In this issue:

Smart Farms Newsletter Issue 1: January 2010

The Hawkesbury-Nepean River Recovery Program is funded by the Australian Government through the Water for the Future program.

Supplementary funding for the WaterSmart Farms project has been provided by the NSW Government through its Climate Change Fund.

Welcome to Smart Farms

WaterSmart Farms: Closing Date for

Expressions of Interest

Auditors On-board for WaterSmart Farms

NutrientSmart Farms Works Begin

Case Study: Dam Stabilisation at Wallacia

Welcome to Smart Farms

The two Smart Farms projects - NutrientSmart Farms

(NSF) & WaterSmart Farms (WSF) - have now been

operating in the lower Hawkesbury Nepean region for

approximately 6 months.

NSF is working with rural landholders to improve nutri-

ent management and reduce nutrient export to the

Hawkesbury Nepean River, while WSF is working with

irrigators to improve water use efficiency and increase

flows in the River.

Both projects are operating in the same area (see

map) and offer a range of training and on-ground

works . Training is offered free to local landholders and

$15 million in grants is available to assist eligible land-

holders with on-ground works.

For further information or to register your interest

please use the contact details overleaf.

WaterSmart Farms:

Closing Date for Expressions of Interest

Due to the high level of interest in WSF grants for on-

ground works a closing date for Expressions of Interest

(EoI’s) has been set. This will allow all submitted pro-

jects to be assessed for suitability and grant monies to

be allocated equitably.

Completed EoI forms must be received by 5pm on

Friday 26th March, 2010. Landholders who have al-

ready submitted an EoI are not required to submit an-

other. To obtain a blank EoI form, to submit your EoI, or

for further information, please use the contact details

overleaf.

Greenhouse Industry Field Day - September 2009

Smart Farms Project Area Map

Be Nutrient & Water Smart—it’s worth it!

Smart Farms Contact Details

Smart Farms Administration & Information Officer

Industry & Investment NSW

Locked Bag 4, Richmond NSW 2753

Smart Farms Information Line – 4588 2118

Fax – 4588 2159

Email – rosemary.dopper@industry.nsw.gov.au

Web: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/resources/smartfarms

NutrientSmart Farms Team Leader Ashley Senn (left) & land-owner Eric Hayward in front of the completed dam at Wallacia

Auditors On-board for WaterSmart Farms

The WSF project is engaging independent water audi-

tors to audit irrigation systems and propose solutions to

improve water use efficiency.

After some initial delays, there are now 10 auditors

ready to undertake audits for irrigators who have ex-

pressed interest in the WSF grant program. Further

auditors will be engaged early in 2010.

Using catch cans to measure the uniformity of water distribution

NutrientSmart Farms Case Study:

Dam Stabilisation at Wallacia

Fixing a dam at Wallacia is one of the first NSF projects

to be completed. The dam receives runoff from a 335

hectare catchment and was at high risk of failure. The

sediments released upon failure would dump an esti-

mated 48 tonnes of nitrogen and 16 tonnes of phospho-

rus directly into the Nepean River. Works for the

$80,000 project were completed in just over a week,

with both the landowner and Smart Farms officers ex-

tremely pleased with the outcome.

NutrientSmart Farms Works Begin

NSF on-ground works have been initiated on 17 proper-

ties. An investment of just over $550,000 from NSF will

result in works valued at over $1.5 million. Significant

reductions in nutrient export to Hawkesbury Nepean

waterways of approximately 24 tonnes of nitrogen per

year and 5 tonnes of phosphorus per year are antici-

pated as a result of these works.

Eroded spillway on the Wallacia dam prior to works, with emergency fill material placed behind the dam wall.

A turf farm at Agnes Banks with compost (received free through NSF) incorporated into the topsoil prior to a new crop