Northern Midlands irrigation on track

Nearly one third of the Northern Midlands Irrigation Scheme, which is on track to begin pumping water to farmers in 2026, is now complete.

Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Jane Howlett, said the completion of the first 50km marked a significant milestone for the project.

“From beginning to end, the Northern Midlands Irrigation Scheme (NMIS) is a truly Tasmanian project,” Minister Howlett said.

“Tasmanian contractor Hazell Bros is installing the 154.8km of pipeline, which has been sourced from Vinidex in the North West.

“The $217.9 million jointly funded project - Australian Government $108.9 million, the Tasmanian Government $72.2 million and Tasmanian irrigators $36.7 million - is expected to create approximately 150 jobs during this construction phase.

“Once the entire project is complete, irrigators in Cressy, Epping Forrest, Campbell Town and Ross will have access to reliable irrigation water and this will see approximately 450 additional jobs created.

“Water security through irrigation is a game changer for our farmers, producers and local economies - and we need more of it.”

The NMIS project will be delivered by Tasmanian Irrigation, with water available for irrigators in October 2026, and will bring the number of schemes managed across the state by Tasmanian Irrigation to 20.