NATIONAL IRRIGATORS’ COUNCIL
Advocating for the Australian irrigated agriculture industry
The Productivity Commission has updated a FAQ document to be clear on the definition of 'water services' and whether or not the inquiry will consider the NWA.
Following last week's Member Policy discussion, a Draft Position Statement on Climate Uncertainty is available for review and feedback. Feedback
is welcome by Friday 10th April. We intend to finalise this Position Statement at our April General Meeting.
REMINDER - the Blue box is the text that is agreed or voted on by Members and should be the focus of feedback. The remaining text is
background and can be updated as needed with new information without Member approval.
Following feedback and discussion, we have updated the Basin Plan snapshot document to include climate as well as, more detail on the Basin Plan 2.0 and 1.0.
Visit the Members Area to see the web version of the attached PDF.
The Productivity Commission has released the terms of reference for the tree-yearly review into National Water Reform - this inquiry is into
the National Water Initiative and its progress. The review also includes terms to look at urban water infrastructure and pricing, and
thus presents an opportunity to raise concerns with bulk water infrastructure and pricing. This is a tight timeframe, with a two-step
process for an initial submission and a final submission deadline, which is similar to the usual process, it will mean we will not see a draft report rather an initial summary. The intention is this information is available to the Minister prior to the end of 2026, to
help inform the legislative program for 2027.
NIC has requested a direct meeting with the inquiry team and we will let you know when.
Part 3 of our Submission to the MDBA's Basin Plan Review Discussion paper is the full list of MDBA options, our NIC response and our own options. This is available as a stand alone document.
The first draft of our NIC Submission to the MDBA's Basin Plan Review Discussion Paper is now available. Attached is the one document,
which includes a brief one-pager on the review. The one-pager is designed as a stand alone document for decision makers, and hence its
language is tailored accordingly. The options table is also available separately on the Members Page.
Feedback is welcomed, and I note we haven't specifically discussed northern connectivity or Menindee yet as a Membership group which will
further shape this submission (although we anticipate a separate submission for Menindee Review). We will have a Specific Member Drop
in session scheduled for this in coming weeks, to give you time to read through the submission. The submission has been written to
provide an overarching key recommendations, with a number of specific recommendations within the report - the key list is the option table
in Part 3. We aimed to have it structured to allow, local views and regional examples, to be provided.
The NIC team have uploaded and embedded a "live document" to help inform our submission development. This includes overview of issues, SDL assessment and technical issues, options analysis.
The approach aims to be transparent with the key issues for the BP Review, proposed solutions and actions. The document will be updated as
we progress through our analysis adn thinking.
The MDBA options from the discussion paper, are also presented with draft comments outlining our potential responses for the submission. In
the options tab, we have also included previously recommended NIC positions for reference.
This week, the statutory review of the Water Act 2007 (Cth) commenced. You can read the Terms of Reference and an Introductory Paper on the DCCEEW website. Consultation is now underway until July. We will discuss more at our next member drop-in session.
Following the Member policy discussion on 25 February, please see the slides from this meeting. Key discussion points were reaffirming our positions, providing insights into our work program including our journal article on evidence to priorisation for the Basin Plan next steps a follow on from our triple crown framework, as well as our engagement and communications planing -internal and external.
The NIC provided a written, public submission into the Review into the Inspector General Water Compliance saying: "Reviewing how the role is functioning towards these key principles is paramount as the new role matures over time, to ensure that these principles are being met, but also that this is occurring in an effective, efficient, fit-for-purpose and proportional manner. Nothing in this submission is to question or belittle the importance of these principles – rather – to examine how they can be most effectively and efficiently served."
The NIC General Meeting is rescheduled to be on 23 April 2026, replacing the planned trip to the SA Riverland. This regional visit will be scheduled next year.
A working draft of our proposed submission to the Independent Review of the Inspector General of Water Compliance, is available here. During
this weeks Policy Discussion, feedback was received but not yet fully incorporated. This is at the end of the submission and will be
incorporated next week.
Please review the working draft and provide any feedback to Christine by the end of next week, a further draft will then be circulated prior
to finalising for submission on 25 February 2026.
NIC team have prepared an updated briefing note for Members on the MDBA Discussion Paper and provided some guidance on key areas to question
from the MDBA during consultation roundtables next week.
Consideration of additional messages is underway, pending feedback following the consultation sessions.
The powerpoint slides from the 11 February NIC Member Policy Discussion on the Review of the Inspector General of Water Compliance role and the initial analysis of the Basin Plan Review Discussion paper are available here.
As part of Basin Plan Review communication and information sharing, our first of our weekly Q&A sessions were held today. These
session are held every Tuesday at 1pm. See attached the slides.
Question and themes asked, will be generated into the live issues list and discussed in Policy Sessions, as scheduled every second
Wednesday.
The MDBA has been working with River Murray governments to collate and prepare background information on the historical and current operation and management arrangements for Menindee Lakes and the associated challenges and opportunities in operating and managing the Menindee Lakes into the future. A technical review and issues paper have been released for information to inform the Basin Plan Review.
Legalwise is again holding their annual Water Law Symposium in Sydney.
As water law continues to evolve in response to environmental challenges, policy reform and heightened regulatory scrutiny, secure expert
guidance on key legal and strategic issues shaping Australia’s water governance framework. You will gain insights into the lessons of
the past decade in water reform, the intersection of Indigenous rights and governance, and the design of the Basin Plan Review.
A brief snapshot of the MDBA's Basin Plan Review discussion paper is available on the Members webpage.
A more detailed brief will be prepared for your information.
A first look at the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s Basin Plan Review discussion paper, reveals again that more is needed than “just adding water” to improve the environments of the Basin. “The discussion paper should serve as an important wake up call to the Federal Government who continue to use old tools, for today’s challenges”, said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien.[...]
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
week.
A link on these webinars is not yet available on their website but is available by clicking here.
We have set up a new Members only page on our website with all the information you need on the Basin Plan Review.
Reminder, you will need to have set up your Member sign in to access the page and all the information.
The Department are reviewing the role of the Inspector-General of Water Compliance, to ensure it continues to add value to the management
of the Murray Darling Basin.
This review is a requirement of the Water Act 2007 and must be completed by 30 June 2026.
Independent reviewers have been appointed. A survey and or submissions are due by 25 February 2026.
The NIC Board are wanting to undertake a mid-term review of the performance and value of NIC, since the adoption of the new Strategic Plan
and membership changes. To inform this process, the Board are seeking views from Members and other targeted stakeholders on NIC performance, and how we represent the industry to Members and external stakeholders.
A brief survey has been set up providing you and your organisation an opportunity to provide input and feedback to the Board. It should take up to 10 minutes depending on your desired level of input. The Survey will be open until 6th February 2026.
As always, please feel free to reach out to any of the Directors or Zara with feedback and input.
“Today’s announcement is just smoke and mirrors by the Albanese Government,” said National Irrigators’ Council CEO, Zara Lowien. “Listing these areas [parts of Murray Basin floodplain] only adds complexity, creates uncertainty for new developments, overlooks the progress of the Basin Plan and offers no new solutions.” [...]
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.
On the 12th December, a national Water Minister's meeting and Murray Darling Basin Water Minister's meeting were held - these are known as MinCo meetings.
The national meeting, discussed the preparation and next steps of a renewed National Water Initiative and progress on water efficiency standards, as well as, risks pertaining to increased demands on water including water for data centres (in our view any new demands for
water should be found from new sources, or through existing markets). The communique is available here.
The MDB meeting, discussed progress on the Basin Plan and concerns regarding SDLAM projects. There was no direction mention of constraints,
however some discussion on a strategic approach to SDLAM projects. The communiqué is available here.
On 9 December 2025, DCCEEW held a webinar about progress on implementing the Basin Plan.
If you missed it, you can now see the recording / transcript on their website.
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