[ { "post_id": "941", "post_category_id": "403", "post_title": "Water Law Symposium", "post_content_short": "Legalwise is again holding their annual Water Law Symposium in Sydney.
\nAs water law continues to evolve in response to environmental challenges, policy reform and heightened regulatory scrutiny, secure expert\nguidance on key legal and strategic issues shaping Australia’s water governance framework. You will gain insights into the lessons of\nthe past decade in water reform, the intersection of Indigenous rights and governance, and the design of the Basin Plan Review. ", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/941\/Legalwise.png", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/legalwiseseminars.com.au\/seminar-details?event=31691629578", "post_date": "2026-02-09 05:34:00" }, { "post_id": "934", "post_category_id": "405", "post_title": "MDBA Paper finds it's time to move beyond 'just adding water'", "post_content_short": "A first look at the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s Basin Plan Review discussion paper, reveals again that more is needed than “just adding\n\twater” to improve the environments of the Basin. “The discussion paper should serve as an important wake up call to the Federal Government\n\twho continue to use old tools, for today’s challenges”, said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien.[...]\n", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/934\/Media-Release.png", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/news\/media-releases\/review-finds-its-time-to-move-beyond-just-adding-water-to-the-basin\/", "post_date": "2026-02-04 18:30:00" }, { "post_id": "933", "post_category_id": "418", "post_title": "MDBA Webinar Series on the Basin Plan Review", "post_content_short": "The MDBA have opened registrations for a series of webinars to support their consultation approach on the Basin Plan Review. The initial topics being how to make a submission, Menindee and SDL assessments. The webinars will be recorded and start from Monday next\nweek. 
\n
\nA link on these webinars is not yet available on their website but is available by clicking here. ", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/933\/News.png", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/assets-oce.mkt.dynamics.com\/18c6513d-1927-4d09-8c8e-8974068ea7ab\/digitalassets\/standaloneforms\/b9386aa7-c9de-f011-8544-6045bdc26750?readableEventId=MDBA_Webinar_1_Discussion_Paper243542520", "post_date": "2026-02-04 03:13:00" }, { "post_id": "924", "post_category_id": "405", "post_title": "Analysis finds Governments additional water buyback spree is flawed", "post_content_short": " NIC report reviewed the Federal Government’s purchases and found most have low environmental utility and cannot directly contribute to\n\ttoday’s environmental priorities in the Basin – despite costing taxpayers billions.“These additional water buybacks go beyond what was\n\trequired to ‘bridge the gap’ to get Sustainable Diversion Limits in place for the Basin Plan,” said NIC CEO Zara Lowien “most of this\n\tadditional water will not be able to be used as intended and unlikely to contribute to desired environmental outcomes”. [...]\n", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/924\/Media-Release.png", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/news\/media-releases\/analysis-finds-governments-additional-water-buyback-spree-is-flawed\/", "post_date": "2025-12-11 18:20:00" }, { "post_id": "923", "post_category_id": "417", "post_title": "New NIC Report on 450 GL additional environmental program", "post_content_short": "There have been several concerns raised regarding the Federal Government’s decision to purchase additional water from farmers that go beyond\n\tthe water recovery required to ‘bridge the gap’ to reduce water usage to Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDLs), in the Murray-Darling Basin\n\tPlan. The concerns relate to the effectiveness or need for additional water acquisition, with questions on how the Government’s actions are\n\tcontributing to policy outcomes, meeting value for taxpayers’ money, and consider the growing evidence that signals alternatives approach to\n\t‘just adding water’ are needed to enhance environmental outcomes around the Basin.\n\n

\n\tThis Report by NIC, provides a preliminary assessment of the Federal Government purchases of additional water under “the 450 GL” program of\n\tthe Plan. [...]\n", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/923\/450-Report-ICON.png", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/policy\/murray-darling-basin-plan\/review-of-additional-hew\/", "post_date": "2025-12-11 18:11:00" }, { "post_id": "912", "post_category_id": "416", "post_title": "Water Market Consultation re-opens", "post_content_short": "This update relates to persons or classes of people required to report water market information under the Australian Government water market\nregulation - this can be IIOs and water intermediaries.
\n
\nDCCEEW are seeking feedback on the Exposure Drafts for the proposed Water Amendment (Water Markets Information) Regulations 2026\n(Regulations) and the Water Market Data Standards.  These form the final pieces of the water market reform roadmap and are due for\nimplementation in 2026.
\n
\nExposure drafts and a survey for feedback are provided on the webpage.", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/912\/dcceew.jpg", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/consult.dcceew.gov.au\/water-amendment-regulations2026-wmds", "post_date": "2025-10-14 13:00:00" }, { "post_id": "908", "post_category_id": "416", "post_title": "Moving Forwards: Our Review into the Murray Darling Basin Plan", "post_content_short": "NIC has completed our own internal review into the Murray Darling Basin Plan, which is a series of papers addressing the key themes of\n\tthe 2024 Early Insights paper using the recently published “Triple Crown of Water Reform Framework”<\/em> to highlight possible next\n\tsteps for the Basin Plan.  We hope to help forge a future pathway that embraces the paradigm shift needed for the Basin that is more\n\tabout a 'plan of management' than the current ‘water recovery plan’ focus.  The review addresses; regulatory design, sustainable water limits, climate change, environment, agriculture and community and contemporary issues.   
\n\tWe encourage stakeholders to reach out to discuss these papers, the evidence, our findings and recommendations. ", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/908\/Picture2.png", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/policy\/murray-darling-basin-plan\/2026-basin-plan-review\/moving-forward-our-review-of-the-murray-darling-basin-plan\/", "post_date": "2025-09-25 14:00:00" }, { "post_id": "905", "post_category_id": "405", "post_title": "NIC opinion in Irrigation Australia Limited Spring Journal", "post_content_short": "Irrigation Australia Limited's Spring Journal features our CEO, Zara Lowien's comments on the 2025 Basin Plan Evaluation (on page 32-35) indicating there were plenty of first the MDBA's 'game changing' 2025 evaluation but what does it mean for the irrigation industry.  Zara highlighted the opportunity before Minister Watt has to work collaboratively with communities and industry on a much-needed reset, that\nlooks to refocus the Basin Plan on outcomes rather than numbers. ", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/905\/Comment.png", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/issuu.com\/irrigationaustralia\/docs\/spring_journal_2025", "post_date": "2025-09-09 14:00:00" }, { "post_id": "904", "post_category_id": "417", "post_title": "Breaking the Hydro-illogical cycle", "post_content_short": "Australian Farm Institute, Executive Director Katie McRobert says "Much of Australia’s agricultural policy is caught in a loop. When a\ncrisis erupts – be it drought, market disruption, or community outrage – political and media attention surges. Decisions are demanded,\nheadlines written, levers pulled. But as the immediate threat subsides, so too does the will to implement lasting solutions...This edition of the Farm Policy Journal explores that cycle – and asks what we can do to break it. ....The opening article by Christine Freak and\nZara Lowien<\/strong> examines the long and often reactive trajectory of water policy reform in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB)...[They] offer offer an original\ncontribution to this challenge in the form of the Triple Crown of Water Reform Framework, which conceptualises reform as a three-pronged\neffort: water-sharing (Flows), watermanagement (Functions), and integrated resource initiatives (Further)."", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/904\/Member-new-resource.png", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.farminstitute.org.au\/product\/vol-22-no-2-2025-breaking-the-hydro-illogical-cycle\/", "post_date": "2025-09-08 14:00:00" }, { "post_id": "892", "post_category_id": "415", "post_title": "NIC Submission on the WESA Review", "post_content_short": "We have just put in our submission for the third Water for Environment Special Account (WESA) review - take a look.\n

\n\tOur key recommendation: "The Independent Panel take a broad view to examine the policy settings and decision-making on the use of\n\tWESA funds to achieve enhanced environmental outcomes with consideration of socio-economic impact - to ensure WESA can be used\n\ttransparently to target priority environmental investments. We encourage you to explore the option to amend the WESA to ensure it can be\n\tused transparently to target priority environmental investments such as community-supported constraints measures and investment in non-flow\n\tcomplementary measures as evidence within the 2025 Basin Plan Evaluation and Sustainable Rivers Audit."<\/em>\n\n

Thank you to our members who have contributed to this piece of work, and taking the time to provide feedback. \n
", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/892\/Submission.png", "post_content_type": "file", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/892\/20250808_NIC-Submission_WESA-3rd-Review-FINAL.pdf", "post_date": "2025-08-08 05:45:00" }, { "post_id": "890", "post_category_id": "415", "post_title": "MDBA River Reflections Conference REPLAY", "post_content_short": "If there's one video those working in water must watch this year, it's this - Professor Forest Reinhardt from Harvard Business School talking to Andrew McConville at this years River Reflections Conference on water property rights<\/strong> (watch from 45 minutes\ninto Day 1). 
\n
\nLet us know your favourite quotes!
\n
\nOne of our favourites (1hr 18mins in) - in response to a question on what a future Basin Plan should look like: "If the subsequent\nversions of the Basin Plan, can make water more and more like a normal commodity... just as if you own a piece of land... I think\nthat the more you can make water rights look like normal property rights, the more effective the system will be. I come from a country\nwhere we can't even get to the starting line of that kind of thing."<\/em>
\n
\n
", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/890\/Member-new-resource.png", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.mdba.gov.au\/news-and-events\/conferences\/2025-river-reflections-conference\/live-stream-videos", "post_date": "2025-08-07 14:00:00" }, { "post_id": "887", "post_category_id": "405", "post_title": "MDBA declares ‘game changing’ positive results for the Basin but sends a wakeup call- we need to move beyond just adding more wa", "post_content_short": "Today’s publication of the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s (MDBA) 2025 Basin Plan Evaluation and Sustainable Rivers Audit has found the\n\thealth of the Basin has improved, advising that “water for the environment is essential, but on its own is likely not sufficient<\/em>”\n\t[MDBA Overview]<\/a>...  The National Irrigators’ Council has described many parts of the Evaluation as refreshing and\n\ta wakeup call needed to shape thinking in the Basin going forward and is calling for more quick thinking on how to determine and prioritise\n\ta package of strategic environmental investments in these complementary (non-flow) measures to inform next steps on the Basin Plan, given\n\tthe Evaluation found this as a missing piece of the current Plan puzzle.  [...]\n", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/887\/Media-Release.png", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/news\/media-releases\/mdba-declares-game-changing-positive-results-for-the-basin-but-sends-the-clear-message-its-time-to-shift-from-just-adding-water\/", "post_date": "2025-07-23 14:00:00" }, { "post_id": "886", "post_category_id": "405", "post_title": "Basin communities fear being overlooked in upcoming Evaluation", "post_content_short": "Basin communities fear socio-economic impact assessments soon to be released by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) will water down\nthe true impact, overlooking community and industry-level data, in their Basin-scale assessment. “Basin Plan legislation requires 5-yeraly\nEvaluations, but at a Basin-scale”, said Zara Lowien, National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) CEO, “we know the most severe impacts are felt at a\nlocal community level, and within specific industries, but these impacts get smoothed out when the assessment zooms to the Basin-scale.”  [...]", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/886\/Media-Release.png", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/news\/media-releases\/basin-commuities-fear-being-overlooked-in-upcmoing-evaluation\/", "post_date": "2025-07-22 14:00:00" }, { "post_id": "885", "post_category_id": "407", "post_title": "Reliability of Water Access Entitlements", "post_content_short": "\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tNIC Members agreed to a specific Position Statement on the reliability of water access entitlements to provide a clear message to\n\t\t\tGovernments on how decisions impact water property rights, as represented and agreed in the National Water Initiative.
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tThis position statement was prepared in conjunction with our guiding principles.
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tApproved 17 July 2025.\n\t\t<\/td>\n\t<\/tr>\n<\/table>", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/885\/Policy-Position-icon.png", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/policy\/position-statement\/reliability-of-water-access-entitlements\/", "post_date": "2025-07-20 14:00:00" }, { "post_id": "862", "post_category_id": "405", "post_title": "New Government, New Leaders, New Opportunities", "post_content_short": "14th May 2025, Canberra, ACT: The National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) congratulates Murray Watt on his appointment as the Minister for the\nEnvironment and Water, saying this is an opportunity for new leadership to put policy above politics and partnerships over partisanship. “Until recently, water management in Australia has had a long history of bipartisanship across politics.  We hope under new leadership... we can see a return to respectful and constructive water policy solutions, that can once again rise above politics,” said NIC\nCEO, Zara Lowien. [...]", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/862\/Media-Release.png", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/news\/media-releases\/new-government-new-leaders-new-opportunities\/", "post_date": "2025-05-14 01:08:00" }, { "post_id": "850", "post_category_id": "416", "post_title": "New Exposure Regulations Water Markets Intermediaries Code", "post_content_short": "DCCEEW today released the Exposure Draft of the Water Markets Intermediaries Code (the Code) and an Overview of the draft are now available\nfor consultation.  On this page you will be able to submit your feedback on the Exposure Draft. The consultation will be open until\n11.59pm on Sunday 6 April 2025.  The Exposure Draft incorporates feedback from the Policy Position Paper consultation in\nNovember-December 2024.", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/850\/dcceew.jpg", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/consult.dcceew.gov.au\/water-markets-intermediaries-code-exposure-draft-consultation", "post_date": "2025-03-07 06:28:00" }, { "post_id": "849", "post_category_id": "416", "post_title": "New Water Market Intermediaries Trust Accounting and Code Exemptions Paper", "post_content_short": "DCCEEW today released their Final policy position paper on the water market intermediaries trust accounting and code exemptions, the final\nposition to inform the future exposure regulations. 
\n
\nWe will review this with interest given the concerns raised regarding the likely impacts and expectations on some intermediaries. ", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/849\/dcceew.jpg", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.dcceew.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/trust-accounting-code-consultation-paper.pdf", "post_date": "2025-03-07 06:22:00" }, { "post_id": "843", "post_category_id": "405", "post_title": "Irrigators question recent efforts to consider socio-economic impacts of buybacks", "post_content_short": "Irrigators call out Minister Plibersek’s decision to sign off on purchasing another 100 GL of water in the southern Basin with questionable\n\tprocurement processes and deliberately narrow evidence to support the decision.\n\n

“The advice before the Minister to inform the decision is flawed,” said Zara Lowien, CEO of National Irrigators’ Council. [...]", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/843\/Media-Release.png", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/news\/media-releases\/irrigators-question-recent-efforts-to-consider-socio-economic-impacts-of-buybacks\/", "post_date": "2025-02-24 21:07:00" }, { "post_id": "840", "post_category_id": "405", "post_title": "Auditor General report of buybacks shows a well-paved road, but to where?", "post_content_short": "The release of the Auditor General’s report of the Federal Government’s water buybacks finds the Government implemented a well-paved road\n\tof effective process but struggled to find the link between the buyback program and the intended policy objectives for the Murray Darling\n\tBasin Plan.  \n\n

\n\t“Many will glance at the key findings of effective process and give the Government a pat on the back, but the devil is in the detail when\n\tthe report goes on to question the link between the buyback program and the intended policy objectives for the environment” said National\n\tIrrigators’ Council CEO, Ms Lowien [...]\n\n

<\/a>", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/840\/Media-Release.png", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/news\/media-releases\/auditor-general-report-of-buybacks-shows-a-well-paved-road-but-to-where\/", "post_date": "2025-02-18 22:39:00" }, { "post_id": "838", "post_category_id": "416", "post_title": "Audit Office Review of Strategic Purchases", "post_content_short": "Minister Plibersek tabled the Australia Audit Office's review of the 2023 Strategic Purchases for Bridging the Gap, which you may recall the Inspector General recently found flaws in governance and managing conflicts. 
\n
\nThe report identified steps were taken to address earlier deficiencies and that processes stacked up.  What was interesting to read in\nthe detail were questions and recommendations about the purpose of these purchases towards the overall policy outcomes, which you will hear\nmore from NIC about this area ", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/838\/Audit-Office.png", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.anao.gov.au\/work\/performance-audit\/strategic-water-purchasing-bridging-the-gap-2023", "post_date": "2025-02-12 05:43:00" }, { "post_id": "820", "post_category_id": "406", "post_title": "NIC submission on Water Markets Intermediaries Code and Statutory Trust Accounts Policy Position Paper", "post_content_short": "NIC today lodged their submission to DCCEEW on the Water Market reform - Intermediaries Code and Statutory Trust Account Policy Position\npaper with an overarching concern that the regulatory burden of this reform, particularly given its scale and pace. We are also\nconcerned that the reform is going too far, and is becoming disproportionate to the problem at hand, and the size and extent of water\nmarkets. While market integrity, transparency and good governance are important – there is enormous risk of not striking the right balance\nfor a proportionate policy response […]", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/820\/Submission.png", "post_content_type": "file", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/820\/NIC-submission-letter-on-Intermedaries-Code-December-2024_Redacted.pdf", "post_date": "2024-12-16 00:36:00" }, { "post_id": "816", "post_category_id": "405", "post_title": "NIC thanks former MDBA Chair for his leadership", "post_content_short": "National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) expressed its sincere gratitude to Sir Angus Houston, who has led the MDBA since 2020. Under Sir Angus'\n\tleadership, significant progress has been made in fostering better relationships with communities across the Basin, prioritising\n\ttransparency, and restoring trust in the management of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
\n\t"Sir Angus Houston's dedication to listening to Basin communities and his focus on repairing relationships and trust have been crucial\n\tduring a period of significant uncertainty and challenge," said Zara Lowien, CEO of NIC.[...]\n", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/816\/Media-Release.png", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/news\/media-releases\/nic-thanks-former-mdba-chair-for-his-leadership\/", "post_date": "2024-12-13 01:04:00" }, { "post_id": "818", "post_category_id": "416", "post_title": "IGWC releases compliance report 22-23", "post_content_short": "The Inspector General this week released their 2022-2023 Murray Darling Basin\nCompliance Report. <\/a> The\nreport states that "this compliance performance report provides a sample of common compliance activities metrics for each Basin State\nwhich will be incorporated into progressively broader reporting under a Basin-wide compliance performance reporting scheme. It is also\nanticipated that future reporting on compliance activities will be at the water resource plan level."  
\nThe report provides an overview of the different approaches and outcomes to compliance in each of the Basin States. NSW reported licence\nholder numbers not metered percentage  (with a target of 95% underway), SA reported 98.2% of take was metered, Queensland report 74% of take was metered, in Victoria 98% was metered (and 76% telemetered), no details for ACT.  Victoria has the largest number of statutory officers, despite have the highest percentage of telemetered meters.  Victoria also had the highest number of\ninvestigations open and closed and warnings, whereas SA had the highest number and greatest value of fines.", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/818\/IGWC.png", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.igwc.gov.au\/publications\/reviews-reports", "post_date": "2024-12-11 05:00:00" }, { "post_id": "813", "post_category_id": "405", "post_title": "Economic boost welcomed but will fall short of damage done", "post_content_short": "<\/strong>The announcement of $160 million for Southern NSW communities targeted by Government water buybacks for an additional 450\nGL, is welcomed by the National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) but they warn, it will not make up for the damage.  “Removing water from\nagriculture has enormous flow-on impacts throughout communities, which cannot simply be patched up with one-off handouts,” said NIC CEO,\nZara Lowien. [...]", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/813\/Media-Release.png", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/news\/media-releases\/economic-boost-welcomed-but-will-fall-short-of-damage-done\/", "post_date": "2024-12-08 23:14:00" }, { "post_id": "809", "post_category_id": "406", "post_title": "IGWC Northern Toolkit Inquiry", "post_content_short": "Check out our final submission into the Inspector General of Water Compliance Inquiry into the Northern Basin Toolkit. 
\n
\nThe Toolkit was a multi-pronged solution developed through the Northern Basin Review to recommit government to existing requirements\n(Bridging the Gap requirements), fund a series of investments over-and-above the Murray Darling Basin Plan assumptions and existing levers of just adding water, enhance environmental outcomes and minimise socio-economic impacts.  The Toolkit was the Government's initial\ninvestment into complementary measures. 
\n
\nAs with many of the Murray Darling Basin Plan elements, it has lacked transparency and accountability, which should be improved in future\nprogram development.  The Toolkit highlights a number of great outcomes when investment is provided to optimising environmental water delivery and environmental outcomes. ", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/809\/Submission.png", "post_content_type": "file", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.irrigators.org.au\/media\/website_posts\/809\/NIC-Submission-IGWC-Nothern-Toolkit-Inquiry-Nov-2024.pdf", "post_date": "2024-11-29 04:55:00" } ]