Long-term resilience measures to improve water security and drought preparedness to the Bass Strait Islands was introduced on 16 July 2024.
This included a $1.5 million for Bass Strait Islands Water Resilience Program:
to develop Water Security Strategies to identify improved water storage, reticulation, and other water security measures to meet community needs; and
the creation of a new King and Flinders Islands Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme to assist livestock producers with 25% up to $15,000 for the purchase and installation of new, or repairs to existing water infrastructure.
Bass Strait Islands Water Security Strategies
The Bass Strait Islands Water Security Strategies project will involve:
groundwater assessments on Flinders Island and King Island to help us understand the risks, opportunities and capacity for groundwater use as a key source of water for stock and domestic use
review and update existing information with new data and knowledge to better understand the groundwater resource and capacity for use on island
development of an overarching water strategy for each Island that identifies the short, medium and long-term options to meet community needs, both now and into the future
consultation and engagement on-island with communities and key stakeholders including TasWater and Local Government to better understand water use practices and options to increase water security through investment in measures such as improved storage and/or reticulation
Project outcomes:
Improved scientific understanding of the groundwater resources and the capacity to provide water supply for stock and domestic use on Flinders Island and King Island.
The Water Security Strategies that provide short, medium and long term options for providing improved water storage, reticulation and other water security measures to meet community needs both now and in the future (e.g. agricultural sustainability / intensification of water use).
State and Local Governments, TasWater, farmers, and landowners on the islands have knowledge and understanding of the groundwater systems and can make investment decisions for water security.
The project will engage technical experts in the area of groundwater management and science, and strategic options analysis through a range of project consultancies.
Implementation
The proposed implementation timetable includes two key phases which are expected to be completed by July 2026:
Phase 1: Information and data analysis
| Detailed project scoping, stakeholder consultation, desktop reviews, community groundwater and surface water surveys, groundwater data analysis and assessment to inform model development.
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Phase 2: Community Planning and Strategy Development
| Stakeholder consultation, capacity building and awareness and development of a Bass Strait Islands Water Security Strategy.
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Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme
The King and Flinders Island Farm Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme (KFI Scheme) supports the development of drought resilient farming businesses, and recognises the specific circumstances and extra costs involved for agribusiness on the Bass Strait Islands.
The scheme offers a rebate to livestock primary producers on King and Flinders Islands to:
These rebates address animal welfare needs and improve resilience to drought.
Recipients must be able to show that they are from the grazing industry, or other eligible primary producers on the Islands will be considered on a case by case basis.