Local Action Planning was initiated in 1995 in response to the growing demand and need for involvement and input from local communities into natural resource management along the River Murray.

The Riverland West Local Action Planning Association (RWLAP) was one of the first LAP areas established and now coordinates community activities along the River Murray between Lock 1 to Lock 3. RWLAP manages a diverse range of community activities from improving ecologically sustainable horticulture and enhancing floodplains and wetlands to improving recreation facilities. RWLAP's projects, past and present, total more than $10 million, for these projects to be successful, community involvement is essential.

RWLAP provides the local community with a meaningful way to get involved in local environmental projects. It allows people to not only contribute to improving our precious River Murray, but also to learn a huge amount about their local area.

Introduction

Riverland West Local Action Planning Association was formally established in February 1996. RWLAP is centrally located within the South Australian part of the Murray Darling Basin and incorporates the townships of Blanchetown, Cadell, Morgan and Waikerie. The RWLAP region encompasses six LWMP districts (Woolpunda; Riverland Norwest; Cadell; Qualco-Sunlands; Waikerie; and Taylorville as featured below), and incorporates three Irrigation Trusts; Central Irrigation Trust (CIT); Golden Heights Irrigation Trust (GHIT); and Sunlands Irrigation Trust (SIT).

The RWLAP area covers approximately 276,240 ha extending on both sides of the River Murray from Lock 1 (Blanchetown) to Lock 3 (Kingston-on-Murray). Its main features are 184 km of River Murray length with a total of around 12,850 ha of floodplains. The total population of the Riverland West LAP area is approximately 6,632 (2001 ABS Census data), with around 60 % living within the main townships of Waikerie, Blanchetown, Morgan or Cadell. In 1995, the annual horticultural production of predominantly grapes and citrus was approximately $145 million.

In 2005 it was estimated that the RWLAP region contained approximately 17,937 ha of irrigated horticultural land, with extensive areas of dryland farming/livestock grazing areas (163,000 ha) and pristine mallee located away from the river. Approximately 28 % of irrigated horticulture within the South Australian Murray Darling Basin is also located within RWLAP’s boundaries, which comprises 5.9 % of the total RWLAP area of 267,240 ha. Excluding CIT plantings, there are currently 265 irrigated properties distributed throughout the RWLAP region; 148 privately irrigated, 117 irrigated through the Sunlands Irrigation Trust or the Golden Heights Irrigation Trust. Vine Fruit is the most common irrigated crop type within the RWLAP region, with plantings totaling 5,575.0 ha or 35.2 % of total irrigated area. Land in transition (3,760.4 ha or 23.7 % of total irrigated area) and root vegetable crops (2,508.9 ha or 15.8 % of total irrigated area) were the other significant crop types within the RWLAP region.

The Riverland West Local Action Plan, produced in 1999, is the product of a community driven, strategic approach to address environmental issues and governs the actions of RWLAP. It presents great opportunities to significantly improve the natural environment of the area.