Water is an extremely precious resource, and Hon Martin Aldridge MLC wants Mid West and Central Midlands locals to attend two upcoming public briefings on the Royalties for Regions funded Water for Food initiative.
An invitation has been extended to local stakeholders and community members to attend the meetings, the first of which will be held at the Priory Hotel in Dongara between 12 and 1.30pm on February 9.
Mr Aldridge said the forums would provide locals the opportunity to hear about plans to utilise water through Water for Food regions as well as specific technical information about the Irwin (east of Dongara) and Dinner Hill (Badgingarra/Dandaragan) areas.
“The Water for Food program is unlocking the potential for irrigated agriculture across the state,” Mr Aldridge said.
“These two areas have been identified by community and industry as irrigated horticulture hotspots and we are working to ensure their suitability.
“As chair of the Midlands Water for Food Community Reference Group, I encourage members of the public and in particular stakeholders in the horticulture industry to participate in these briefings.”
Mr Aldridge said the meetings would provide locals with an opportunity to grasp the direction of the Water for Food program and understand how they can benefit from the $40 million initiative.
A barbecue lunch will be provided at the Priory from midday, with a briefing running until 1.30pm to discuss the objectives of the project and Irwin as a potential horticultural focus area under the Midlands Water for Food initiative.
Details for the Badgingarra forum are yet to be confirmed, however, the meeting is scheduled to take place in late February.
Water for Food is funded by Royalties for Regions, through the $300 million Seizing the Opportunity in Agriculture initiative.
The objective of Water for Food is to identify resources and technologies to enable Western Australia’s fresh food and animal protein production to increase its contribution to regional economies by at least 50 per cent by 2025 and twofold by 2050.
For more detailed information on the Midlands or any other Water for Food projects, visit www.waterforfood.wa.gov.au
