Advocating for the Australian irrigated agriculture industries.
Office Closure
We're taking a short break to refuel and get ready for 2026.
The NIC Office will be closed from Monday, 22nd December 2025 until Monday 5th January 2026.
Analysis finds Governments additional water buyback spree is flawed
NIC report reviewed the Federal Government’s purchases and found most have low environmental utility and cannot directly contribute to today’s environmental priorities in the Basin – despite costing taxpayers billions.“These additional water buybacks go beyond what was required to ‘bridge the gap’ to get Sustainable Diversion Limits in place for the Basin Plan,” said NIC CEO Zara Lowien “most of this additional water will not be able to be used as intended and unlikely to contribute to desired environmental outcomes”. [...] Read More…
Basin Plan blowout continues as failed projects open gap in Southern MDB
The amount of water that can be used in the Southern Murray-Darling Basin may need to drop by a further 255 to 355 gigalitres (GL) after
2026, as States remain behind on vital environmental projects, a new report finds
“Water use has drastically declined since the Basin Plan,” said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien “with one in three litres of irrigation water, now out
of production and new Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDLs) set by the Basin Plan in force". [...]
Read More…
Water security for farming must be a focus
Farmers in the Basin are calling on the Federal Government to escalate water security for agriculture as a priority, following the findings
of the Basin Outlook, published today which echoed findings from the National Climate Risk Assessment.
“All climate change scenarios will have significant risks on water security for Australian agriculture,” said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien “farmers
are adapting every day to changing climate, but can only adapt so far, water security is critical” [...]
Read More…
WESA Outcome Review needed as $1.3 billion buyback blowout looms
The National Irrigators’ Council is calling for an independent review of program outcomes, after a statutory review on the Water for the
Environment Special Account (WESA) found an additional $1.3 billion would be needed to buy an additional 450 gigalitres, beyond what is
required to achieve Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDLs) in the Murray Darling Basin.
“The report findings call into question the Government focus on just water, with a $1.3 billion blowout, and their own science saying
priorities have shifted” said NIC CEO Zara Lowien [...]
Read More…
Applications soon close for the first cohort's of the ARLF and MDBA Murray-Darling Leadership Program (MDBLP). The program aims
to bring together people from across the Basin who are ready to work beyond their own interests and contribute to something shared —
including strengthening understanding of how the Basin’s water resources are managed and why they matter.
This is a leadership experience designed for people who care deeply about the future of the Basin and the communities, industries and water
dependent ecosystems it supports. To find our more - visit the webpage and lodge an expression of interest.
Read More…
New Basin Community Committee Members Wanted
The MDBA is seeking expression of interest applications for Basin Community Committee (BCC) Members that provide input to the MDBA on their activities.
New tenures and reappointments will begin in April 2027 for a 3-year term and nominations will undergo an extensive selection process
involving all Basin governments.
The Basin Community Committee, established under the Water Act 2007 (Cth), is chaired by Ms Rachel Kelly and includes
irrigation, environmental water and Indigenous water subcommittees.
Read More…
Integrating Basin-Scale and Onsite Water Systems Webinar
In One Basin CRC up-coming webinar series explores integrating Basin-scale and onsite water systems with a joint partnership with One Basin CRC and One Water Program at Texas A&M University in the United States. In response to increasing water scarcity, climate variability, and growing agricultural and municipal water demands, integrated “One Water” approaches are gaining global traction.Hear more at the Webinar Thursday, 21 May 2026, at 10:00am. Read More…
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The Pullman, O'Riordan St |
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Griffith, NSW |
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Griffith, NSW |
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Belvedere Resturant |
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Microsoft Teams Meeting |
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agriculture industry.