Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce paid a visit to farmers in Waterloo on Friday, September 29 to discuss the Myalup-Wellington Dam project.
Harvey Water General Manager Bradd Hamersley outlined the challenges faced by farmers who irrigate their crops with increasingly saline water from Wellington Dam.
"Mr Joyce was very supportive of the project and it was beneficial to show him first hand the critical situation our farmers are facing," Mr Hamersley said.
"We will continue to work with the Federal Government to secure funding for the project."
Mr Hamersley and Waterloo farmer Anthony Commisso showed Mr Joyce poorly germinated pasture affected by salt compared to pasture irrigated by its other water sources.
The State Government has made a commitment of $37 million to the project and a further $140 million is being sought through the Federal Government's National Water Infrastructure Development Fund while $30m will be invested by Harvey Water’s members.
The water in the Wellington Dam has been used to irrigate crops from Dardanup to Benger, however, the salinity effects limits productivity and the crops that can be grown.
Collie Water proposes to extract high salt content from water running into rivers that feed into Wellington Dam, desalinate this water and return it as potable drinking water for Great Southern and South West communities.
