The National Irrigators’ Council has welcomed the launch this week of the River Reach trial program of water trading.

NIC CEO,Tom Chesson says that the trial provides an option for the acquisition of water without the economic damage that can be caused by indiscriminate purchases.

“River Reach is a project that was designed by the irrigation sector to assist the Commonwealth to achieve its goal of more environmental water. Unlike other purchasing options, River Reach gives the opportunity for irrigation farmers to buy or sell part of their entitlement whilst retaining the balance for efficient production.

“In that way, everybody wins –the farmer keeps his most productive water which keeps the farm operating, keeps the local community intact and the local economy ticking over.

“The National Irrigators’ Council has been following this project for some time now and we’re delighted to see the trial phase launched. We encourage all water access entitlement holders across the Southern Murray Darling Basin to check out the trial (www.riverreach.com.au) to see if the product can work for them –as either a buyer or seller.

“We’ve been asking the Commonwealth for a long time to get smart about their water acquisition programs. We congratulate them for their support to date of River Reach and look forward to seeing that support continue.”

Full details are available at www.riverreach.com.au

Media Contact: Tom Chesson 0418 415597