NATIONAL IRRIGATORS’ COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASES

Advocating for the Australian irrigated agriculture industry

National Irrigator's Council has launched a new free monthly newsletter called 'The Current'. 

Why the name? Because current is what we’re all about: water, current affairs, and staying ahead of the flow. And right now, a lot is moving — the Basin Plan and Water Act reviews, water security, and the future of the communities that grow our food and fibre. 'The Current' is our way of cutting through the noise: the news, insights and connections that matter, delivered straight to your inbox.  Sign up on our 'Contact Us' page. 

Thank you to those Members who participated in our Policy Session on Wednesday and provided input into SDLAM submission, and to those that provided direct tracked changed. The NIC team has updated the SDLAM Reconciliation Draft Determination submission with the FINAL version now available to Members. This will be lodged prior to 1 November 2026. 

NIC team have prepared the attached draft SDLAM submission for review by Members. We re-scheduled the drop in session, to Wednesday 28th October to be used as an opportunity to discuss the submission and relevant issues online.  Alterntaively, we welcome tracked changes to the document.  The slides from the General Meeting are useful background to this submission. 

Feedback is due no later than Thursday, 29th October as submissions are due 1 October.

NIC has set up a dedicated Member Area section for our Advocacy Roadmap materials.  The first focus campaign page - Growing Australia:Moving Forward, Together that details the messaging and asks for the Water Act and Basin Plan under its time to move beyond "just adding water"  is starting to be built.  Please note the full message house and draft Basin RiverCare brochure is now available to view. 

The NIC have prepared a background 'Certinaty Uncertain: A report on water security with a variable and changing climate in the Murray Darling Basin'  to support our recently Member approved Climate Resilience and Water Security Position Statement.

We will be releasing this in early November, to lean into the many pre-meetings prior to the 2026 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP31) in Türkiye from November 9. To do do, we are accepting FINAL feedback no later than 29th October 2026 and the earlier the better. 

As requested, the slides from our Annual General Meeting and General Meeting, including the content on SDLAM and the Advocacy Roadmap are available in the meeting documents page of the Members Area. 

We will notify members when the minutes are available. 

Irrigators say just 23 per cent of the 37,828 gigalitres of average inflows into the Murray-Darling Basin’s rivers and storages each year is being diverted for human use, with 77 per cent left in rivers, wetlands, and flood plains to support the environment.

The National Irrigators Council analysis of national water accounts, compiled by the Bureau of Meteorology from 2011 to 2025, show consumptive use has declined since the Basin plan was signed into law in 2012, when 28 per cent of the water was diverted by towns, agriculture and other industries.

“With more than three-quarters of the Basin’s available water remaining in rivers, the focus must shift from simply recovering more water to addressing the threats that are holding back river health,” NIC chief executive Zara Lowien said. (Source: The Weekly Times, by Peter Hunt)

A new report by National Irrigators’ Council launched for National Water Week, has found that just 23% of the total water available in the Murray-Darling Basin is diverted for human use, while 77% remains non-diverted and in rivers.

“Water is life – supporting healthy rivers, productive farms and strong communities. This National Water Week, it's important we recognise how much the Basin has changed and what that means for its future,” said National Irrigators' Council CEO Zara Lowien. [...]

NIC has asked the question - how much water is actually used in the Murray-Darling Basin? After 30 years of reforms to rebalance. This key piece of information is needed to understand and review water management in the MDB, to understands where that balance is now - between water diverted for human uses, and water not-diverted to remain in rivers. This goes to the original purpose of the Basin Plan.

The Report’s key finding is clear: just 23% of available water is diverted for human uses, leaving 77% in rivers, wetlands, and floodplains to support the environment.

A draft Murray-Darling Basin report shows a massive water efficiency project will fall short of its target.

The federal government has not ruled out more water buybacks to try to deliver the water it promised for the environment.

Irrigators say further water buybacks would be devastating for agriculture and basin communities. (Source: ABC News, photo by Callum Flinn)

Basin communities have responded to the Water Amendment (Ending Further Murray-Darling Basin Water buybacks) Bill 2026 introduced in parliament today, saying “it’s time to move beyond ‘just adding water’”. 

“The science is clear, restoring the remaining environmental challenges in the Basin cannot be solved by “just adding water””, said CEO of National Irrigators' Council, Zara Lowien.

NIC Members agreed to a Menindee Lakes Position Statement following on-going work program of reviews into Menindee Lakes.

This position statement was prepared in conjunction with our Position Statement on Reliability of Water Access Entitlements and our guiding principles. 

Approved14 October 2026.

NIC Members agreed to a Climate Resilience and Water Security Position Statement following on-going work program into climate risk, and water security for Australia as part of the Murray Darling Basin Plan and Water Act review.

This position statement was prepared in conjunction with our Position Statement on Reliability of Water Access Entitlements, Position Statement on the Murray Darling Basin Plan and our guiding principles. 

Approved14 October 2026.

The MDBA has now provided an update following the SDLAM draft determination (following a meeting with NIC), which compares the supply contribution amounts assumed in the 2017 determination with the proposed supply contribution amounts assessed through the 2026 reconciliation.

The current draft agenda and associated meeting papers are now available for our General Meeting, over the afternoon of 13th October and the morning of 14th October 2026.

Gusts confirmed include the Hon. Murray Watt, Minister for the Environment and Water, David Farley,MP the Member for Farrer and One Nation spokesperson for water and agriculture, and the Hon. Micahel McCormack, MP Member for Riverina and Shadow Minister for Water. 

Please do not forget to RSVP in person or online via the event link. 

The updated Agenda and Meeting Papers are now available for the NIC Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 13th October 2026.

These can be accessed via the Members Area of the website under Meeting Document/Annual General Meeting information.  Reminder you will need to log in to access this area. 

Please do not forget to RSVP - in person or online.

The MDBA has released the draft determination for the SDLAM reconcilation. The NIC team have prepared a briefing note, on the implications of this determination as a first response, with a few key messages.  We have asked the MDBA to provide this as part of the consultation materials.

A session at the General Meeting has been scheduled to discuss project alternatives to provide a solution to the SDLAM shortfall.  

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