MUNDUBBERA citrus growers Craig and Alexis Wallis, Auburnvale Citrus, believe a new government project which audits energy and water usage could slash their farm power bill by a whopping 50 percent.
The phenomenal savings prediction was delivered in a report to the business from a recent on-farm audit as part of the Government's Irrigators' Energy Saver Project.
Inspecting 30 farms over the next two years, the scheme is a joint initiative between the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), Queensland Farmers Federation (QFF) and Ergon Energy, with $722,000 worth of funding stumped up by DAFF.
Paying a visit to Auburnvale Citrus, Queensland agriculture minister John McVeigh inspected on-farm energy efficiency measures invested in by the Wallis family as part of the scheme - a producer proviso for qualifying for an audit.
Discussing the report, Mr McVeigh said the audit revealed savings could be achieved at the Mundubbera farm by using variable speed drives on irrigation pumps, installing solar PV systems, changing tariffs and replacing metal halide lamps with LED lighting.
"The audit has revealed potential electricity savings of $26,771 a year at Auburnvale Citrus," Mr McVeigh said.
"These savings represent 26 percent of the energy currently used by electric irrigation pumps for the whole farm.
"An additional study of other farm energy use has revealed further potential net energy savings worth $570,000 over 10 years."
For the third-generation citrus grower, the prospect of such a staggering number of dollars has Mr Wallis grinning from ear to ear.
"If the figures are right and over ten years you can put something in and have it paid off, before sticking another $500,000 in your pocket because you're not spending it - well that's just huge for your business," Mr Wallis said.
He already has plans to further explore potential savings from the installation of solar panels on the property's packing shed roof.
With the shed only in full operation during harvest from April to October each year, Mr Wallis said he would like to utilise the solar energy throughout the remainder of the year by directing it to the bore supplying water to the 100-hectares of irrigated citrus.
"If we could have the one system that could power the shed and the bore, you'd really get the benefits out of it," he said.