Irrigated agriculture is vital to Victoria’s communities. It sustains rural jobs and produces food for all Australians as well as for export overseas.
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Agriculture and irrigation in Victoria
Victoria is Australia's largest producer of irrigated food and fibre products. Irrigated agriculture is vital to Victoria’s communities. In 2022–23, there were 21,300 farm businesses in Victoria. Together, they cover 50% of Victoria’s total land area. Agriculture sustains rural jobs and produces food for all Australians as well as for export overseas.
It’s so big that. in 2021–22 Victoria’s agriculture and food manufacturing sector:
was Australia’s largest dairy producer, supplying two-thirds (64%) of the nation’s milk products
produced 352,000 tonnes of beef from 1.3 million cattle and calves
led the country in sheep meat production, with 314,000 tonnes from 12.8 million sheep and lambs (46% of the national total)
harvested 8.8 million tonnes of grains, predominantly wheat, barley and canola
employed 153,840 people across the state.
Helping farmers grow
Various strategies have begun through Integrated Water Management that will save Victoria billions of litres of water in this space. They will modernise irrigation systems and improve their efficiency by:
removing redundant channels
minimising water losses from leakage and evaporation by repairing or replacing open channels
upgrading the accuracy of metered outlets that deliver water to farms.
utilising fit for purpose alternative water sources (such as recycled water) for agricultural usage
constructing Domestic and Stock pipelines for water security and drought resilience.
Farmers and businesses can also hold water shares. These are an ongoing entitlement to use water that's available within a water system. There are rules and regulations about the use of water depending on where it is held. The intention of water shares is to provide secure and sustainable use of Victoria’s water resources within its limits.
This strategy is closely interconnected with Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDLs). These are part of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which have been in effect since July 2019. Much like water shares, SDLs are intended to manage water resources and protect sustainability. This ensures the use of water is within limits and remains available for the environment. Water shares are managed through the Victorian Water Register.
Case study
The Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District has two key irrigation projects. They are the Water Efficiency Project and the Connections Project. Between them, these projects are generating 449 gigalitres of annual water savings. They also improve the standards of irrigation services for thousands of customers.
As shown in this video, the Connections Project involved installing almost 10,000 meters, treating 310km and decommissioning another 1,725km of channels. This resulted in 7,709 farms gaining a modernised irrigation delivery system.
Kishin Thadani works in the Rural Water Projects team at Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). Here he discusses agriculture and irrigation, his role in bringing water to communities across Victoria, and how he moved up from his first job in the department mail room.
The town of Thorpdale in Gippsland is a prominent growing region for potatoes.Image credit: DEECA and James Lauritz
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A farmer in Gippsland shows his crop of celery to a department officer.Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie
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A lettuce farmer stands in front of a large above-ground sprinkler system. He will have an entitlement to use that water as held in the Victorian Water Register.Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie
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Jenna shows her dairy farm to Emma from Southern Rural Water.Image credit: DEECA and James Lauritz
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Jenna's dairy farm in Denison is surrounded by pasture and Gippsland farmland.Image credit: DEECA and James Lauritz
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A lettuce farm undergoes watering.Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie.
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Above-ground watering systems like these deliver water to where its needed on farms to help grow food and fibre for those in Victoria, Australia, and the world.Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie
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An orange orchard on the Victorian and New South Wales border in Mildura.Image credit: DEECA and Darryl Whitaker
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Sheep graze on a Victorian farm.Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie
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Goulburn-Murray Water undertake irrigation channel works on farmland in Kerang in 2022. These works to improve infrastructure help farmers to save water.Image credit: DEECA and Darryl Whitaker
The town of Thorpdale in Gippsland is a prominent growing region for potatoes.
Image credit: DEECA and James Lauritz
A farmer in Gippsland shows his crop of celery to a department officer.
Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie
A lettuce farmer stands in front of a large above-ground sprinkler system. He will have an entitlement to use that water as held in the Victorian Water Register.
Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie
Jenna shows her dairy farm to Emma from Southern Rural Water.
Image credit: DEECA and James Lauritz
Jenna's dairy farm in Denison is surrounded by pasture and Gippsland farmland.
Image credit: DEECA and James Lauritz
A lettuce farm undergoes watering.
Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie.
Above-ground watering systems like these deliver water to where its needed on farms to help grow food and fibre for those in Victoria, Australia, and the world.
Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie
An orange orchard on the Victorian and New South Wales border in Mildura.
Image credit: DEECA and Darryl Whitaker
Sheep graze on a Victorian farm.
Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie
Goulburn-Murray Water undertake irrigation channel works on farmland in Kerang in 2022. These works to improve infrastructure help farmers to save water.
Image credit: DEECA and Darryl Whitaker
Further resources
Below you can find a variety of resources to further research and understand agriculture and irrigation in Victoria.
Agriculture Victoria – working in partnership with farmers, industries, communities and more to grow and secure agriculture in Victoria.
