Preparing communities for a water constrained future and generating economic stimulus in regional areas.

The Australian Government’s Resilient Rivers Water Infrastructure Program builds on and replaces the former Off-farm Efficiency Program and supports the delivery of the 450 GL of water recovery target under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

The new program is a $494 million initiative over four years to fund projects improving and modernising water delivery infrastructure and assisting to recover water for the environment.

Projects funded under the program will improve the efficiency of water delivery infrastructure on-property/on-farm as well as off-farm, including in urban, industrial and mining settings. Water saving will then be used to increase the volume of water available for environmental purposes by up to 450 GL a year.

The program aims to:

• increase water recovery by improving water use, increasing the volume of Murray–Darling Basin water resources available for environmental use
• invest in infrastructure providing longer-term benefits and helping to recover water for the environment
• support climate-resilient primary production over the long-term.

Funding Streams:

There are four streams of funding available under the new program. Full projects can be funded under streams A, B and C and feasibility projects under stream D. The information on this page refers to stream D. Click here for information on streams A - C.

Stream D – Water Recovery Project Start-Up – Funding for Basin states to undertake feasibility studies or to undertake project preliminaries via ‘seed funding’. This could be for proposals that are small to medium scale across any stream, programs of work that have a mix of activities as well as those that are more strategic in nature (larger cost, multiple benefits and require a more holistic approach to consideration). There is an expectation that feasible, cost effective and value for money proposals for full projects to recover water will be forthcoming.

UPDATE: The Australian Government has announced an extension to the closing dates for applications. Feasibility applications are now due by 20 December 2024, and full project applications by 27 June 2025 (with projects to be completed by the end of June 2027).

Stream D

Funding for Basin States to undertake feasibility studies or to undertake project preliminaries via ‘seed funding’. This could be for small and medium sized proposals across any stream.

Eligibility

The program is open to individuals and entities in the irrigation, agricultural, urban, industrial and mining sectors across the Murray Darling Basin for projects achieving water efficiencies and returning water to the environment.

Only Basin states are eligible to apply.

• A Basin state must be proposing an arrangement that will deliver multiple projects
• Basin state commitment to the transfer of an agreed volume of eligible water entitlements (including agreement on the Long Term Average Annual Yield) to the Commonwealth and enter into binding project contract and water transfer contracts.
  • Basin states can negotiate to return one water entitlement type to the Commonwealth in lieu of another water entitlement type. 
• Applications must contain as a minimum the following documentation:
  • Program Budget
  • Water savings target
  • Grant program guidelines
  • Grant program application form / governance arrangements (including assessment criteria and risk assessment). 
• The Basin state must agree to deliver the agreed volume of water by the agreed date.

• Phone: 1300 081 047
• Email: waterefficiency@dcceew.gov.au.