Drought-proofing WA: State Government delivers 100th water project since 2018

A project to keep a farming town in the Central Wheatbelt green has marked a milestone for the State Government in its mission to increase water security for WA farmers “in the face of climate change”.

The Merredin project was completed last Thursday and will capture and reuse stormwater in the town to irrigate public open spaces.

WA Water Minister Dave Kelly said it marked the completion of the 100th State-funded community off-farm water supply project since 2018, which included 12 undertaken in partnership with local shires.

During the past four years, the State Government has invested $4 million to give farmers access to reliable emergency water sources for agricultural livestock drinking water, firefighting and town amenity purposes.

WA farmers battled three years of drought before last year’s record-breaking rainfall, which in some areas led to severe flooding, killing sheep and waterlogging crops.

Despite receiving healthy rainfall last year, some parts of WA have already been plunged back into a drought-like state.

Water deficiencies were declared for Salmon Gums and Grass Patch on March 1 and emergency water carting for livestock is under way.

“For communities in the State’s dryland agricultural area, the impacts of climate change have resulted in significantly reduced rainfall,” Mr Kelly said.

The State Government will spend another $10.5m during the next two years to upgrade and refurbish 70 agricultural area dams which have “fallen into disuse” across the grainbelt.

Dams in Brookton, Chapman Valley, Dalwallinu, Dowerin, Dumbleyung, Esperance, Kulin, Kent, Lake Grace, Morawa, Ravensthorpe, Wagin and Yilgarn are among those earmarked for upgrades.

Mr Kelly said refurbishing and increasing the number of off-farm non-potable water sources would increase water security for farmers and regional communities “in the face of climate change”.

“Investing in off-farm water supply projects at the local level also helps reduce the time and distance farmers have to travel when they need to source emergency water supplies,” he said.

“The McGowan Government’s significant investment in water supply projects supports liveable and climate resilient communities in rural WA.”