It is time for the state’s irrigation organisation to move beyond construction phase into an operational business model, the Legislative Council Select Committee on Tasmanian Irrigation heard on Wednesday.
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The committee heard from eight witnesses on the second day of public hearings in Launceston.
This select committee was established to “inquire into and report upon the future management of water rights and associated assets that are currently administered by Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd”.
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Both Elizabeth Macquarie Irrigation Trust and Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association highlighted the need for Tasmanian Irrigation’s restructure in their submissions to the committee.
Elizabeth Macquarie Irrigation Trust secretary Jan Davis said Tasmanian Irrigation’s model had been “bureaucratically driven” up until now, and needed to change to reflect future business needs.
“Tasmanian Irrigation has done a good job to date in the construction phase and we expected it would change to an operational phase across the different schemes,” Ms Davis said.
Ms Davis said Tasmanian Irrigation was still running in “start-up mode”, when it should have moved beyond that to self management.
Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association chief executive Peter Skillern said the industry’s changing environment was a factor when considering Tasmanian Irrigation’s future.
“Long-term questions about the future of Tasmanian Irrigation are difficult to anticipate. If you go back 10 years there was no Tasmanian Irrigation or TasWater on the scene, so there has been significant changes in that space,” Mr Skillern said.
A review into Tasmanian Irrigation’s management structure was needed, he said.
“Under the rapid changes that have occurred it might be worth reviewing to get a benchmark, if you will.”
The senate committee, which is chaired by Western Tiers independent MLC Greg Hall, meets in Launceston again on Thursday to hear from a further eight witnesses.