News

Harvey Water staff volunteered their time and gardening expertise to help re-vegetate and improve habitat along the lower Harvey River system.

The benefits of this include, slowing the flow of water reducing erosion, wetting floodplain habitats to allow for fish recruitment and provide food for birds and other animals.
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The Harvey River Restoration Task force Inc. does an amazing job but do rely on volunteer help and donations to improve these systems.

Harvey Water is pleased to sponsor Harvey Netball Association uniforms for the 2019 season.
 
The Association has undergone a period of rejuvenation and redevelopment, and the new Committee is focused on rebuilding the junior netball scene.
 
Louisa Sgambelluri, Harvey Netball Association Vice-President??, said ‘Club uniforms will raise the profile of junior netball and enhance our competition, and in doing so, encourage greater membership and support for both the sport and the Harvey Netball Association’.
 
Harvey Water is proud to contribute to a project that encourages sporting participation and a stronger community.

In Western Australia, kikuyu is grown in many areas of the southwest region where irrigation occurs. If managed well with good water quality and good grazing practice, kikuyu can provide nutritional feed for dairy cows during summer and the shoulders of the growing season, alleviating feed shortage. In the summer/autumn of 2018/19, Western Dairy (WD) sought to answer the question “Does kikuyu stack up as an irrigated summer pasture?”. Specifically, how responsive is kikuyu to nitrogen (N), frequency of N application, and grazing management. Also, how does it perform under pivot versus surface irrigation and when there is a salt load in the irrigation water.
 
Results showed that centre pivot outperformed surface irrigation, with either fresh or salted water, on kikuyu growth. Also, applying 1.2 kg N /ha /day after each harvest had the most cost-effective growth compared to applying 2.4 or 3.6 kg N /ha /day. Compared to other home-grown summer feeds kikuyu does stack up well with good water use efficiency (WUE) and cost efficiency. It has high potential growth up to and beyond 120 kg DM /ha /day and the sweet spot for cutting or grazing is at the 4th leaf stage. However, supplements are needed.
 
Link to the project website: 
 https://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/publications/irrigation-projects?id=5D6EAF1698024FB297AF725087E727EE
 
Link to final results:
https://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/-/media/dairyaustralia/westerndairy/news-pubs-media/publication-files-and-images/summary_2019.pdf?la=en&hash=2401F56CD8FD5102C7BAF0A30E3CFA784FE7C3DC
 
Thanks to Western Dairy for sharing their trial results!

 After just over 10 years of outstanding service, Perth businessman Mike Snell has resigned from the position of a Non-member Director of Harvey Water.
 
Mike came from an accounting background for more than 30 years before joining the South West Irrigation Asset Cooperation Ltd.
 
He has travelled from Perth regularly during his time with Harvey Water and his expertise in the Cooperative structure will be missed.
 
Keith Halliwell has been appointed to the SWIAC/SWIMCO board as a non-member Director.
 
​We wish Mike all the very best in his retirement and future endeavors.

Harvey Water staff volunteered to help put on the Harvey Community Dinner for two weeks in March.
 
The Harvey Community Dinner provides great food and the chance to mingle to between 80 - 120 people each week.  The event relies on volunteer help, produce donations and is coordinated by Ester Italiano.

Harvey Water is inviting the community to apply for its next sponsorship round, which offers two levels of funding for local projects and events.

Funding of $500 and under is aimed at schools and education based projects, voluntary organisations which encourage community involvement, sporting clubs, sporting projects and environment and catchment care.

The larger funding of $2000 and under is aimed at community events which create economic benefit, sustainable environment initiatives and community infrastructure projects.

The sponsorship is open to communities in Harvey, Waroona, Dardanup, Bunbury and Collie and closes on April 1st. A second round will be held in September 2019.

Eligible organisations are:

• Not for profit organisations
• Incorporated community organisations
• Not for profit educational institutions

“Harvey Water has a long history of supporting the local communities in which it operates and is very proud of the projects it has been able to assist with over the years,” said General Manager Bradd Hamersley.
“We once again look forward to assisting those groups which need help to deliver projects which make a difference in our communities.”

​Harvey Water is seeking to commission a local Artist to make an outdoor sculptural Artwork to be placed in a prominent location near the main entrance of our new administration premises in Harvey.
 
The artwork would be in the form of an outdoor sculpture and Artists are encouraged to incorporate the iconic Dethridge Wheel, which is synonymous with the origins of the Harvey Irrigation District.
The commission is open to Artists residing in Bunbury Geographe and the Irrigation District which covers the Shires of Harvey, Waroona, Dardanup, Collie, Capel, Donnybrook-Balingup and Bunbury.
We are seeking an inspired, landmark design that really encapsulates the Harvey Water irrigation district and the important heritage of the land.
 
Three shortlisted artists will be selected based on their experience and past work. These Artists will receive $500 each for design development and the successful Artist will receive an $8000 commission fee.
Harvey Water is excited to be working with local artists on this project and displaying the sculpture at our new building when it is completed in July.

​After more than 20 years of outstanding service, community stalwart Ian Eckersley has resigned from the position of Director and Chair of Harvey Water.
 
Since privatisation in 1996 when the fledgling South West Irrigation (which became Harvey Water) was formed, Ian was a founding Director and Chair of the South West Irrigation Asset Cooperative Board.  Ian later took on the role of Chair of the Management Cooperative following on from Dan Norton in 2009.
 
Coming from a background in dairy, citrus and grape growing, Ian has always provided strong representation for farmers and irrigation, applying his extensive knowledge of the district and agriculture and a growing expertise in the Cooperative structure. 
 
In more recent years, Ian has led growth of the business and a measured diversification to maximise water affordability for our 720 irrigator Cooperative Members, while continuing to be a strong advocate at local, State and Federal levels for the interests of Members.
 
Deputy Chair, Sam Epiro, will take on the role of acting Chair of the SWIMCO, supported by SWIAC Chair Kevin Warburton.  
 
We wish Ian the very best in his future endeavors. 

​Harvey Water recently completed an extension of its backbone water supply infrastructure into Kemerton Strategic Industrial Area to service global lithium producer Albemarle. 
Albemarle plans to utilise water supplied by Harvey Water during construction and in their lithium hydroxide production plant.
The pipeline also provides a number of firefighting supply points for the community in and around Kemerton – an important asset in the event of a bush fire.
Bradd Hamersley, General Manager Harvey Water, said “Harvey Water is an example of the many local suppliers and contractors that will benefit from the construction and operational phases of Albemarle’s operation”. 
This project broadens Harvey Water’s customer base for the benefit of cooperative Members.  Mr Hamersley said “We continue to work with our Members and other customers towards effective and efficient use of our precious natural resources”.
Mr Hamersley acknowledged the foresight demonstrated by Albemarle in considering the community in the pre approvals phase of the project.