Farmers and growers in the Murray and Edward River regions will get improved access to vital water market information through a new web and mobile app, Waterflow.
Senator Perin Davey joined Water Resources Minister, David Littleproud MP, in Echuca on Monday morning to announce the release of the Waterflow platform, funded through the Coalition’s Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII).
The app was developed by natural resource economics firm Marsden Jacob Associates and will give irrigators greater confidence in the water market, enabling them to use the market to better manage their risks.
“The Waterflow app is a one-stop shop and provides irrigators real-time information so they can make the best possible business decisions,” Senator Davey said.
“It puts the power in farmers’ hands to get the best of out of the water market in changing conditions. It will serve as a powerful tool for increasing market accessibility and help level the playing field, further enhancing the positive economic benefits of innovative technology,” she said.
“The app is a terrific example of how technology can make a big difference in one of our most established and important industries to help solve complex issues faced by our farmers and irrigators.
“Importantly, the app has been designed to work where the mobile signal is weak, enabling more farmers to access the real-time data.
“Having this information at their fingertips evens the playing field so farmers have the same information as other water market participants.”
The web-based version of Waterflow is available now at www.waterflow.io, with the mobile app version to be made available in coming weeks.
The Waterflow app was funded through $1 million in funding through the BRII, which provides small to medium sized enterprises with grant funding to develop innovative solutions for service delivery challenges.
Further information on the program is available from the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science website at www.business.gov.au/BRII.