Wine group sees 'enormous benefit' in irrigation funding

Riverland Wine says a $265 million funding boost for irrigation industry improvements will benefit the whole region.

Federal Water Minister Mark Butler announced the details of the package in the Riverland on Friday, after 10 months of negotiations with stakeholders.

It includes $240 million for irrigation infrastructure upgrades and $25 million to improve the Loxton Research Centre.

Riverland Wine's executive officer Chris Byrne says local industry now needs to take the projects to the next level.

"It will be very much up to us now to go forward back to Government and wider industry partners with proposals that will enable the centre to realise much greater potential as a resource for the entire region, both in terms of providing services but also developing new knowledge and new capabilities," he said.

He says now that the funding has been locked in, it is up to industry to put forward strong business cases.

"I think if we all put our best foot forward and work together and recognise the enormous benefit that we have in terms of this $265 million, we should be able to convert it three or four times that value, perhaps into a billion dollars worth of value for the region over the coming four or five or six years," he said.

Source: ABC News, 26 August 2013