Water for Food: Western Australia’s Key Aims
The Water for Food program is built around 14 diverse projects across the State. These projects previously initiated by the Department of Agriculture and Food WA have shown the value of intensified, localised investment and the downstream social and economic benefits to regional communities.
The Water for Food Project: Research and Investigation
This project is a four-year, $40 million Royalties for Regions funded program to accelerate water investigations and optimise pastoral land tenure across the State. It will create the potential for new irrigation precincts and the expansion of agricultural and pastoral opportunities in existing districts across the State.
The primary objective of the Water for Food program is to identify water and land resources, as well as irrigation technologies, that can enable Western Australia’s fresh food and animal protein production to increase its contribution to regional economies by at least 50 per cent by 2025 and twofold by 2050.
New groundwater discoveries by the Department of Water will support the development, growth and expansion of agricultural and pastoral projects across the State as part of the Western Australian Government’s Water for Food program.
It’s key aims are:
- Regional economic growth – more water means new opportunities for businesses and boost the State’s regional communities.
- Employment growth – increased agricultural and pastoral activity means more work will be available.
- Growing diversification – stable water supply means diversity and increase in the scale and range of crops through irrigation.
- Growing markets – meet demand for produce in China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other emerging markets. Western Australia’s geographic location, climatic diversity and established freight transport corridors provide the State with the opportunity to become a major, high quality food supplier for this market growth.
Aboriginal engagement – Aboriginal business partnerships are a key component to the Water for Food program and are considered essential to the government’s plan to lift food production, particularly in the north of the State.
