NEWS & EVENTS

Economic boost welcomed but will fall short of damage done
9 Dec

The announcement of $160 million for Southern NSW communities targeted by Government water buybacks for an additional 450 GL, is welcomed by the National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) but they warn, it will not make up for the damage.  “Removing water from agriculture has enormous flow-on impacts throughout communities, which cannot simply be patched up with one-off handouts,” said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien. [...] Read More…

Did you know?
15 Nov

Today is a great day to celebrate that 93% of Australia's fruit, nuts and grapes together with 83% of our vegetables are all grown by irrigation.

Every day, is  great day to support Aussie Farmers and buy Australian grown fruit, nuts and vegetables. 

#AgDayAU celebrating that Aussie farmers grow more crop per drop
15 Nov

15 November is National Ag Day, a day to celebrate the amazing work our farmers and the broader agricultural industry do for Australia.  Australian irrigators are recognised as the most water efficient in the world, growing more crop per drop than many of our international counterparts.

100% of Australia's rice is irrigated, and is world leading using 50% less than the global average [DAFF]. 

85% of Australia's cotton crop on average is irrigated, the cotton industry has increased its water use efficiency by 240% since the first crop in the 1970's [DAFF]

Much a do about nothing
12 Nov

Irrigators’ have called out Minister Plibersek’s announcement of having ‘1000 willing sellers towards’ the Commonwealth’s tender to buy water for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, as a political stunt on the day of Senate Estimates.
“The last time Minister Plibersek announced a buyback tender round had been over-subscribed, the Government later rejected 72% of the offers contracting only a small proportion of the reported offers (26 GL out of 90 GL), mostly due to value for money concerns,” said Zara Lowien, CEO of the National Irrigators’ Council. [...] Read More…

Watering down of our national water blueprint
31 Oct

National Irrigators' Council CEO, Zara Lowien writes "after decades of difficult reforms implementing Australia's best-practice water management blueprint - the National Water Initiative (NWI) - the federal government is negotiating to water it down, in the National Water Agreement (NWA).

If the NWI is the architecturally designed blueprint, the NWA is the flatpack version with unclear instructions and a few missing pieces"... Read More…

Irrigation Australia Media Release: Murray system reaches full allocation before spring making river operators and landholders ‘
11 Aug '22

Kitler Rural Media Release: Kilter Rural CEO Cullen Gunn talks water returns on ausbiz
9 Aug '22

Read More…

Cotton Australia Media Release: Cotton industry’s new framework to help farmers improve soil health
8 Aug '22

Read More…