Northern Victoria has thousands of kilometres of rivers, channels and pipelines used to transport water to irrigators and stock and domestic customers.  Much of this irrigation infrastructure is now old and outdated, does not deliver water efficiently and is expensive to maintain and manage.

This region is the food producing hub of the state so investment is vital to ensure the future prosperity of the region and Victoria’s economy.

In partnership with the Commonwealth and local irrigators, the Victorian Government is investing $2 billion to upgrade Northern Victoria's ailing irrigation infrastructure. The upgrade will improve water delivery management and irrigation services, and recover much of the water now being lost through leaks, evaporation and system inefficiencies.

By modernising the irrigation system, billions of litres of water will be saved and the benefits can be shared between farmers, rivers, wetlands and the urban community.

Irrigation renewal projects will create a world class irrigation district, securing the region as a powerhouse of food production and export.

Irrigation renewal will:

• Use modern technology to enable more efficient on-farm water use through a more responsive water ordering system. Farmers will be able to order water when they need it rather than waiting five days for their water order to be processed.
  
• Provide certainty for irrigators and our future irrigation industry.
  
• Improve the efficiency of the delivery systems in irrigation areas, in most cases from about 70 per cent to 85 per cent and allow these efficiency gains to be used for commercially productive and environmental purposes, underpinning future regional growth and confidence.