New sprinklers switched on at Tailem Bend Golf Club

If you cop a spray as you stroll down the fairway at Tailem Bend Golf Club, don’t feel bad – it just means the new sprinklers are working.

The club last week celebrated switching on a new, automated watering system, one which will save water and won’t chew up so much of its volunteers’ time.

Until now, volunteers had had to traipse all over the course, turning valves on and off.

Now they can simply press a few buttons.

The $67,000 project was completed with support from the federal government, through its now-discontinued Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program; and the Tailem Bend Advancement Group, using funds from the 2018 sale of the Taberefta Homes for the Aged.

Federal MP Tony Pasin popped into take a look, and celebrate the project’s completion.

“The Tailem Bend Golf Club is beautiful course, built and maintained predominately by its dedicated volunteers,” he said.

“It’s a credit to these volunteers that they are providing such a fantastic course, not only for members but attracts many outside players and tourists.

“It’s projects like this that ensure our productive and vibrant region remains strong, resilient and prosperous in the long term.”

He described it as “incredibly disappointing” that the current federal government had discontinued the program in favour of a new Growing Regions Program, which awarded its first $207 million worth of funding to projects around Australia – but none in the Murraylands – in May.

In announcing the change in 2022, federal minister Kristy McBain said the Australian National Audit Office had found that two thirds of funding had been directed away from deserving projects or, in her words, “pork-barrelled”.