A STATE Government proposal to shore up water supply to the Barossa will support sustainable agriculture production across the region and 1000 jobs could be generated.
The State Government is pushing ahead with plans to deliver additional water to the Barossa and Eden Valleys, with initial long-term estimates indicating $292 million for the state’s economy.
The proposed infrastructure aims to deliver reclaimed water from the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant via
existing and new infrastructure to deliver long-term water
security to the region.
Member for Schubert, Stephan Knoll, said he was excited to be able to deliver this opportunity for his community, which had been calling for a long-term water security plan.
“Water security is a key to ensuring the future growth and productivity of not only our region, but the state,” he said.
“Last year I was approached by a number of local stakeholders investigating individual projects to shore up water supply.
“The Barossa Grape & Wine Association (BGWA) was a key participant in progressing these discussions and providing crucial grassroots evidence, and we have been working closely to arrive at this pathway.”
Chief Executive of the BGWA, James March, praised the environmental initiative, and said that the proposal ticks all the necessary boxes.
“The great thing about this, is that a lot of work has been done already to establish the initial scope and feasibility,” he said.
“Water security has long been identified as the number one priority for this district.
“It’s absolutely crucial that it’s not only comes in at an economically sustainable price, but in terms of the water quality, it needs to be of a certain salinity that there is no risk of exacerbating any issues in the area.”