The AU$30 million Watering WA project was launched last week and includes more than 60 local governments from the Mid-West to the Great Southern.
The initiative is funded by Royalties for Regions and will be delivered in three key areas: towns, farms and regional businesses and rural waterways.
Water Minister Mia Davis said “Under the town component, AU$21.6 million will be spent on infrastructure in regional communities to harvest, store, treat and distribute stormwater, recycled water and bore water for irrigation and community use.
“This extends the Department of Water’s Community Water Supply Program (through the Rural Water Planning Program), which has funded more than 100 successful community projects in the past 20 years.
“Under Watering WA, grants available to towns and communities will increase by up to AU$2 million, from the AU$100,000 grants currently available.”
The plan made AU$4.4 million available to farmers to develop and improve on-farm water supplies, and continued more than AU$36 million spent in the past two decades building on-farm capacity.
“Farmers will now be able to access grants of up to AU$20,000 – an increase from the AU$15,000 currently available under the Farm Water Rebate Scheme, including, for the first time, farmers connected to scheme water,” she said.
The third component focuses on the rehabilitation of regional waterways of the Avon catchment, with AU$4 million allocated for a range of on-ground works.
Regional Development Minister Terry Redman said “Regional areas support a variety of industries that contribute billions of dollars to the state’s GDP every year.
“Access to secure, reliable, local non-drinking water sources ensures our regional communities, farms and businesses can continue to grow.”
For more information visit the WA Department of Water website.
If you would like a project covered in Trenchless Australasia contact Assistant Editor Nick Lovering at nlovering@gs-press.com.au