GROWERS on the Northern Adelaide Plains will have access to cheap, high-quality recycled water for horticulture operations by early next year.
Deputy prime minister Michael McCormack, premier Steven Marshall, primary industries minister Tim Whetstone and member for King Paula Luethen joined local grower Daniel Hoffmann in Penfield yesterday to announce the area would be the first area to connect to the $155.6 million Northern Adelaide Irrigation Scheme (NAIS).
Penfield’s connection to the NAIS will see the price of water for growers drop from $3.60 per kilolitre for mains water to $0.18-$0.60 per kilolitre for the recycled water.
Making cheap water available to Penfield growers has been a decade-long pursuit for Mr Hoffmann, who this year received the South Australian ‘Young Grower of the Year’ award from industry body AUSVEG SA for his work advocating on behalf of local farmers.
Mr Hoffmann said the farmers he had been fighting for would reap the rewards of the scheme.
“It’s just fantastic to finally get the water, it’s unbelievable everyone is here, it’s been a long time,” he said.
“I have to thank AUSVEG SA and our young growers group in Virginia, without that kind of support I wouldn’t be here either.
“Vacant pieces of land can come back up into production, which means more jobs.
“If we save money on water, we’ll employ more people.”
Mr Hoffmann expected farmers to save, on average, $10,000 a quarter as a result of having access to recycled water.
The NAIS is set to supply recycled water to major horticulture areas on the Northern Adelaide Plains such as Virginia and Two Wells.
Mr Marshall said the scheme would create 3700 jobs, mostly around the Northern Adelaide Plains, and that 20 growers had already signed up.
“We know water is the biggest constraint to increasing productivity here on the Northern Adelaide Plains,” he said.
“This is a very productive part of our nation, producing many of the vegetables which end up on tables all around the country.”
The NAIS is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, with $45.6 million of the $155.6 million project being funded through the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund.
Mr McCormack praised Mr Hoffmann’s efforts to improve conditions for his fellow growers.
“When you add water, you add agriculture; when you add water and agriculture, you add jobs and export opportunities,” he said.
“That’s what Daniel, and the other irrigators from around this region are going to do thanks to this NAIS.”