IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA

Irrigation Australia

Association Profile

Irrigation Australia is Australia's peak irrigation organisation representing members from the entire supply chain of the irrigation industry, including water providers, manufacturers, irrigation design consultants, system installers, irrigation managers and irrigation training services. Irrigation Australia is a registered training organisation (RTO: 91313) under the name Irrigation Training Australia, providing the industry with nationally accredited training and qualifications.

With its network of members around Australia, Irrigation Australia can help you develop or locate the skills you need to efficiently manage irrigation in your urban landscape.

Irrigation Australia’s services include:

• Providing up-to-date technical and industry information via its quarterly journal, Irrigation Australia, and a fortnightly eNews.
• Developing and delivering competency-based training and non-accredited short courses for those working within the industry.
• Managing the industry’s professional certification program. The program recognises skills and knowledge in a number of disciplines such as irrigation retailing, design, operation, auditing and installation. Irrigation Australia’s website includes a directory of certified industry members so customers can locate their closest irrigation professional.
• Access to a network of industry members in all sectors with significant experience, knowledge and expertise in all facets of irrigation.

Urban Irrigation

Green landscapes provide significant benefits for our urban communities, including:

• Environmental benefits | The key environmental benefits of green landscapes are: cooling effects on buildings, which help to reduce energy consumption; improving urban stormwater management by reducing peak flows and runoff pollutant loads; maintaining soil structure and preventing erosion; and maintaining biodiversity in urban areas.
• Social benefits | These are related to better health and community outcomes, such as: preventative healthcare, including stress reduction, depression management and avoidance of obesity; childhood development in parks and open space, providing a commons for social interaction and cohesion; and benefits associated with organised sport.
• Economic benefits | Increased property values.

Urban irrigation is fundamental to achieving these urban greenspace benefits. A well-designed, installed and operated irrigation system that delivers the right amount of water for your landscape, to the right place at the right time, will maximise these benefits to you and your property, and to the wider community.

Irrigation Standards

It is generally acknowledged that standards in the irrigation industry are important in establishing measures of best practice and influencing performance. At a practical level, adopting standards will lead to improving irrigation water management and water use efficiency.

Industry standards are established through applying technical standards (ie. performance standards for equipment), technical codes of practice (ie. practices such as design, installation and operation), and professional standards.

Professional Development

Allied with the development and application of standards, professional development is fundamental to improving the skills and knowledge of those in the industry and, as a result, the credibility of information provided to customers and how efficiently water is used.

Since its establishment more than 35+ years ago, Irrigation Australia (then the Irrigation Association of Australia) has recognised the importance of professional development and spent significant resources in developing and organising activities and events designed to support knowledge and skills training. As a result, Irrigation Australia offers members and industry professionals access to a range of courses and workshops, including irrigation hydraulics, irrigation efficiency, irrigation pumps, Certificate III in Irrigation Technology (AHC32419) and Certificate IV in Irrigation Management (AHC41119), and an introduction to urban irrigation in Australia.

As a service to members and to promote skills development, the Irrigation Australia website has also established a Centre of Irrigation Excellence (COIE), a partnership between Irrigation Australia as the peak industry body for the irrigation industry and some of the leading irrigation industry suppliers, to provide a platform that facilitates, oversees and coordinates irrigation industry knowledge, training and development.

Certification

Another important aspect of Irrigation Australia’s role in promoting professionalism in the industry is its certification program. The aim of the certification program, which has been developed in consultation with Irrigation Australia members, is to recognise the skills of those involved in the industry and improve professional standards. Certification is based on nationally recognised competencies that form the basis of irrigation qualifications at entry, trade and supervisory levels.

Irrigation Australia’s certification program is one that recognises skills in a number of disciplines such as designing, contracting, installing, operating, managing, retailing, providing advice and auditing.

Some of the program benefits include:

Certified individuals who express their commitment to excellence by participating in a process to assess their knowledge can be confident that they are doing the job right, and this can bring advancement and recognition.

Employers know that staff members who are certified have the skills for the occupation.

Customers know when they use a certified irrigation specialist to install or run their systems, those people have the skills to install or operate or manage a system efficiently, effectively and with the least environmental impact.

The program is also underpinned by a Code of Conduct for certified irrigation professionals, to ensure ongoing integrity, knowledge and compliance with industry standards, as well as a complaints process.

Contact & Information

Irrigation Australia Ltd
PO Box 13, Cannon Hill QLD 4170
P 07 3517 4000
E info@irrigation.org.au
W irrigationaustralia.com.au