TESTING THE WATERS

Empowering farmers and landowners to make their farms and dams more resilient in a changing climate

The Testing the Waters pilot project will support landholders and farmers across the Corangamite catchment to make their farm dams more productive, sustainable, and minimise water loss.

Announced by Minister for Water Gayle Tierney in February 2025, Testing the Waters will enable landholders to improve their farms through workshops, field days, and one-on-one site visits.

Farmers and landowners will have access to experts that will help them create individual water stewardship plans that focus on sustainable practises to enhance water quality. They will also receive $2,000 to carry out works such as fencing to limit stock access and planting native vegetation in and around the dam.

The project aims to boost farm productivity by making dams more resilient to climate change and improve water management and quality.

Corangamite CMA project officers and Landcare facilitators will support 15 landholders through the program this year, with another 15 taking part in 2026.

Farmers and landholders will have access to experts with the latest knowledge and research on the many benefits of enhancing farm dams and will be provided assistance on how to prioritise dams for different uses through Water Stewardship Planning. The monitoring of water quality and biodiversity before and after farm dam enhancement will be encouraged and participants will be trained in monitoring techniques.

The project is funded by the Victorian Government through the Our Catchments, Our Communities program, which is supporting integrated catchment management across Victoria.