ST GEORGE irrigator Scott Armstrong has described changes to eight of the State's channel irrigation schemes as "a wonderful Christmas present".
In 2012 the State government began an investigation into transferring the management of the SunWater schemes to local farmers.
This week, Water Supply Minister Mark McArdle announced the government was ready to move to the next phase.
"Four of the schemes - Emerald, Eton, St George and Theodore - were well advanced and were ready to transition to local management," Mr McArdle said.
The second wave would include Bundaberg, Burdekin, Lower Mary and Mareeba-Dimbulah schemes.
Mr Armstrong said the transition to local management would secure the long-term viability of farming for his family.
"The recent cost increases in water have just been unsustainable and this is the best way to address that.
"To have the scheme run by those with skin in the game, it's the best reform in irrigation schemes we have seen in 20 years."
Special-purpose vehicle companies for each of the schemes will be set up to help prepare them for the transition. They will still be owned by the State government, but led by a board of directors who are mostly local irrigators.
Leith Boully, who is chairing the Local Management Arrangements project, said the reform would allow irrigators to develop their own plans for an improved future for irrigation.
"The leadership of the interim boards has strongly demonstrated the advantages that can come from managing schemes locally to deliver benefits to customers and regional communities," Ms Boully said.
Chair of the Theodore Irrigation LMA Scheme interim board Liz Alexander said they were absolutely stoked with the result.
"The community support in Theodore was very strong - we basically had 99.82 per cent of all allocations voted in favour of moving to local management," she said.
"We're yet to see a lot of detail but we're really excited and committed and we're ready to go."
Take a look at the video of Theodore irrigators voting 'yes' to local management.
Theodore is the oldest scheme in Queensland, it was built in 1927 and further additions were made in 1956.
Ms Alexander said their business proposal had concentrated on bringing the scheme back into working order and optimising the value the scheme brought to the region.
"We're confident our proposal was the best value for irrigators, government and the Queensland community," she said.
"We're yet to negotiate a separation package but this is much further than we have ever been able to progress before."
