Workshop supports land managers during dry periods

NSW Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) newly developed ‘Farm Water Supply and Climate Risk Training Package’ is being delivered in the Albury region this week.

Designed to support land managers with natural resource management during drought and dry periods, the one-day workshop was developed by NSW DPI advisory officers in consultation with irrigation officers, district agronomists and livestock officers.

The workshop is available to land mangers who have registered through their Catchment Management Authority (CMA), and run 9am - 4.30pm.

Workshops will be held at Albury on Tuesday 26 February, at the Commercial Club Albury (Stanley B Room); Berrigan Shire Council Chambers, Berrigan, on Wednesday 27 February; DPI District Office at Deniliquin on Thursday 28 February.

Workshops have already been held at Cobar and Nyngan with further workshops scheduled for Walgett in February and Broken Hill and Balranald in early March.

The workshop covers the fundamental requirements of farm water supply including water auditing and planning, water supply in drought and maintaining water quality in the context of climate risk.

Divided into two sections, the workshop firstly looks at water quality and climate risk. The rest of the day covers water supply, water budgeting and farm water planning.

One of the workshop’s most practical elements is working through simple formulas to calculate both farm and domestic water requirements and water use.

NSW DPI advisory officer, Damien Doyle, said using these formulas brought home to a number of participants the realisation of just how much water they were using and how much they needed to operate their home and business.

A number of CMAs (Namoi, Border Rivers and Gwydir, Murray, Central West, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Lower Murray Darling and Western) include the workshops as a key element in their ‘Building landholder capacity to manage drought and climate change project’.

For further information on the workshops contact Elizabeth Madden on (02) 6951 2505.

Photos available from sarahc@sf.nsw.gov.au