Media Release
Irrigators issue ‘groundhog day’ call on Ministers
The National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) has written to Basin Water Ministers ahead of their meeting on Friday calling for a focus on flexibility for ‘supply’ measures projects and an end to ‘black box’ decision making from Basin Governments. NIC CEO Steve Whan said...
Statistics confirm: without irrigation in drought, we wouldn’t eat
More than 90% of Australia’s fruit, nuts and grapes; more 76% of vegetables, 100% of rice and more than 50% of dairy and sugar, came from irrigation in 2018-19 according to the latest release from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The figures are based on...
About Us
The National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) is the voice of irrigators across Australia.
It aims to develop projects and policies to ensure the efficiency, viability and sustainability of Australian irrigated agriculture and the security and reliability of water entitlements and to promote those projects and policies with a view to having them adopted or ratified by governments, statutory authorities and other groups and organisations.
The NIC was created in 2008 to represent the interests of irrigation entitlement holders across Australia.
Policy
Our policy is determined by members and underpinned by our Guiding Principles and the objectives in our Strategic Plan. Strategic and policy documents are developed by the organisation through debate and resolution by members at the three general meetings of Council each year.
Membership
NIC currently has 34 members. Our members represent irrigation infrastructure operators and major irrigated agricultural commodity groups. Our membership structure has four categories (A, B, C and D). Members are not individual irrigators but members of their respective representative organisations. As a non-federated body, members have equal voting rights on issues.Stakeholders
Developing strong relationships with the federal government, key government agencies and parliamentary representatives across all parties on issues relevant to our members in the irrigated agriculture sector are a critical part of NIC advocacy. We also work closely with other peak bodies outside our membership.