Irrigation Trusts

Historical Background of Irrigation Trusts in SA

The first private irrigation district and Australia’s oldest irrigation settlement, was founded at Remark in 1887 following a joint agreement between the state government and Canadian engineers George and Ben Chaffey. Following financial difficulties in 1893, the enterprise was transformed into the Renmark Irrigation Trust under the Renmark Irrigation Trust Act, 1893.  The district has been managed under iterations of the trust since that time, now under the Renmark Irrigation Trust Act, 1936. The purpose of the district is to supply water to the growers, and in the early years, it also played a role in the administration and governing of the settlement of Renmark.  

In 1910, the State created the Department of Irrigation and Reclamation, and in the next 5 years established the Kingston, Waikerie, Moorook and Mypolonga irrigation areas.  Soldier settlement expanded existing smaller districts, with most of the Locks also being built during this time.  A number of other private districts were established during the late 1950s and early 1960s, including Sunlands, Golden Heights and Ramco Heights.

 

The Central Irrigation Trust (CIT) is a Private Management Company, located in Barmera, 220km north east of Adelaide.  CIT owns no water but manages ten irrigation districts that pump water from the River Murray through modern, fully automated, large diameter pipeline systems to supply 1,600 growers who irrigate 13,000 hectares of horticultural crops in the Riverland region of South Australia.  The water licenses are held by constituent trusts and the CIT Board is made up of the Chairpersons of the constituent Boards. The 10 District Schemes are located in:

Berri Cadell
Chaffey Cobdogla
Kingston Loxton
Moorook Mypolonga
Waikerie Lyrup

Each irrigation scheme is owned by the irrigator members it supplies and CIT manages and operates the systems.  In addition to providing irrigation and drainage services to 1,400 family farms, CIT provides domestic water to 2,800 households and industries.

The irrigation systems have huge capacity compared to urban water schemes, but even so, need to have a water order system to keep them in balance. Growers can order water as often as they choose from the system anywhere between 10 minutes and 14 days in advance.
 
 

The Renmark Irrigation Trust (RIT) provides River Murray water to regional orchards and other producers in the Renmark area.  As Australia's first irrigation settlement, it was established initially on the low-lying river flats that were ideally suited to furrow and flood irrigation.  Today, a central pumping station located at Renmark supplies river water to a domestic holding (buffer) tank and 3 re-lift sites. Each re-lift pumping station maintains pressure and flow on separate mains to the end-users.   The Trust has some private diverters under its licence and these irrigators pump their own water from the River Murray or from Creeks or Billabongs.  There are now some 4,700 hectares of irrigated horticultural crops and pastures.

 

Irrigation Trusts Location Map