Funding for urban, industrial, off-farm, on-farm and metering water saving infrastructure projects across the Murray-Darling Basin is now available. See Water Efficiency Program for details.
The South Australian pilot of the Commonwealth On-Farm Further Irrigation Efficiency (COFFIE) program funded:
- upgrades to irrigation infrastructure
- other activities that improved the productivity of the farm business.
In return, water entitlements were transferred to the Commonwealth for environmental use. Additional water savings could be retained by the irrigator.
The South Australian pilot of COFFIE commenced in September 2016. The program closed to new applications in October 2018. The South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board was the delivery partner.
The South Australian pilot of COFFIE delivers water as part of the efficiency measure projects. Read more about efficiency measures.
Fast facts on South Australian pilot of COFFIE
- launched in 2016 and closed in October 2018
- $12.1 million (GST exclusive) invested in 66 projects
- 1.9 gigalitres Long Term Average Annual Yield (LTAAY) of water savings contracted
- majority of participating farmers involved in wine-grape production
- over half of projects involved upgrades to drip irrigation systems
- median project size was $62,533.30 returning 10.8ML to the environment
Implementation review
The department produced a report outlining the implementation of the South Australian pilot.
Read the report about program design, lessons learned and an overview of achievements.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
COFFIE program South Australian pilot implementation review PDF  |
19 | 1.7 MB |
COFFIE program South Australian pilot implementation review DOCX  |
19 | 1.6 MB |
If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Case studies
Videos
Watch our videos featuring farmers and projects funded under COFFIE.
Dave Reilly, date and grape farmer
Download alternative formats
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Video transcript – Case study 1: Dave Reilly, date and grape farmer DOCX |
2 | 80 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Warren Doecke, dairy farmer
Download alternative formats
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Video transcript – Case study 2 – Warren Doecke, dairy farmer DOCX |
2 | 77 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Stories
Read more about COFFIE projects:
- Water matters, April 2019, Farmer gets a sweet water deal on dates and grapes
- Media release, June 2018, SA COFFIE pilot progressing well
- Media release, March 2018, Certified irrigation professionals bring confidence to COFFIE pilot
Project information
The pilot funded 66 projects delivering 1.9 gigalitres every year on average over the long term to the environment.
Download data on projects funded under COFFIE.
Project locations
Projects were funded in the South Australian Riverland and Murray regions.
Download the map of projects funded under COFFIE.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Map of funded projects PDF |
1 | 288 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Eligibility criteria
A guide for participants was produced outlining the projects and participants eligible for funding under COFFIE.
Read the guide for participants.
Download
If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Public consultation on COFFIE design
The department sought comments from interested organisations and individuals in 2015 to inform the design of COFFIE.
Read the report about issues raised by stakeholders during the consultation. The COFFIE pilot program design was modified to reflect outcomes from this process.
Download
If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.