Thirty years of partnerships to achieve sustainable irrigation through Shepparton Irrigation Region Land and Water Management Plan

Abstract

AbstractThe Shepparton Irrigation Region (SIR) is an environmentally and economically significant area in northern Victoria of Australia covering 500,000 ha. The 1990–2020 Shepparton Irrigation Region Land and Water Management Plan (SIRLWMP) was developed in the late 1980s due to community alarm around increasing salinity and groundwater tables. The regional community (with the support of government, farmers and technical experts) started implementing the plan in 1990. The plan was unique and innovative in Australia in its approach to taking a long‐term view of environmental sustainability. A long‐term and adaptive partnership approach across all levels was vital because environmental problems did not always become apparent in the short term. All of the partners involved in the plan learned to persist and adapt their approach to build resilience in the socio‐economic systems. The SIRLWMP has enabled many serious challenges to be successfully navigated and adapted to including extreme climate events, changing land use and community demographics. Each of these challenges required the ongoing collaboration of many partners to continuously improve the direction and achievements of the SIRLWMP. A 2020 review of the achievements of the 30 years of implementation showed the quantifiable breadth and depth of achievements against the plan's goals. However, there is still more work to do, and the SIRLWMP continues beyond 2020 in a challenging environment. It is expected that partners would continue to work together and continue to talk through difficult issues—because this is how real change happens.