NATIONAL IRRIGATORS’ COUNCIL
POLICY
Advocating for the Australian irrigated agriculture industry
NATIONAL IRRIGATORS’ COUNCIL
Advocating for the Australian irrigated agriculture industry
National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) policy is determined by Members and underpinned by our Policy Principles and our Mission and Values within our Strategic Plan.
Our public policy work covers five main portfolios of work:
Policy Position Statements can be established for specific issues when it is determined a more specific and detailed position is required on an issue. Members can determine that specific issues may require a unique Policy Position. Position Statements are clear, concise formal position on Public Policy Positions. Members and staff determine what issues require Position Statements and these are developed through discussion and deliberation of Members, who vote during General Meetings or Special General Meetings throughout the year.
The Member determined Policy Principles and Position Statement form the basis of our advocacy work and participating in inquiries and consultation processes. Members help design and craft these documents throughout the year as needed.
Enhance and protect water property rights without altering the characteristics.
Utilise market mechanisms to ensure no negative third-party impacts on water reliability or availability; compensate or mitigate any impacts by negotiation with affected parties.
Governments must effectively engage industry in policy development and implementation.
Fair and equitable policy must share risks and opportunities among all stakeholders not just water users, ensuring a balance.
Developed in house, by the National Irrigators’ Council (NIC), this document is intended to cover the expectations and commitments of our industry (and the people and communities we represent), but we believe these extend to all stakeholders. We welcome all stakeholders sharing this Guideline.
This Guideline is based on the guidance provided by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), including the IAP2 core values, code of ethics, public participation spectrum, and quality assurance standard. This scorecard is based on the IAP2 Evaluation Framework.
This Guideline has been developed in the context of considerable challenges faced by stakeholders in public consultation on water policy, leading to reform and consultation fatigue. We have been concerned that Government agencies have misinterpreted this fatigue as – ‘stakeholders don’t want to be consulted’ – which is not correct.
Stakeholders do want to be consulted, and must be, in the important and critical matters of water policy decision-making. But – this needs to be done well. Stakeholders rarely mind being involved in consultation if they agree with the problem-definition and feel part of working towards the solution. The frustration and fatigue comes from feeling consultation is not genuine, input is not valued, we are not empowered to affect change, disagreement with the problem-definition, feel time and resources are wasted with pre-determined outcomes or proposals that lack rigour, or poorly designed and rushed processes.
We hope that this Guideline provides a resource for government agencies, decision makers, and other stakeholders to communicate what is meant by “good consultation”.
Ultimately, good consultation is in the interests of everyone, as part of the process to better decisions.
Consultation is not a curtesy - its a responsibility
Our public policy work falls into five main categories, to find our more about positions specific to these portfolios and background information you can visit the portfolio page. NOTE - all positions are currently under audit and review, to prepare new formats and may not be available.
Positions Statement Available on: Reliability fo Water Access Entitlements.
Position Statements Available on:
Murray Darling Basin Plan
Constraints
SDLAM Reconciliation
Policy Positions under review
Policy Positions under review
Position Statements Available on: Enabling Cultural Objectives in Water Management
As a National body, our work is focussed on national water policy. National Irrigators' Council prepares Federal Election platform documents for engagement with all Parties and Independents, prior to and during a Federal Election Campaign.
Our Federal Election platforms cut across all of our Policy Portfolios.
A Federal Election is due to be called by May 2025 to allow for enough time for an election of the House of Representatives and the Senate (with half the Senate Members positions due to expire on 30 June 2024).
Members have been working on the 2025 Federal Election and it will be due for release shortly.
This submission is provided to the Productivity Commission’s (PC) fourth inquiry on governments’ progress under the National Water Initiative (NWI), as required by the Water Act 2007 (Cth). NIC notes that this inquiry comes at a time of significant review, and potential change, of water policy settings across Australia, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB). The consultation burden affects stakeholders and Government.
This submission is provided to the review of the operation and management of the Menindee Lakes system. Many of our Members are critically linked into the frameworks and operations of Menindee Lakes via existing sharing arrangements through the Murray Darling Agreement or local sharing plans - above and below the Lakes. This submission therefore represents the views of irrigation entitlement holders and water users, and non-government water delivery networks, up and downstream of the Lakes.
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."
Find out more about our community, and join our mission advocating for the Australian irrigated
agriculture industry.