Water Minister Dave Kelly today announced that the towns of Kulin, Perenjori and Trayning would share over $230,000 in grants - joining nine regional communities that will benefit from the first round of the McGowan Government's $3.2 million Community Water Supplies Partnership Program.
Nine regional communities will receive funding under a new, two-year program, which expands on the previous Water Supply Program and is jointly funded by the State and Commonwealth governments.
Many communities in the State's Wheatbelt have experienced significantly reduced rainfall as a result of climate change.
The Community Water Supplies Partnership Program is part of the McGowan Government's ongoing commitment to ensure our farmers have access to reliable agricultural and emergency livestock drinking water sources, especially during dry periods when on-farm supplies are depleted.
The Shire of Kulin has received funding to enhance, protect and monitor non-potable water supplies. The project will help reduce reliance on scheme water for emergency livestock water, firefighting and other farm needs.
The Shire of Trayning has been funded to reduce the Shire's reliance on scheme water use, making the Shire more self-sufficient and able to access low-cost, non-potable water for its irrigation, Shire construction work and emergency use requirements.
Works will include realignment and upgrades to the catchment that feeds the Trayning town site's twin dams that have a combined capacity of approximately 42 million litres.
Perenjori has received funding of $99,987 for the cost of two 200,000 litre capacity water tanks, two bores, two pumps and solar panels. The Shire is contributing $60,000 to the project.
The Community Water Supplies Partnership Program, in partnership with local government, provides a maximum of $100,000 per project for local government and community groups to develop off-farm community water supplies.
By developing and increasing the number of non-drinking water sources for regional communities and emergency use, this funding will help provide a longer-term solution for Western Australian farmers when dealing with the impacts of climate change and will support liveable and climate resilient communities in rural Western Australia.
Other grant recipients include the Shires of Brookton, Dumbleyung, Kulin, Narrogin, Perenjori, Trayning, Williams and the City of Albany.
So far, the McGowan Government has spent more than $3.7 million on direct water carting to central locations to support emergency livestock needs, $2.2 million on the development and upgrade of 75 strategic community water supplies, and $1.5 million towards partnerships with 23 local governments to upgrade community water supplies.
The program is supported by the National Water Grid Connections funding project.
As stated by Water Minister Dave Kelly:
"These are just three of the many projects funded by the McGowan Government as part of its commitment to boost strategic community water supplies across the State's dryland agricultural regions, and ensure future water security for these communities.
"The Kulin project will include the installation of standpipe controllers and card readers at three strategic community water supplies including Dudinin dam, Kulin dam and Henderson Road bore and I am very pleased we can support Kulin in this way.
"It is estimated the project in Trayning will reduce scheme water use by around 12 million litres per year resulting in annual cost savings of $35,433.
"The Shire of Perenjori will now be able to develop two bore sites to provide water sources for rural fire fighting services and rural road maintenance works."
As stated by Agricultural Region MLC Darren West:
"The Community Water Supplies Partnership Program is a great initiative from the McGowan Government that is helping rural communities harvest more of this precious resource and boost water security for dryland towns.
"The project in Trayning will improve the town's amenity and reduce the Shire's reliance on expensive scheme water to irrigate the local sporting oval and townscapes - allowing for more community social and sporting events to be held.
"The work at Perenjori will include the construction of two bores and the installation of a 200,000 litre capacity water tank and pump at each site, on the eastern side of the Perenjori Shire. This is a significant investment in the future of the Shire and their water supply.
"I thank Minister Kelly for his continued investment in important water projects in the Agricultural Region."
