range of temperature variables at key rice growing locations.

Researchers have applied a multi-criteria assessment approach to the vulnerability modelling process, dividing their analysis into six key phases relating to the crop production cycle.

The development and growth of rice is predictable and can be associated with likely calendar dates (see figure).

The weighting of each phase has been determined in consultation with an expert rice industry focus group.

Figure. A multi-criteria analysis model indicating growing season dates and the vulnerability weighting of each growth phase.

The highest vulnerability weighting was allocated to the microspore phase when pollen cells start to form in the flower anthers and the plant is most susceptible to cold damage.

The establishment phase has been given a low weighting as the crop compensates for poor establishment in later phases of growth by developing extra tillers on each rice plant.

Panicle initiation, when the panicle or head begins to form in the base of the shoots or stems, marks the start of the reproductive phase of rice development. The head forms just above the soil surface buffered from cold air by a ‘blanket’ of water that is managed to ensure the developing panicle is always submerged.

Modelling conducted through the CVA has analysed these key growth stages and current climatic conditions and will also define the most suitable climate envelope for future rice production as temperatures continue to warm.

Given the vulnerability of rice to cold temperatures, present day climatic conditions in the Murray Valley (the southernmost district of the Australian rice region) are less suited to rice growing than the mid-region district of Coleambally, and the northern region of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.

CHANGING CLIMATE PRESENTS NEW OPTIONS As temperatures warm, growing seasons are likely to be shorter and southern districts may become more suitable for rice crops with potential for increased yields and lower management costs. CVA modelling will assess the impact of these changes on irrigation demand, as well as the counter effect of increased evaporation.

Technical Officer, Tina Dunn, is part of the DPI team contributing to the Climate Vulnerability Assessment project for irrigated crops. (Image supplied by Brian Dunn)

SUMMER 2020

29

CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY FEATURE Current cropping practice in New South Wales requires rice to be grown in impermeable soils capable of holding water in the paddy throughout the season. In a significantly warmer climate, flood irrigation may no longer be needed to protect the sensitive flowering plants from cold temperatures. This change in conditions could open the industry to alternative irrigation methods including spray irrigation.

Without the need for flooding and impermeable soils, rice could be grown across a wider geographic area under ‘upland’ conditions. Expansion into ‘upland’ rice in new cropping areas would, however, expose the crop to a broader spectrum of weeds, creating a new challenge for the industry to overcome.

While rice is the first commodity to be assessed as part of the Climate Vulnerability initiative, the same approach is being applied to more than 40 other commodities that make a significant contribution to the New South Wales economy.

DPI researchers are building and testing models that will determine crop suitability under different climatic

conditions and defining the risks and opportunities likely to result as climate change progresses. This work ultimately aims to inform both industry and government investment to ensure the ongoing growth of primary Industries and safeguard the future of regional communities.

INFORMATION Iain Hume, Research Officer - NSW Department of Primary Industries P: 02 6938 1984 E: iain.hume@dpi.nsw.gov.au Acknowledgement. The work reported in this article has been produced by the NSW Primary Industries Climate Change Research Strategy and is funded by the NSW Climate Change Fund. © State of New South Wales through NSW Department of Industry

Iain Hume and Meg Strang, NSW Department of Primary Industries

Tasmania plays the long game in response to climate change SNAPSHOT • In 1999, Tasmanian government water resource policy was developed based on the projected impacts of climate change and to ensure the sustainability of agriculture and horticulture in the state • Since then, a strategy to develop irrigation storages with public and private funding has been implemented, with 13 schemes operational and at least ten at prefeasibility stage • Investments in development have been made in part using CSIRO climate modelling

Since the national water audit in 1999, Tasmania has been following a strategy to develop its water resources that factors in the impacts of climate change. Since the audit revealed that 14 per cent of Australia’s surface water run-off occurred in Tasmania, as compared with 6.8 per cent in the Murray-Darling Basin, successive Tasmanian governments have sought to capitalise on the greater availability of water in the state.

30

Central to the strategy is Tasmanian Irrigation, which has led a series of public/private partnership investments in water infrastructure. About 70 per cent of the funds have come from the government and 30 per cent from private irrigators. These investments have been guided by the National Water Initiative Policy Guidelines for Water Planning and Management, which include the document

Considering climate change and extreme events in water planning and management published in 2017.

The policy states: “Climate change may also affect the demand for water.

For example, demand patterns for water may vary with changes in the seasonal distribution of rainfall. Further, in regions with reduced water availability, there will be increased demand and competition for water among urban, irrigated agricultural, mining, industrial and environmental users.

The National Water Initiative (NWI) identifies water access entitlement holders as responsible for bearing the risks of any reduction in water allocation, including the reliability of water allocation, resulting from:seasonal or long-term changes in climate, andperiodic natural events

such as bushfires and drought (NWI, 2004: clause 48).

This approach aligns with a key ‘driver for good adaptation’ where climate risks are well understood and clearly allocated to those best placed to manage them (DIICCSRTE, 2013).”

The government and irrigation industry in Tasmania recognised that their existing infrastructure, both onfarm and in schemes, to supply water were not well placed to meet the climatic changes that were likely to occur. Using the CSIRO modelling for a drier climate in 2050, investments were made to increase reliability of supply and to ensure availability of water.

Chris Thompson, Water Resources Team Leader with Pinion Advisory, has been involved in the irrigation industry in Tasmania since the 1980s.

“It has been a very deliberate strategy to change where and how water infrastructure is built in Tasmania, not only to improve the resilience of the local industry but also to take advantage of the impact of climate change in drying mainland Australia.

“We believe accounting for climate change in our water resource planning has given us quantifiable benefits already and we expect to be even better placed in the future,” Chris explained.

Irrigation schemes in Tasmania. The areas shaded green are operational while those that black or grey are being considered or in prefeasibility stage.

The dairy industry is an example of the changes that have occurred in Tasmania. ABS statistics for 2010-2011 estimated the Tasmanian dairy herd at 222,628 animals. By 2018-2019 this had grown by 3 per cent to 231,192. This still only represented about 10 per cent of the national dairy herd. Over the same time, Victoria’s dairy herd decreased in size from 1,604,009 to 1,496,956, a 7 per cent fall in numbers. This trend has continued to 2020. Dairy Australia reports that Tasmania is responsible for 10 per cent of national production from 412 farms with an average herd size of 425, compared with an average herd size of 302 across all Dairy Australia regions.

3.4°C The average warming the world can expect under current climate pledges, according to the Bureau of Meteorology = up to 4.4 degrees of warming in Australia.

Twitter from BoM

SUMMER 2020

31

CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY FEATURE Resilience strategy designed to help shape region’s future SNAPSHOT • With irrigated agriculture in the Goulburn-Murray already affected by lower water availability in part because of water transfers out of the region, climate change will put further pressure on the sector to adapt • The region decided to take charge of its future by developing a resilience strategy, which identified major drivers affecting its development and ways of responding to ensure its continued growth and sustainability • The strategy identifies ways of building resilience in the region through five areas of intervention.

Around Australia, policymakers, regional agencies and local communities understand that the future will not look like the past, and that it is crucial that we identify ways of responding positively to emerging challenges such as climate change, health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic and a fast-evolving world economic and trading environment.

Just as important as identifying challenges is to recognise that there are opportunities. Earlier this year, a resilience strategy for the Goulburn-Murray region was released that did this; it identified major drivers affecting the region’s development and ways of responding to ensure its continued growth and sustainability.

One of the groups that organised consultation with regional stakeholders and helped facilitate the strategy was RM Consulting Group (RMCG), with the resilience expertise of Paul Ryan from the Australian Resilience Centre. Claire Flanagan-Smith from RMCG, who lead the team, explained that the strategy was developed because people in the Goulburn Murray acknowledged that as a region that relies heavily on irrigated agriculture, one of the threats was declining water availability, in part because of climate change.

“This region is already living with a lower water future, due to water transfers out of the region, and climate change will put further pressure on irrigated agriculture to adapt. Taking a resilience approach allows regions to deal with ongoing uncertainty in positive ways,” said Claire.

As the report highlights, in the last 20 years, there has been a net decline in water resources of almost 50 per cent.

As well as climate change, other important contributors to this decline are competition for water from beyond the

32

region, changes in government policies and the need to recover environmental water.

Importantly, climate predictions for the region mean the trend to less water than in the past will continue. The region has been getting warmer and drier, and it is expected temperatures will continue to increase year round, and there will be more hot days and warm spells, fewer frosts, less rain in autumn, winter and spring, and more frequent and more intense downpours.

The strategy identifies ways of building resilience in the region through five areas of intervention: • futures of agriculture • learning for change • circular economy • natural and built assets • leadership and coordination.

Claire explained the implications for irrigated agriculture.

“The resilience approach provides support for the irrigated agriculture sector to adapt and transform in positive ways in response to change, including lower water availability.

She explained that this includes things described in the strategy such as agricultural redevelopment coordination to make development easier, building smart farming capacity and infrastructure, indigenous crop production and coordinated research and development.

Read the strategy You can download the strategy from the RMCG website G O U L B U R N M U R R AY R E S I L I E N C E S T R A T E G Y 2 0 2 0

Goulburn Murray Resilience Strategy ADAPT TRANSFORM THRiVE

2020 i

Anne Currey, Irrigation Australia

IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA NEWS SNAPSHOT • Newly elected board directors Rob Nadebaum and Greig Graham on why they nominated for the board and issues they plan to focus on in the next 12 months • Tracy Martin brings readers up to date on what’s going on in the regions and Peter Smith details the latest on meters and meter policy • Our Up Close column features Samantha Tyler from Xylem, who talks about her role and perspectives on the water industry • In November, Irrigation Australia member Anthony Fairfull suited up and completed the Postie Bike Challenge to raise money for Variety, the children’s charity

BOARD WELCOMES TWO NEW MEMBERS The Irrigation Australia board welcomes two new directors – Rob Nadebaum from Rain Bird and Greig Graham from Rivulis.

As a result of its recent election, Irrigation Australia welcomes two new faces to the national board – Greig Graham, Managing Director of Rivulis in Australia, and Rob Nadebaum, General Manager of Rain Bird for Australia and New Zealand.

Both Rob and Greig have considerable backgrounds in the irrigation industry and will bring to the board a strategic view and a wealth of experience. We spoke with them about their reasons for nominating for the board and the issues they will be focusing on.

Greig explained that he thought it was important to play a part in supporting Irrigation Australia in its efforts to continue to bring more value to the irrigation industry as well as to the community and the association.

Rob has a similar view, saying that he is looking forward to contributing his experience to an industry that is dynamic and constantly changing.

“I’m passionate about the industry and saving water, and I’m really excited to learn a lot more about it from a different perspective. I’m also excited to work with the board and the Irrigation Australia team who have tremendous experience that I will learn a lot from,” he said.

They identified a number of key issues facing the irrigation industry, ranging from those to do with professionalism and skills through to water use efficiency and our preparedness to deal with the impacts of climate change.

Looking at challenges to the industry, Greig believes that skills and generational succession are important issues for the industry that will have long-reaching impacts if they are not managed effectively.

“Currently we face a lack of skills and we need to identify ways of developing the next generation so they can manage in an industry that is rapidly changing, especially where the adoption of new technology is concerned,” he explained.

At a broader level, he also identified the vulnerability of rural communities, growers and irrigation businesses to the impacts of climate change, as well as the possible effects of rapidly changing international trade conditions on investment in water infrastructure both on and off farm.

While the industry has done much in terms of improving water use efficiency in the 2000s, Rob emphasised that this continues to the most important message for the industry and association to promote.

“At any given time, there are multiple regions around the country facing water restrictions, and this is an important driver of innovation with products and technology so that even minor changes to specifications and techniques can save enormous amounts of water,” he said.

Rob identified initiatives such as the Waterwise programs developed in Perth as being huge opportunities to drive their adoption in other states.

“We are now starting to see certain types of water saving products become legislated in large markets overseas and I believe that is the next step for Australia to look at,” he said.

Issues to focus on Greig and Rob both explained that while there will be a period of learning more about Irrigation Australia and its strategies, they are both keen to deliver value to members by helping to grow the viability and influence of the association and to support the implementation of its strategies.

“My aim is to bring a positive attitude to enhance and influence the culture of the organisation so that we can all focus on the key issues and challenges facing it.

“I would also like to use my skills in a practical way to support the organisation, for example improving the revenue stream to fund more activities,” Greig explained.

Important to Rob will be building on the achievements in improving professionalism, in particular development and recognition of irrigation as a trade and attracting more young people to the industry through an apprenticeship program.

“I will also advocate for the continued promotion of water saving and water efficiency messaging,” said Rob.

Greig Graham

Rob Nadebaum

SUMMER 2020

33

IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA NEWS REGIONAL ROUNDUP What’s going on in the regions and with membership by Tracy Martin, Irrigation Australia's National Membership and Regions Manager.

COVID-19 has meant that there have been significant changes over the past few months to the way regional committees have been holding meetings, with the priorities adhering to state COVID-19 rules and ensuring member safety. Committees have been hosting meetings using conferencing services or online services. Recently, with some states permitting group gatherings up to 50 and more, we have been looking at obtaining approval for delivery of face-to-face member events. These networking opportunities are vital to providing knowledge transfer, CPD points and Waterwise reendorsement activities.

Queensland. The South-East Queensland Regional Committee hosted a successful end-of-year networking opportunity in November.

The SEQ Waterwise subcommittee has met twice since it was formed earlier this year and has been reviewing the Waterwise Program’s manuals to align them with Queensland regulations, standards and terminologies. An implementation strategy for the region is being developed.

Western Australia. The region’s annual general meeting, held 20 October, saw 18 nominations received from members to volunteer their time and support to the various sub committees that guide activities. These members are: Clinton Hort, Andrew Ogden, Daniel Nelson, Troy Fiscus, Jason Rothery, Nathan Yardley, Paul Mellor, Bede Anderson, Andrew Webb, Todd Denzil-Williams, Darren Seinor, Paul Willmott, Clive Croxford, Nicole McNeill, Richard Yates, Steve Rowan, Zaahir du Toit and Bruce Scarterfield. We thank them for their support, as well as Les Olivieri and Shaye Holmes, who are standing down.

The Waterwise program continues to expand with 119 individuals representing 97 businesses endorsed in the Waterwise Gardener Irrigator program and 77 people representing 34 businesses endorsed in the Waterwise Irrigation Design Shop program.

The committee recently co-hosted a half-day field event with Dept Primary Industries and Regional Development, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation,

34

Vegetables WA and Perth NRM targeting the Carabooda– North Wanneroo area. The event showcased outcomes from the 22 on-farm assessments that Irrigation Australia was contracted to undertake on behalf of DPIRD in late 2019 and looked at water use efficiency strategies for irrigators who will have their water allocation reduced by 10 per cent in 2021.

Manufacturer members exhibited products as part of the field day, and Minister for Agriculture Hon. Alannah MacTiernan MLA attended and made a short presentation.

Melbourne. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the Waterwise Design Shop program continues to grow in Melbourne, with 28 people representing four businesses having successfully completed program requirements.

Marketing activities are in full swing for the summer period promoting the Waterwise Irrigation Design Shops to local communities.

The water utility subcommittee is advancing its discussions with Melbourne water utilities, City West Water and South East Water, looking at water efficiency and sustainability programs that Irrigation Australia members can add value to.

South Australia. The regional committee, assisted by the City of Port Adelaide and Enfield, hosted a member event at the end of October at Taperoo Reserve, Taperoo. The day began with a talk by Hon. Karlene Maywald, Ambassador for Water SA, about the SA Vision for Water for Growth 2030.

Presentations then followed about the site by: City of Port Adelaide Enfield Council giving a brief overview of the council’s perspective on the use of the site, design requirements, sprinkler choice and ongoing maintenance; Hydroplan discussing irrigation design concepts; City of Port Adelaide Enfield discussing the first stage of construction process; and then Grundfos Pumps who provided an overview on the features of vertical multi stage pumps, hydraulic considerations, pump service and maintenance, and variable speed and its positive effective on hydraulic efficiency.

New South Wales. The Sydney regional committee is changing its focus from water restrictions to cover other areas of services to our members such as events, engagement with councils and training.

Northern Territory. Irrigation Australia has been approached by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, NT Farmers Federation and Australian Mango Association (NT) to deliver two field days in Darwin and Katherine in March 2021. The days will bring growers up to speed with the latest in irrigation technology and take participants through the basics of improving water use efficiency, maximising crop yields and quality, and local water regulations.

Manufacturers will also be invited to display their latest water saving technologies.

PETER TALKS METERS Metering update from Peter Smith, Metering Governance Officer, Irrigation Australia As the irrigation season is upon us and with the first New South Wales roll-out date looming, there has been a spike in non-urban water metering installations. In this situation it is important that installers and clients understand what is required for metering installations to work accurately, meet regulatory requirements and fit specific sites.

To help CMIs (DQPs), an audit of submitted meter validation certificates has started in collaboration with Murray-Darling Basin jurisdictions. Several certificates from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia will be randomly selected and checked by me. The aim is to ensure that CMIs are completing the forms appropriately and, where necessary, to help them with this. CMIs will receive feedback if any material issues are found as the goal is to ensure a high standard of practice.

The first roll-out date in New South Wales is approaching. By 1 December this year, all surface water pump installations 500 mm and larger must be compliant with both metering and telemetry requirements. Water entitlement holders should be encouraged to act if they have not already done so. People who are finding it hard to meet this deadline can refer to the Irrigation Australia website

TABLE. TIMETABLE FOR COMPLIANCE WITH METERING AND TELEMETRY REQUIREMENTS IN NSW

-

Works covered All new and replacement meters need to comply with the new standards

Enquiries Over the past few months, enquiries were mainly on technical issues about specific installations. When they come across something that is not well understood, CMIs are seeking advice to ensure the quality of their work. This is good to see and I encourage CMIs to seek assistance when needed.

Training course

State and territory implementation

Stage

WaterNSW continue to make improvements to the DQP Portal in response to CMI feedback. If you have difficulties, please contact WaterNSW at email dqp.enquiries@ waternsw.com.au.

While the New South Wales floodplain harvesting measurement legislation was unsuccessfully put before the NSW parliament in September, it is expected that it ultimately will be passed. To provide our industry with the required certified installers, Irrigation Australia has developed storage meter installation and validation training.

The first of these courses was run in November.

Roll-out date 1 April 2019

1

Large works all NSW regions: Surface water pumps 500 mm or larger

1 December 2020

2

Inland northern region: All remaining works that require a meter

1 December 2021

3

Inland southern region: All remaining works that require a meter

1 December 2022

4

Coastal region: remaining works that require a meter

1 December 2023

The CMI training course has continued to experience high levels of demand and is being delivered using virtual technology. Coronavirus restrictions still create some challenges, but the training team at Irrigation Australia are keen to work individually with those involved to achieve completion.

News The number of pattern-approved meters continues to increase. The latest release from MDBA in September is available at Irrigation Australia website.

The ‘Q3’ label information on a few meters has been found to be inaccurate. CMIs are advised to double check all relevant parameters on the NMI Pattern Approval certificates.

Information For more information about non-urban meters, contact Peter Phone: 0455 973 780 Email metergovernance@irrigation.org.au Peter Smith, Metering Governance Officer, Irrigation Australia

SUMMER 2020

35

IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA NEWS UP CLOSE We get up close to Samantha Tyler from Xylem in Melbourne and talk to her about her work and perspectives on water management technology and innovation.

IA. What is your role with Xylem and how long have you worked in the water management industry?

Samantha. My role with Xylem is Market Manager for New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania with the main responsibility of supporting our distribution partners and resellers. I also work with our distributors to explore opportunities with our large range of products.

I started my career in the water management industry with Xylem about four years ago, initially in a role that focussed on the municipal market. I then stepped into this role which is involved more in the irrigation and agricultural markets.

IA. Can you tell us about Xylem and its role in the Australian irrigation sector?

Samantha. Xylem is a water solutions company committed to ‘solving water’ by creating innovative and smart technology. With a broad portfolio of highly engineered products and services we provide a total water system solution.

Water is essential for irrigation and Xylem’s role in the irrigation sector is to use our products and expertise to provide water as reliably and efficiently as possible to each individual application.

IA. Can you describe a recent irrigation project you were involved in and any challenges or issues you ran into with completing it?

Samantha. Being based in Melbourne they have all been challenging in recent times as I haven’t been able to get out to visit customers and sites. Assisting from behind the computer isn’t the same as being out there and it does come with challenges. With getting to site being harder than normal, communication has been the key with our tech support team doing a lot of over-the-phone walk throughs and Zoom meetings to push through some on-site issues.

I am lucky to work with experienced distributors and customers who have made the process as easy as it could be in these times.

IA. What are the key trends as far as water and irrigation innovation and technology are concerned?

36

Samantha. The key trends I am seeing in irrigation are mainly around the effects of climate change, sustainability and efficiency. With overseas governments implementing more and more efficiency regulations and Australia starting to follow suit, innovation and more efficient pumping system technology are becoming more sought after by consumers.

Resources are also evidently becoming limited and energy consumptions cost are getting higher, pushing consumers to become more educated about the benefits of seeking and buying smarter systems.

IA. What do you think will be the biggest challenge for the irrigation industry in the next couple of years?

Samantha. I think what has been and will be a huge challenge for the irrigation industry in Australia is climate change. Whether in the form of unpredictable heat waves, rainfall, droughts, floods or bushfire, extreme weather has significantly affected our access to and the demand for water compared to its supply. As we all know, water is the lifeline for irrigation, and we need now more than ever to use innovative technologies as opportunities to conserve our water resources and to protect our irrigation industry’s future.

IA. What was the last book your read and where will your next holiday be (when you are released from lockdown)?

Samantha. My last book was called My lovely Wife, which is a psychological thriller. As for my next holiday, the plan was to visit family in New Zealand, however, COVID has made that not an option so somewhere warm, or anywhere but here (Melbourne)!

NEW DATES AND VENUE FOR IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION Irrigation Australia International Conference and Exhibition, ICID International Congress and IEC meeting

Dates: 8 to 14 March 2022 Venue: Adelaide Convention Centre

BEARING UP FOR CHARITY In November this year, long-time Irrigation Australia member Anthony Fairfull suited up to take part in the Postie Bike Challenge to raise money for Variety, the children’s charity.

Participants in the challenge rode nearly 2,000 km in six days, starting in Tamworth and passing through Gloucester/ North Haven/Nambucca Heads/Glen Innes and Gunnedah.

They didn’t set any speed records, travelling at a maximum speed of around 70 km/hour, but, of course, that wasn’t the aim.

This was Anthony’s first time in the event, and he had a great time while doing a great thing and raised money for those in need.

Irrigation Australia recently announced new dates and a new venue for the ICID 24th International Congress and 73rd IEC meeting and Irrigation Australia Conference and Exhibition.

After considering the health and safety of delegates and possible issues with international travel next year as a result of COVID-19, the Irrigation Australia board decided that the most prudent option was to further postpone the event from 2021 to 8 to 14 March 2022. It will now be held at the Convention Centre in Adelaide.

Left: Anthony Fairfull recently suited up for the Postie Bike Challenge and to raise money for Variety, the children’s charity.

FIND AN IRRIGATION SPECIALIST If you are looking for an irrigation specialist, then the Irrigation Australia website is your one-stop-shop.

Just type in a postcode and irrigation professionals listed in the area will be shown, along with their contact details.

Anthony (far righthand) and his five team members raised $45,979 for Variety; the 71 riders who participated in the Postie Bike Challenge raised over $220,000.

IAL BOARD DIRECTORS Andrew Ogden (Chairman) Western Irrigation, Bibra Lake WA 6163 P: 08 9434 5678 M: 0411 750 770 E: andrew@westernirrigation.net.au Colin Bendall SunWater, Brisbane 4001 P: 07 3120 0105 M: 0417 700 736 E: collector1930@bigpond.com Peter Brueck Waterwise Consulting, Bangor NSW 2234 M: 0411 425 831 E: peter@wwconsulting.com.au Peter Durand Netafim, Laverton Vic 3028 P: 03 8331 6500 M: 0407 975 401 E: peter.durand@netafim.com Greig Graham Rivulis, Brendale Queensland 4500 P: 07 3881 4028 M: 0409 586 613 E: greig.graham@rivulis.com

Rob Nadebaum Rain Bird, Deer Park Victoria 3023 P: 1800 724 624 M: 0459 127 707 E: rnadebaum@rainbird.com.au John Pivac Vinidex, Virginia Queensland 4014 P: 08 8300 9254 M: 0439 887 971 E: jpivac@vinidex.com.au Simon Treptow Irrigear Stores, Mornington Victoria 3931 P: 03 5976 1588 M: 0438 695 170 E: simon@irrigear.com.au Momir Vranes Ashgrove Queensland 4060 M: 0451 955 215 E: mvranes@hotmail.com Carl Walters Goulburn-Broken Catchment Management Authority, Shepparton Victoria 3632 P: 03 5822 7711 M: 0419 118 237 E: carlw@gbcma.vic.gov.au

SUMMER 2020

37

BIG ISSUE RAINFALL RECORDS SHOW HOW DROUGHTS START IN THE MURRAY-DARLING BASIN SNAPSHOT • Three researchers have completed a study identifying the processes that drive drought in the MurrayDarling Basin, something they say has not been well understood.

• The study took a weather model into reverse and ran it back for 35 years to study the natural processes leading to low rainfall during drought.

• They found that there was much to learn still about rainfall and drought, including answering the questions of where Australia’s rainfall comes from.

Understanding where rainfall comes from is important, because it can improve weather forecasts, seasonal streamflow forecasts and long-term rainfall impacts of climate change.

• According to the study, the leading cause for drought in the Murray-Darling Basin was that moisture from oceans did not reach the basin as often as normal and produced less

While the extreme, recent drought devastated many communities around the Murray-Darling Basin, the processes driving drought are still not well understood. This article that describes a study completed by the authors helps to change this. They threw a weather model into reverse and ran it back for 35 years to study the natural processes leading to low rainfall during drought.

They found the leading cause for drought in the MurrayDarling Basin was that moisture from oceans did not reach the basin as often as normal and produced less rain when it did. In fact, when moisture from the ocean did reach the basin during drought, the parched land surface made it harder for the moisture to fall as rain, worsening the already dry conditions.

These findings can help resolve why climate models struggle to simulate drought well, and ultimately help improve our ability to predict drought. This is crucial for our communities, farmers and bushfire emergency services.

A lot to learn about rain The most recent drought was relentless. It saw the lowest rainfall on record in the Murray-Darling Basin, reduced agricultural output, led to increased food prices, and created tinder dry conditions before the Black Summer fires.

Drought in the Murray-Darling Basin is associated with global climate phenomena that drive changes in ocean and atmospheric circulation. These climate drivers include the

38

El Niño and La Niña cycle, the Indian Ocean Dipole and the Southern Annular Mode.

Each influences the probability of rainfall over Australia.

But drivers like El Niño can only explain around 20 per cent of Australian rainfall — they only tell part of the story.

To fully understand the physical processes causing droughts to begin, persist and end, we need to answer the question: where does Australia’s rainfall come from? It may seem basic, but the answer is not so simple.

Where does Australia’s rainfall come from?

Broadly, scientists know rainfall derives from evaporation from two main sources: the ocean and the land. But we don’t know exactly where the moisture supplying Australia’s rainfall originally evaporates from, how the moisture supply changes between the seasons nor how it might have changed in the past.

To find out, we used a sophisticated model of Australia’s climate that gave data on atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, winds, rainfall and evaporation.

We put this data into a “back-trajectory model”. This traced the path of water from where it fell as rain, backwards in time through the atmosphere, to uncover where the water originally evaporated from. We did this for every day it rained over Australia between 1979 and 2013.

Not surprisingly, we found more than three-quarters of rain falling in Australia comes from evaporation from the surrounding oceans. So, what does this mean for the Murray-Darling Basin?

Up to 18 per cent of rain in the basin starts from the land During the Millennium Drought and other big drought years (such as in 1982), the Murray-Darling Basin heavily relied on moisture transported from the Tasman and Coral seas for rain. Moisture evaporated off the east coast needs easterly winds to transport it over the Great Dividing Range and into the Murray-Darling Basin, where it can form rain.

This means low rainfall during these droughts was a result of anomalies in atmospheric circulation, which prevented the easterly flow of ocean moisture. The droughts broke when moisture could once again be transported into the basin.

The Murray-Darling Basin was also one of the regions in Australia where most “rainfall recycling” happens. This is when, following rainfall, high levels of evaporation from soils and plants return to the atmosphere, sometimes leading to more rain, particularly in spring and summer.

This means if we change the way we use the land or the vegetation, there is a risk we could affect rainfall, e.g. when a forest of tall trees is replaced with short grass or crops,

It is important to understand where rainfall in the Murray-Darling Basin comes from because it can improve weather forecast and seasonal streamflow forecasts and enable better preparation for the future as the impacts of climate change increase.

humidity can go down and wind patterns change in the atmosphere above. Both affect the likelihood of rain.

In the northern part of the basin, less evaporation from the dry land surface exacerbated the low rainfall. When the drought broke, more moisture evaporated from the damp land surface, adding to the already high levels of moisture coming from the ocean. This meant the region got a surplus of moisture, promoting even more rain.

This relationship was weaker in the southern part of the basin. But interestingly, rainfall there relied on moisture originating from evaporation in the northern basin, particularly during drought breaks. This is a result we need to explore further.

Summer rain not so good for farmers Rainfall and moisture sources for Australia and the MurrayDarling Basin are changing. In the past 35 years, the southeast of the country has been receiving less moisture in winter, and more in summer.

This is likely due to increased easterly wind flows of moisture from the Tasman Sea in summer and reduced westerly flows of moisture from the Southern Ocean in winter.

This has important implications, particularly for agriculture and water resource management. For example, more rainfall in summer can be a problem for horticultural farms, as it can make crops more susceptible to fungal diseases, decreases the quality of wine grape crops and affects harvest scheduling.

Less winter rain also means less runoff into creeks and rivers, a vital process for mitigating drought risk. And this creates uncertainty for dam operators and water resource managers.

Understanding where our rainfall comes from matters, because it can improve weather forecasts, seasonal streamflow forecasts and long-term rainfall impacts of climate change. For a drought-prone country like Australia — set to worsen under a changing climate — this is more crucial than ever.

Acknowledgment. This article is from The Conversation, accessed 25 September 2020.

Chiara Holgate, Hydrologist and PhD Candidate, ANU, Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, ANU and Jason Evans, Professor, UNSW

ARTICLE WATER MARKET TRANSPARENCY: IMPROVEMENTS ON THE WAY SNAPSHOT • Transparency underpins the efficient and effective operation of markets, but what happens where the rules or price information are inadequate or not published to parties affected by them?

• Currently the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Productivity Commission (PC) are examining transparency of water allocation and the operation of the water market in Australia, including regulation of water brokers and the conduct of public tenders for water • The water market has been identified by the ACCC as one where price information is not sufficiently available to all parties, inhibiting economic efficiency • The PC considers absence of water market transparency to be a key failing in water management and is concerned that lack of transparency in decision making has undermined public confidence in how Australia’s water resources are being managed

Transparency of market information is officially a problem in the Murray-Darling Basin. Confirming what irrigators have known since the start of state transfer rules and the federal Water Act 2007, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has reported that price information in water markets, where it exists, is inconsistent and lags realtime water transactions.

Transparency is the cornerstone of justice and of market efficiency. But what happens where the rules or price information are inadequate or not published to parties affected by them?

How effective is the market in water resource allocation?

In the irrigation services sector, the market for equipment and services is well-developed and price information is available in real and near-real time, facilitating trade in goods and services. The channels and flow of information between sellers and purchasers are well established and are part of everyday commercial activity.

Participants know that anyone who strays too far from transparent pricing and good faith dealing is likely to experience the constraining arm of statutory competition and consumer and other law.

However, for dealings in water itself - the resource to which the irrigation industry and its regulators owe their

40

existence - the situation is remarkably inadequate in key areas.

In the water market, contemporaneous and historical price information is insufficiently available, compared with other sectors of the economy. This situation is now regarded as a serious inhibitor of economic efficiency in Australia, with Treasurer Frydenburg directing the ACCC in 2019 to conduct its current Murray-Darling Basin Water Markets Inquiry.

Having made an interim report on 30 June 2020, the ACCC is expected to deliver a final report in 2021. The Treasurer’s directions include recommending options to enhance markets for tradeable water rights, by identifying ways to improve their transparency, regulation, competitiveness and efficiency.

The ACCC’s interim report records audit findings by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority that no Murray-Darling Basin State has appropriate arrangements in place to ensure comprehensive, accurate price information and that no Basin State rules require evidence to support prices reported through transaction processes.

Beginning with the broadcast in the 2017 Four Corners’ exposé ‘Pumped’ of video of a former New South Wales departmental executive limiting access to market information as between larger and smaller water users, transparency in water market information has been a slowly emerging theme in the official response.

The New South Wales Government, reacting to media revelations and early reports on water non-compliance in the state system, sought to restore public confidence in the rules as quickly as possible by establishing the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR).

NRAR has undertaken a large caseload since 2017 and, in addition to investigating, penalising and prosecuting contraventions of the state’s water laws, has worked to raise water users’ awareness of the laws, contributing to improved compliance rates.

However, it is fair to say that the state’s reaction to the problems originally revealed by Four Corners has focussed mainly on water takers’ compliance and not on other relevant aspects of the water allocation process. These other aspects include the issues the ACCC is now identifying, which will be the subject of recommendations in its final report.

ACCC recommendations crucial The importance of the ACCC’s final recommendations cannot be overstated. In parallel with the ACCC Inquiry, the terms of reference for the Productivity Commission’s (PC) current statutory review of the implementation of national water

Lack of transparency of information about price in the water market is lacking, inhibiting its operation and economic efficiency.

reform include the examination of transparency in water allocation within jurisdictions.

Like the ACCC, the PC considers absence of water market transparency to be a key failing in water management, saying that concerns about the transparency of decisions have undermined public confidence in how Australia’s water resources are being managed.

Critically, the PC is relying on the ACCC’s separate findings about price information and transparency in water trading and is expressly avoiding duplicating effort in this area. While this will not preclude the PC drawing conclusions about the issues based on the ACCC report or on further work by the PC after it has seen the ACCC recommendations, it heightens the importance of the ACCC’s findings.

The issues both commissions are dealing with include two critical areas where current laws do not aid transparency and market efficiency - regulation of water brokers and the conduct of public tenders for water.

The ACCC has already identified regulation of brokers as a priority area requiring upgrading of regulation in the water market. At present, water brokers can engage in conduct that attracts severe penalties in other markets.

For public tenders, attention needs to be given to the information-opaque and market-distorting impact of government procurement approaches to controlled allocation (as it is known in New South Wales). The appropriation of tendering processes developed for other government purposes is not productive in the context of

the water market. The consequence of this approach is that important price information is not available to bidders when they apply for and nominate a price per megalitre for the water sought. The market outcome is that because applications for water allocation are forced to be made without knowledge that is readily available in other markets, windfall gains accrue to the state while bidders are unable to detect any price signal other than a minimum bid threshold specified by the department, with destructive effects for the businesses of both the highest, successful bidders and the lower-bidding, unsuccessful bidders.

Withholding of information about bids and the formulas used to allocate water is a direct obstruction of exactly the market information needed for markets to be efficient, damaging the water market intended to be established under the national water reforms originally articulated by the National Water Initiative.

Addressing this negative impact is important, more so because government or public entities regulating the market are among the largest holders of tradeable water rights in Australia.

Information Jeremy Fisher, Kingfisher Law E: jeremyfisher@kingfisherlaw.com.au P: 1300 529 424 Jeremy Fisher, Kingfisher Law, Sydney

SUMMER 2020

41

AROUND INDUSTRY RMCG EXPANDS TASMANIAN BUSINESS In July this year, environmental and agricultural consultancy RMCG completed the purchase of AK Consultants, which is based in Tasmania.

RMCG is a long-established company with offices in Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and the ACT. According to RMCG Managing Principal Dr Anne-Maree Boland, the purchase of AK Consultants is part of RMCG’s strategic growth and continued pursuit to provide the best services to clients.

“While we already had staff based in Launceston, this expansion means that we now have offices in Penguin in the north and in Hobart, enabling us to provide more comprehensive services to our clients, particularly in the agriculture and natural resource management sectors in Tasmania, as well as interstate,” she Dr Anne-Maree Boland, Managing said.

Principal of RMCG said that the recent purchase of AK Consultants is part of a The current AK strategy to provide high quality services Consultants’ team will to clients all be part of the new business and will continue to work with clients on existing and new projects.

“As well as providing RCMG with a greater ability to undertake research, solve problems and provide advice, the merger means we have even more expertise relevant to the irrigation sector, including in irrigation water resources and management and dam assessments and safety audits,” Anne- Maree said.

Information. Go to website www.rmcg.com.au

AQUAMONIX BRINGING NEW MANUFACTURING OPPORTUNITIES TO AUSTRALIA One of the issues that has been put under the microscope during the COVID-19 pandemic is that or disruption to global supply chains. As a result, some Australian companies that have a global reach are looking at the option of bringing manufacturing back onshore, and Aquamonix has announced that it is doing just this.

42

Jason Schoch shows the first Tonick decoders, production of which as just begun in Aquamonix’s Adelaide manufacturing facility.

Since acquiring the Tonick Watering business in 2017, they had kept the manufacturing in the EU. As a result of ongoing blow outs in freight costs and production lead times, they have decided to bring this manufacturing to Australia for the first time.

In September, the first Tonick DIAS decoder was shipped out of its new manufacturing facility in Adelaide directly to a large customer located in Florida, USA. It expected that the production output from this facility will exceed 100 thousand units a year.

“Manufacturing in South Australia will allow Aquamonix to have better control over the quality and on time delivery of our decoder product as we rapidly grow our international markets,” said Jason Schoch, Aquamonix’s Perth-based Product Manager for Irrigation Technology.

SINGAPORE'S TEMASEK ACQUIRES RIVULIS In September, Singapore's government holding company Temasek Holdings announced that it had acquired 85 per cent of Israel-based micro-irrigation company Rivulis Irrigation, subject to government approvals, which are expected to be completed by the end of 2020. According to reports, Temasek will retain Rivulis' current management, as well as its headquarters in Kibbutz Gvat.

Temasek owns a US$214 billion portfolio, which includes significant exposure to agribusiness entities. Rivulis has 2000 employees working in 16 facilities in 14 countries, including Australia. The company’s main markets are Turkey, Greece and the Balkans, the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.

ARTICLE TOTAL MAKEOVER FOR SANCTUARY COVE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB GOLF COURSE Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club’s premier golf course on Queensland’s Gold Coast, The Pines, has been rejuvenated as a result of a total makeover of its irrigation system.

Nutrien Water Nerang was commissioned to replace the 30-year-old irrigation system, which had reached the end of its lifespan.

Working closely with Paul McLean, the club’s Golf Course Superintendent, Nutrien Water’s Project Manager Steve Moncrieff headed up the works, which began in October last year and were completed in mid-August this year.

One hole completed at a time The project was done sequentially, with the team completing one hole of the 21-hole golf course at a time, which allowed the club to continuously offer its members an 18-hole course.

“While we replaced the system, we had to make sure the construction didn’t affect all of the old irrigation system; it was a requirement to keep the existing system as operational as possible so that the rest of the golf course could be kept in playing condition,” said Steve.

The project involved a complete upgrade of the irrigation system, including new main line, lateral lines, isolation valves and Infinity sprinklers incorporating a Toro Lynx central control system, allowing the club to have full control of the irrigation system.

“The new system enables the club to apply the right amount of water every time it irrigates, based on an optimal water window and time frame the central control system establishes,” Steve said.

Above: Pipe being prepared for branch saddle installation.

Right: A Plasson PE valve being installed during system construction.

System maintenance crucial for long life The new irrigation system will water the golf course for the next 30 years or more.

Steve stressed that keep operating efficiently for this long, the system required continued upkeep and care, from pump station through to pipes, sprinklers and the computer control system.

“It's not a set and forget system, there's always continual, preventative maintenance needed,” he said.

Nutrien Water Nerang has completed similar projects in the past, including replacing Burleigh Heads’ 30-year-old 18hole golf course’s irrigation system in 2019.

Acknowledgment. This article was supplied by Nutrien Water, website.

Newly installed sprinklers being put through their paces on the 13th hole of The Pines golf course.

SUMMER 2020

43

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER INDUSTRY MEMBERS TAKE TO THE DIGITAL AIRWAVES SNAPSHOT • Richard Jolly and Adrian Walsh began their podcast Irrination, last year. As well as it being a useful technical resource for its subscribers and valuable marketing tool, according to Adrian, it is good fun • Irrination has dealt with issues such as backflow prevention, distribution uniformity, pressure and flow, and sizing a water supply, and Richard and Adrian are planning to include business-related and other issues such as cashflow budgeting and managing staff in the future • In this article Adrian describes the simple steps in establishing a podcast and its value to irrigation industry professionals.

Two irrigation industry members, Richard Jolly and Adrian Walsh from Ecostream Water Management in Victoria, are taking advantage of the power of the internet to highlight issues to do with landscape irrigation using their podcast, Irrination – Australia’s landscape irrigation podcast.

In essence, the reasons for starting the podcast were: 1. We thought we could provide valuable information to the irrigation industry and associated industries.

2. We both love to talk.

3. We wanted to create a resource that we could refer clients to when they had a question that required a detailed answer.

IR. How did you go about setting it up?

Adrian. Setting the podcast up was reasonably simple.

I found the online platform Podbean was pretty straight forward to use. I bought a decent microphone, downloaded some recording software and recorded the podcast. I then found an editor online to fix up the sound and create our into and outro.

Irrination was begun by Adrian and Richard 12 months ago, and in that short time they now have an audience in 20 countries. Topics they have covered so far include backflow prevention, distribution uniformity, pressure and flow, and sizing a water supply.

We spoke with Adrian and asked him about the podcast and why he thinks it has garnered such a geographically diverse audience in a relatively short time.

IR. Can you explain to our readers why you decided to develop the podcast.

Adrian. Sure, I am a huge podcast fan. I have a number of podcasts I regularly listen to and enjoy.

Before creating Irrination, Richard and I constantly discussed irrigation related topics in the office and found that we often had conflicting opinions about how things should be done. Long debates would be a common occurrence as we looked to find the best solutions for our customers and our business.

The podcast is where we can share our knowledge of irrigation and constantly push boundaries and challenge the "This is the way things have always been done" mentality.

It's where we can let the science of irrigation meet with the real world.

44

Richard Jolly and Adrian Walsh are enthusiastic about their podcast Irrination – Australia’s landscape irrigation podcast, which they began 12 months ago.

IR. How do you decide on the topics that you and Richard discuss in each podcast and how much planning goes into them beforehand?

it were, I probably wouldn't break out into song as often as I do! I should also mention that my singing has not received any complaints or compliments from listeners.

Adrian. The topics usually reflect something going on in our business at the time. If Richard has the Spacepro programme open and I see he is trying to get great coverage on a job he is designing, I might say, "Hey, let's do a podcast on distribution uniformity".

We might put an hour of preparation into each podcast. We don't like to be too prepared because we don't want to ruin the natural flow of the conversation.

IR. Can you tell us something about your listeners – why they subscribe and what feedback they provide?

“We want to keep talking about what we are coming across day to day in the field. We also want to start on topics that will help irrigation businesses by getting business professionals in to discuss marketing, HR, sales, cashflow and even mental health for small business owners..”

IR. What role does the podcast play in your business e.g. do you see it as part of your marketing program or is it more about education (or a bit of both)?

Adrian. It's a bit of both.

Ecostream funds the podcast. There are costs involved in running it like editing and subscriptions. At this point, with Ecostream being the podcast’s only sponsor, the company gets a mention every now and then.

We do try to not talk about Ecostream too often as we want to offer genuine and helpful information to people.

The best thing the podcast does for us is allows people to get to know us long before they meet us in person. There is a trust that is built that is quite phenomenal that certainly helps in the business.

Adrian. We have received great encouragement from people in the industry who feel that we are promoting the industry in a new way and on a new(ish) platform. We know that irrigation contractors, manufacturers, designers and turf professionals have been listening. Many listeners have told us that they have learnt something new by what we have shared through the podcast.

IR. Given how the podcast has been received, how long do you think you will keep doing it for and what might be topics you will cover in the future?

Adrian. I can see it running for a long time.

We want to keep talking about what we are coming across day to day in the field.

We also want to start on topics that will help irrigation businesses by getting business professionals in to discuss marketing, HR, sales, cashflow and even mental health for small business owners.

We believe education for industries that are closely related is also important. We recently had an episode that was dedicated to hydraulic/plumbing consultants. We will be doing another episode soon for land developers.

IR. What advice would you give to someone thinking of developing a podcast about irrigation?

Adrian. It's not that hard, it's not that expensive, and it's super fun.

Before doing my own podcast, I was a guest on other podcasts. Being a guest is a great way to dip your toe in the water.

IR. How important is the podcast for you in terms of professional credibility and raising your profile in the markets you operate in?

Adrian. We find the podcast to be a great platform to add personality and personal opinion into an industry that from the outside could seem very serious or even boring. Richard and I are extremely transparent about who we are, and we approach the podcast in a way that truly shows who we are.

Professional credibility is important, but it's not the goal. If

SUMMER 2020

45

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA OFFERS TWO NEW COURSES Adding to the extensive suite of training opportunities offered by Irrigation Australia are two new courses Electrofusion Welding Polyethylene Pipelines and Certified Storage Water Level Installer/Validator (CSV).

Electrofusion Welding Polyethylene Pipelines (Competency PMBWELD302) will be offered as a one-day competencybased training course which will also include a new certification discipline.

“The course, which applies to welding of pipes and pipelines undertaken in the field and in factory conditions, covers the skills and knowledge required to weld polyethelene plastic pipes using electrofusion,” said Geoff Harvey, National Training, Certification and Marketing Manager.

As the result of a partnership between Irrigation Australia and Vinidex Australia, the course will be delivered using products and equipment provided by Vinidex.

“The industry knowledge and experience of VInidex combined with Irrigation Australia’s ability to deliver high quality nationally accredited qualifications and courses means that students will be offered a course that is practical and highly relevant to the irrigation workplace,” said Geoff.

For information about the Electrofusion Welding Polyethylene Pipelines course, go to the Irrigation Australia website.

Irrigation Australia will also be delivering a new certification called Certified Storage Water Level Installer/ Validator, which is a new legislative requirement of the New South Wales government for floodplain management of large storage dams.

The government requires that approved water storage level meters be installed where a landowner holds a floodplain harvesting access licence. This means that to install and validate water level meters on storages, people must become qualified and certified.

“The new course covers how to select water storage level meters, data loggers and telemetry systems and the installation, commissioning/maintenance and validation of water storage meters,” explained Geoff.

For information about storage meter installation and validation go to the Irrigation Australia website.

The course was developed as a result of the New South Wales government releasing its floodplain harvesting measurement policy, which in an Australian first, sets out a regime for measuring and monitoring floodplain harvesting.

The measurement policy is a key plank of the state’s broader floodplain harvesting policy, which together with a licensing regime for floodplain harvesting, will ensure that this type of water extraction does not exceed its legal limit and that all Basin communities get their fair share.

While it has been a long journey for all of us and one where we did not know when we would get to this stage of the project, the first three-day course has proved itself to everyone involved. All participants were very engaged in the course and were willing to share their experiences and opinions about flood plain harvesting measurement.

Following the delivery of the CSV training course and after certifying the participants as competent, the industry will have 11 certified CSV’s ready to commence the installation and validation of new water storage level meters.

With about 1,400 water storages in New South Wales requiring these meters to be installed by 1 July 2021, there will be plenty of demand for CSVs to do this work.

Information. For more information on becoming a certified storage level meter installer and validator or attending a CSV training course, contact the Irrigation Australia training team, phone: 07 3517 4000.

Participants in the first Certified Storage Level Meter Installer and Validator course

FIRST CERTIFIED STORAGE WATER LEVEL INSTALLER/VALIDATOR COURSE HELD AT NARRABRI It’s a wrap!

After nine long months of consultation and resource development, Irrigation Australia kicked off the first Certified Storage Level Meter Installer and Validator (CSV) training course at Mollee Farm, owned by Matthew Norrie, near Narrabri in New South Wales.

46

Mollee Farm has two above ground storages. Participants are on the gantry used to monitor storage.

Andres Jaramillo from Irrigation Australia introduces participants to the program for the Certified Water Level Installer and Validator course at Narrabri’s Federation Farm.

DON’T WAIT TO DO METER INSTALLATION AND VALIDATION COURSE Sascha Healy works in wetland rehabilitation and recently completed her Certified Meter Installer and Validator course online. We spoke with her about her experience of the training and why she decided to enrol.

IA. Why did you decide to enrol for the course?

Sascha. There were two reasons for doing the course. The first was that New South Wales has made major changes to non-urban water metering policy and I thought it would be a good way of keeping up to date with these reforms. The second is that in my role, I help contractors install temporary pumps and approved water meters to rehabilitate wetlands for environmental outcomes.

This course was a great way of ensuring I have the practical skills as well as the knowledge to set up approved meters correctly.

IA. Have you done any online courses before?

Sascha. While I have done shorter seminars, this was my first via Zoom, and it did involve a steep learning curve for me. The two days, which included theory and assessment exercises, were intensive and fast paced, and this was challenging at times. Part of the reason for this is the design of the course. It is not simply a “click and tick-a-box” activity, rather is much more thought provoking and stimulating.

IA. What was it about the course and the online presentation that you found helped you or contributed to it being a positive experience?

Sascha. The training team who presented the course were great and did everything they could to make it easy for the participants. They made themselves available during and after the two days, provided almost instant feedback, which helped with my learning, and were very attentive to all participants and their questions.

IA. What was it about the course and the online presentation that you found hardest to adapt to or manage?

Sascha. The hardest aspect is the practical component. In the face-to-face course, installing a meter is assessed in person by the presenters. Obviously, this wasn’t possible with the online version of the course, rather individuals had to arrange an installation and provide photos or videos to show evidence.

IA. How useful will what you learned be in your job?

Sascha. This will be very useful in my job. It has given me a robust knowledge base about the new NSW metering framework and what is important. I also know now where to find out information relevant to NSW water meter policy as the Irrigation Australia website is very easy to navigate, is regularly updated and has the essentials.

IA. What advice would you give to someone who was tossing up whether to sign up for a course using Irrigation Australia’s virtual classroom?

Sascha. Don’t wait until the course is presented once again in the classroom. I’m telling everyone I know in this area, including contractors I work with, to do it now. That way, they will be ready to go when the NSW non-urban water metering policy is fully rolled out.

IRRIGATION TRAINING INFORMATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Check out Irrigation Australia’s new

training course booklet This comprehensive publication provides essential details on training courses offered by Irrigation Australia.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Certificate III in Irrigation Technology Certificate IV in Irrigation Management Centre Pivot and Lateral Move Meter Installation and Validation Introduction to Irrigation | Agriculture Introduction to Irrigation | Urban Irrigation Pumps and Systems Irrigation Efficiency Urban Irrigation Design Commercial Irrigation Design IRRICAD Design Irrigation Installer Storage Meter Installation and Validation

SUMMER 2020

47

SMART WATERMARK SEEKING SPONSORS FROM THE IRRIGATION SECTOR FOR WATER NIGHT 2021

SNAPSHOT • In October SAWM ran its first Water Night, which was a great success with more than 3400 households registered to take part • The event was widely promoted in the media and received support from personalities such as Costa Georgiadis from Gardening Australia and Gorgi Coghlan from The Project • Interested in sponsoring the event in 2021? SAWM is looking for sponsors from the irrigation sector

Opportunities for sponsors in 2021 In 2021 we want to partner with all local government authorities and utilities in every state. We would love the support of irrigation businesses since Water Night is the perfect time to influence purchases of water efficient products before summer starts.

Why not join us as we encourage 9 million Aussie households to take part in Water Night. Participants will make do with one bucket of water – no taps, no showers – no running water. (Aside from that required for hand washing and religious reasons).

Educating the community about water use We have just completed the first Water Night with over 3,400 households registering across the nation and with support from water utilities and councils from most states. We also had the support of educational organisations and sustainable not-for-profits as well as Bunnings and Hoselink.

It was not just the number of households participating that made the first Water Night a success. The event received lots of great promotion from people like Costa Georgiadis, who took to Facebook Live on Water Night to support the event, and Gorgi Coghlan from The Project, who shared her story of support on Instagram with thousands of her followers.

We gained the support of local radio and TV networks and we reached out to Generation Z on TIkTok. It was encouraging to see the amount of coverage on many websites and social pages in our first year.

Our research proves that most Australians are on autopilot when it comes to household water use.

When forced to experience their own personal water shortage as part of our research, interviewees were shocked to see how much tap water they use and waste every day.

Fifty-five per cent of Australians even agreed that they are addicted to turning on the tap – and 63 per cent said once they knew more about the average water used around the home they started thinking about how they use it. Just check out all the facts as we found them in our robust research, Australia's Relationship with Water to Initial analysis from this year’s Water Night suggests the event prompted people to find out more about water efficiency and water use and that their basic water literacy improved as a result of participating. Even our most ardent water efficiency advocates admitted that abstaining from using their taps was hard to do - they just didn’t realise how subconsciously they reach for their taps!

We are seeking more irrigation partners to promote and sponsor Water Night - October 2021 so we can improve water mindfulness across Australia.

Find out more If you would like to sponsor Water Night or to find out more contact Zoe Palmer today.

The team from Gardening Australia were enthusiastic supporters of Water Night.

48

Chris Philpot, CEO

2014

Product the Yea FINALI

ICID INSIGHTS NEW DATES AND VENUE FOR IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION Irrigation Australia International Conference and Exhibition, 24th ICID International Congress and 73rd IEC meeting

Dates: 8 to 14 March 2022 Venue: Adelaide Convention Centre Irrigation Australia recently announced new dates and a new venue for the ICID 24th International Congress and 73rd IEC meeting and Irrigation Australia Conference and Exhibition.

After considering the health and safety of delegates and possible issues with international travel next year as a result of COVID-19, the Irrigation Australia board decided that the most prudent option was to further postpone the event from 2021 to 8 to 14 March 2022. It will now be held at the Convention Centre in Adelaide.

The convention centre is one of the world’s most modern, flexible and technologically advanced meeting and event centres.

Irrigation Australia will contact all exhibitors who had booked space for the now postponed event in Sydney in July 2021 and will be offered some exciting incentives to transfer their arrangements to Adelaide nine months later.

Standby for further announcements on: • abstract submissions • student awards • new website and logo • exhibition floorplan • technical tours • social events.

ICID is a leading scientific, technical, and professional international organisation with members from more than 75 countries representing 90 per cent of the world's irrigated land. The primary objectives of the Irrigation Young Professionals Group are to: • provide an opportunity for young professionals to influence policy settings nationally and internationally • offer an interactive educational program where irrigation industry experts share information, intelligence and perspective on topical issues • provide opportunities for the development of professional skills to excel in this important industry • gain contacts and benefit from networking with other young professionals in the irrigation industry.

Interested or want to find out more?

Read the Australian YP Charter on the Irrigation Australia website ht For information or expressions of interest send an email to

info@irrigation.org.au

IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA'S COMMITTEE ON IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE (IACID) Momir Vranes, Chair, IACID M: +61 451 955 215, +93 729 28 26 63, E: momir.vranes@irrigation.org.au Bryan Ward, Member, IACID P: +61 7 3517 4000, E:bryan.ward@irrigation.org.au Geoff Harvey, Member, IACID M: +61 418 888 876, E:geoff.harvey@irrigation.org.au Peter Durand, Member, IACID M: +61 407 975 401, E: Peter.Durand@netafim.com Peter Hayes, Member, IACID M: +61 418 842 700, E: grapwine@senet.com.au Eddie Parr, Member, IACID M: +61 412 359 131, E: ammenviroservices@gmail.com Carl Walters, Member, IACID P: +61 3 5822 7700, E: carlw@gbcma.vic.gov.au Anthony Slatyer, Member, IACID M: +61 4170 40 158, E: tony.slatyer@gmail.com Karlene Maywald, Member IACID E: Karlene.maywald@gmail.com

CALLING YOUNG IRRIGATION PROFESSIONALS

Erik Schmidt, Member, IACID M: +61 423 029 976, E: Erik.schmidt@usq.edu.au

If you are a young professional actively involved in the irrigation industry, Irrigation Australia would like to hear from you!

Our Australian National Committee representing the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) is inviting young professionals to join this Australian subcommittee.

Christine Delphin, Secretariat P: +61 7 3517 4000, E: chris.delphin@irrigation.org.au

Steve Whan, Member, IACID P: +61 2 6273 3637, M: +61 429 780 883, E: ceo@irrigators.org.au

Momir Vranes, Irrigation Australia Board Director and ICID Australia National Chair

SUMMER SPRING 2020

49

STATE ROUNDUP SNAPSHOT • Water Efficiency Program open • 15-year plan for Great Artesian Basin • Australia’s agriculture and water policies get a gold star • Australia India Water Centre launched

WATER EFFICIENCY PROGRAM OPEN In September, the Australian government announced that the Water Efficiency Program was open for applications to upgrade water infrastructure in the Murray-Darling Basin.

More than $1.5 billion is available for projects to improve water efficiency and deliver 450 GL for the environment by 2024.

Registrations of interest for projects more than $1 million can be made direct to the Water Efficiency Program; registrations for projects less than $1 million must be made through a deliver partner. Delivery partners are CAF Consulting, Rural Water Advisory, South Australian MurrayDarling Basin Natural Resources Management Board and Waterfind.

50

For information go to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment website.

15-YEAR PLAN FOR GREAT ARTESIAN BASIN In July, a 15-year strategic plan was released to ensure the effective management of the Great Artesian Basin, which is one of the largest underground freshwater resources in the world and Australia’s largest source of fresh water.

It generates nearly $13 billion annually for the Australian economy and is a vital water source for communities, farms, industry and our environment.

The 15-year plan provides a framework for governments, communities and industries to manage and use the water resources of the basin in a collaborative, fair and sustainable way. The revised plan also reflects public consultation with water users and other stakeholders across Basin jurisdictions, which saw more than 100 stakeholders providing input.

Read the Great Artesian Basin Strategic Management Plan now.

Source: Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment website

AUSTRALIA’S AGRICULTURE AND WATER POLICIES GET A GOLD STAR A report released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in July 2020 ranks Australia among the top countries in the world for aligning our agriculture and water policies with global recommendations.

The report, which gathered responses from 38 countries, takes stock of agriculture and water policy changes from 2009 to 2019 and assesses the alignment of these changes with OECD recommendations and the G20 Agriculture Ministerial Action Plan on water and food security.

Australia was found to have the highest average implementation of the OECD Council Recommendation on Water.

While this is a good result, the Australian government said that the “water policy reform journey” was not yet complete, with the upcoming National Water Initiative renewal presenting another opportunity for Australia to tackle future challenges.

In 2016 and 2017, the OECD and G20 nations committed to action on water reform by signing the Agriculture and water policy changes OECD Council Recommendation on Water and the G20 Agriculture Ministerial Action Plan on water and food security.

Both these international statements set out guidance for sustainable water management Please cite this paper as:

Gruère, G., M. Shigemitsu and S. Crawford (2020-07-09), “Agriculture and water policy changes: Stocktaking and alignment with OECD and G20 recommendations”, OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers, No. 144, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/f35e64af-en

OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers No. 144

STOCKTAKING AND ALIGNMENT WITH OECD AND G20 RECOMMENDATIONS

Guillaume Gruère,

Makiko Shigemitsu, Scarlett Crawford

policies to help manage the risks that climate change, population growth and pollution pose to agriculture.

AUSTRALIA INDIA WATER CENTRE LAUNCHED In November Western Sydney University launched the new Australia India Water Centre, to be delivered by a consortium of eight universities and one government partner in Australia, and fifteen universities and research institutions in India.

The consortium, which has a common goal of addressing the critical challenge of water security, sanitation, and water management and distribution in a warming climate, will foster research collaboration, education, training, and capacity-building.

At a virtual ceremony, delegates from Australia and India commemorated the official opening of the centre with ministers from the Australian and Indian governments, vicechancellors and officials from the participating universities, and guests.

“Australia and India face many common issues around water security and sustainability in often hot and dry climates,” said Dr Basant Maheshwari, Professor in Water, Environment, and Sustainability at Western Sydney University.

“Through a targeted program of knowledge exchange, training opportunities, and transdisciplinary education pathways, the Australia India Water Centre will make significant progress in addressing the challenges of providing safe, clean water to millions of people in Australia, India, and neighbouring regions,” Professor Maheshwari said.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE The Autumn 2021 issue of Irrigation Australia Journal will feature: EDITORIAL > Professional development and training > Good design and installation ADVERTISING FEATURES > Smart irrigation and irrigation products CONFIRM YOUR ADVERTISING PRESENCE NOW! Contact Brian Rault on 0411 354 050 or email brian.rault@bcbmedia.com.au

SUMMER 2020

51

BUSINESS FAIR WORK ACT - ARE YOU MEETING YOUR OBLIGATIONS? If you employ staff, are you over the detail of your obligations under the Fair Work Act 2009?

The act is the main piece of legislation governing Australia’s workplaces and underpins all standards and regulations for employment. The rules and obligations it defines are known as the national workplace relations system.

The act does the following: • provides for terms and conditions of employment • sets out rights and responsibilities of employees, employers and organisations in relation to that employment • provides for compliance with the act and its enforcement • provides for its administration through the Fair Work Commission and the Fair Work Ombudsman • sets out minimum terms and conditions through the national employment standards, modern awards and national minimum wage orders.

To check your knowledge and whether you are keeping up with your obligations under the act, there is a range of good resources and checklists on the Fair Work Ombudsman’s site

Check your knowledge Download the National Workplace Relations Employer Checklist and check your knowledge of key requirements under the act.

If you own a small business, you can do a self-audit

NEW WEBSITE SHOWCASES BEST PRACTICE FISH SCREEN MANAGEMENT A new website launched in October showcases the benefits of selfcleaning intake screens for water pumps and gravity-fed channels, to help farmers save money and water while protecting native fish.

OzFish Unlimited, the voice of Australia’s recreational anglers, partnered with manufacturers, water users, farming groups and fisheries experts from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University to create fishscreens.org.au.

OzFish Unlimited CEO Craig Copeland encouraged irrigation industry members to visit the new website.

“This website is all about connecting farmers with the latest expertise from scientists, irrigation engineers and local manufacturers, so they can find the right technology to modernise their intake,” Craig said.

“Modern fish screens definitely fit that bill and we expect plenty of interest in this website.”

Dr Craig Boys, a Senior Fisheries Scientist at NSW DPI who researched the most appropriate screens for Australian conditions, identified that modern screens have a large surface area, fine mesh and are selfcleaning. They reduce the velocity of water entering a water intake, without affecting the volume. This keeps fish and debris where they belong – in the river, not in water supply pipes and channels.

When choosing a screen, it is important to note that not all are created equal, and it’s important to get the right information, hence the website. Funding for fishscreens.org.au was provided by the NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts, the Ian Potter Foundation through the Screens for Streams program and BCF – Boating Camping Fishing.

Thousands of pumps and gravity-fed diversions extract water from rivers across Australia. Most of these either have no screen or are fitted with ineffective screens known as ‘trash racks’, which suck in fish and debris and can cost farmers time and money.

“There’s been a lot of news recently about the impacts of older screens and how these impacts could be eased using modern technology.

However, there hasn’t been much information available,” he said.

“This website will now help people understand what modern screens are, how they work, see examples of modern screens in action and how they can benefit farms and native fish.”

National Irrigators Council CEO Steve Whan welcomed the initiative.

“Irrigators are strong advocates for river conditions that suit native fish, and we are early adopters of technology that will help the environment and productivity,” he said.

52

Trangie-Nevertire Irrigation Scheme on the Macquarie River are upgrading their current intake trash racks with four automated, self-cleaning cone screens manufactured by AWMA Water Control Solutions to meet fish protection guidelines. By using 2 mm wedgewire and creating low velocities at the intake, TNIS will be able to deliver water to its members that is free of fish and debris.

NEW PRODUCTS RIVULUS

Insect damage to thin wall drip line/tape is a significant issue for many irrigators. Just a few bites from insects can wreak havoc on a field, leading to the flooding of hundreds of hectares, destruction of crops and days of manual labor to repair.

Insects cause damage to the drip line/tape by biting or scratching through the drip line/tape in the search for food.

Rivulis X-Pell is a unique solution where an active insect repelling ingredient is embedded directly into the drip line/ tape. One taste and insects will be gone before they can do any significant damage to the drip line/tape.

After successfully launching in many countries, Rivulis X-Pell will be soon available in Rivulis T-Tape and D1000 in Australia.

"The Rivulis X-Pell patent-pending technology goes to the core of the drip tape, blending the minimum amount of active ingredient needed directly into the plastic structure to protect the drip tape from insect damage," says Richard Klapholz, Rivulis CEO. "We dedicated years of research and development to identify an effective solution that finally solves the widespread challenge of insect damage to drip lines and tapes."

How it works

1. There are lots of insects in the soil and they have their sights set on your drip line/tape.

Insect damage resulting in leaks per 100,000m

Case Study. Italy (tomato farm, 76.5 ha) 4,500 Holes per 100,000m caused by insect damage

WORLD’S FIRST INSECT RESISTANT DRIP TAPE

4,086

4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000

617

500

12

0 8 mil wall thickness Rivulis X-Pell drip line

Rivulis X-Pell has been proven effective with nearly 1 million metres of tests in Italy, Australia, Russia, Mexico, Spain and Portugal in addition to commercial launches in selected countries. It can enable growers to save money by using lower wall thickness drip/tape. Rivulis X-Pell is safe, reliable and recyclable.

Information. Contact a Rivulis representative or visit the Rivulis website to learn more.

2. It takes just a few insects biting through your drip line/tape to cause damage. But never fear, you have Rivulis X-Pell drip line/tape.

Check out Irrigation Australia's social media feeds.

8 mil wall thickness 10 mil wall thickness standard drip line standard drip line

3. One taste of the Rivulis X-Pell drip line and the insects will move on leaving your drip line/tape safe from insect damage.

www.facebook.com/irrigationaustralia www.instagram.com/irrigationaustralia @IrrigationAUS www.linkedin.com/company/irrigation-australia-limited www.youtube.com/user/IrrigAust

SUMMER 2020

53

NEW PRODUCTS ISUZU

ISUZU POWER SOLUTIONS 6UZ POWER PACK A standout power solution for a range of Australian applications, including larger scale irrigation, is Isuzu’s ready-to-work, locally assembled and tested 362 hp, 9.8 L, 6-cylinder 6UZ common rail diesel engine power pack, from its made-to-stock range of power units.

Hailing from Isuzu’s U&W Series engine model range, the 6UZ is a genuine, Japanese-made engine well known for its impressive fuel consumption, reduced noise, and extremely low maintenance needs.

Features Versatility and flexibility. The 6UZ is suited to a range of applications and sectors including agriculture, general construction, hydraulic pumping, irrigation, construction and de-watering.

A key feature is Isuzu’s locally developed heavy-duty cooling package, featuring rugged, all-aluminium bar and plate construction rated to Australian conditions at 51°C. Rounding out the environmental adaptability of the 6UZ model is an industrial grade exhaust system, premium air cleaner and Australian designed and manufactured skid and engine mounts.

Affordability and fuel efficiency. Key considerations for operators are fuel efficiency, along with reduced installation and ongoing operating costs.

The 6UZ has a highly competitive fuel consumption of 55.8 L/h running continuously at 1,800 RPM while producing 221 kW/296 hp.

Each unit is rigorously tested in Australia and with the commonality of parts among the Isuzu Power Solutions (IPS) range, installation and ongoing maintenance are made affordable and stress-free. Service intervals are set to 500 hours, greatly reducing ongoing maintenance and operating costs.

Durability, dependability and trust. IPS has earned a reputation for delivering world-class, Japanese-made engines, renowned for reliability, durability and backed up by the brand’s comprehensive aftersales support. “ A t IPS we’re pleased to be able to offer our customers a range of products that deliver performance, dependability and durability, those ‘never stop’ qualities that are nonnegotiable when it comes to essential applications and services like agriculture, irrigation and water pumping,” said Matt Sakhaie, head of Isuzu Power Solutions.

Isuzu products are backed by an extensive nation-wide dealer footprint, with over 70 locations across the country.

Information. Go to Isuzu Power Solutions

website

BOOKSHELF WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGE In March this year the UN released the 2020 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR 2020), Water and Climate Change .

The UN stated that the aim of the report is to help the water community to tackle the challenges of climate change and inform the climate change community about the opportunities that improved water management offers in terms of adaptation and mitigation.

According to the report, the scientific evidence is clear: the climate is changing and will continue to change, affecting societies mainly through water. Climate change will affect the availability, quality and quantity of water for basic human needs, threatening the effective enjoyment of the human rights to water and sanitation for potentially billions of people.

54

The alteration of the water cycle will also pose risks for energy production, food security, human health, economic development and poverty reduction, thus seriously jeopardising the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The report focuses on the challenges, opportunities and potential responses to climate change, in terms of adaptation, mitigation and improved resilience that can be addressed through improving water management.

Combining climate change adaptation and mitigation, through water, is a winwin proposal, improving the provision of water supply and sanitation services and combating both the causes and impacts of climate change, including disaster risk reduction.

Centre of Irrigation Excellence Irrigation Australia Recognises And Appreciates The Support Of The Following Leading Irrigation Suppliers For Our Centre Of Irrigation Excellence. Without Their Support This New Venture Would Not Have Been Possible.

An online platform that promotes • • • •

Industry Training And Qualifications Certifications Irrigation Career Pathways Industry Knowledge

www.coie.com.au

Australian owned company and one of the country’s largest national suppliers of industrial pvc hoses, industrial ball valves and fittings.

Providing a full range of pumps and pumping solutions from small domestic pressure systems to large industrial process pumps.

A global company providing quality solutions for landscape irrigation for residential & commercial applications.

Australian owned and operated pipe and fittings manufacturing business with manufacturing and distribution capabilities in all states

Isuzu is the leading manufacturer and innovator of outstanding industrial diesel engines producing more than 1 million engines annually.

Distributor of premium irrigation equipment for the Australian agricultural, landscape, golf and mining industries.

The world leader in smart drip and micro-irrigation for agriculture and landscape application providing a solutions for a sustainable future.

A global company designing and manufacturing fittings and valves, providing cost-effective solutions for the transfer & application of water.

A worldwide supplier of irrigation products to the landscape, agricultural, turf care and domestic garden markets.

A worldwide leader in precision irrigation. The Valley brand of Centre pivots provide solutions for meeting the growing demand for food.

The leader in manufacturing and supplying quality PVC, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), ductile (DICL) and industrial pipe systems.

IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA OFFICE PO Box 13, Cannon Hill, Queensland 4170 T 1300 949 891 or 07 3517 4000 F 07 3517 4010 W www.irrigationaustralia.com.au CEO: Bryan Ward E bryan.ward@irrigation.org.au EDITORIAL Editor | ANNE CURREY E anne@naturallyresourceful.com.au ADVERTISING BCB Media | Managing Director | Brian Rault T 0411 354 050 E brian.rault@bcbmedia.com.au DESIGN & PRODUCTION Uber Creative | Director | Annette Epifanidis T 03 8516 4717 E connect@ubercreative.com.au

TERMS & CONDITIONS Advertising in this journal is managed by BCB Media on behalf of Irrigation Australia Limited.

All contact with businesses and organisations about advertising is made by BCB Media staff, who must identify themselves and the fact that they work for BCB Media on behalf of the IAL. Advertising enquiries should be directed to BCB Media.

No special consideration will be given to any advertisers as far as editorial content or front cover material is concerned. Decisions about editorial content and the front cover are the prerogative of the editor and the National Board of the IAL. Irrigation Australia Limited takes no responsibility for the technical accuracy of article content.