THE Renmark Irrigation Trust’s recognition as the worlds first agricultural area to achieve gold level accreditation for water management practices has more potential than first anticipated, presiding member Peter Duggin says.
He believes the certification for good water stewardship by the global Alliance for Water Stewardship has put RIT “in front of others” and means it could gain access to markets or price advantages.
“We are the first to get the stewardship, so it’s setting a new standard,” he said.
The AWS Water Stewardship certification process included an independent audit, verifying RIT’s water management practices and performance.
Among considerations were RIT’s constant water licences and allocation compliances, along with it operating at 98 per cent efficiency, compared with the Australian irrigation/rural water providers’ average of 83pc. Voluntary participation in environmental watering with the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holders and participating in the Renmark Paringa Landcare Bookmark Creek Action Group were also of importance.
Since the announcement on Thursday last week, Mr Duggin has been approached by more Riverland growers eager to gain accreditation to tap into the RIT system.
“The Chinese market appreciates third-party auditing and it gives us an advantage on other competitors, even those in the Riverland,” he said.
The trust first achieved 98pc efficiency in 1972, and Mr Duggin said the RIT considered security and value of water the most important aspect of the operation, with irrigators needing to be as efficient as possible.
RIT was founded in 1893 and serves 600 irrigators, 1200 domestic users and covers more than 4500 hectares throughout the Riverland district.
On average, RIT pumps between 30 gigalitres and 35GL annually, which is shared between the members.
Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Anne Ruston congratulated the trust on its achievements.