Policy
National Irrigators’ Council policy is determined by members and underpinned by our Guiding Principles and the objectives within our Strategic Plan. Key documents are progressed by the organisation through NIC’s sub-committees and ad hoc reference groups, following debate and resolution by members at three general meetings of Council throughout the year. These include policy and position statements, submissions to Government policy and inquiries and other initiatives
Federal Election
National Irrigators’ Council 2022 Election Platform Water & Energy Policy
National Irrigators Council 2019 Federal Election Water Policy
Ag Energy Taskforce 2019 Federal election policy
Strategic Plan
National Irrigators’ Council Strategic Plan 2021
Position Statements
- Climate and 2050 Policy
- Water Markets & Deliverability
- Drought Policy
- Constraints Management Strategy
- Entitlement Framework
- Environmental Benefits and Monitoring of Environmental Water including Water Quality, Baseline Data and Efficient use of Commonwealth Environmental Water
- Electricity
- Environmental Water Recovery
- Trading between Groundwater and Surface Water
- Northern Basin Review
- Murray Darling Basin Authority Institutional Arrangements
- Cultural Flows
- Water Shepherding
Key Messages Briefing Papers
Annual Reports
- 2020-2021 Annual Report
- 2019-20 AGM reports to members
- 2018-19 CEO report to members
- 2017-18 CEO report to members
- 2019 Annual Report
- 2015-16 Annual Report
- 2014-15 Annual Report
- 2013-14 Annual Report
Submissions 2021
- September 2021 – Register of Foreign Owned Water Entitlements
- August 2021 – Senate Rural & Regional Affairs Reference Committee Water Legislation Amendment(Inspector-General of Water Compliance and Other Measures)Act 2021
- June 2021 – Energy Security Board Post 2025 market design Options Paper
- March 2021 – Productivity Commission on National Water Reform.
- March 2021 – Productivity Commission on the Register of Foreign Owned Water.
Submissions 2020
- October 2020 – submission to Energy Security Board Post 2025 market design.
- October-2020 – NIC response to ACCC interim water markets report 2020.
- August 2020 – NIC submission to Productivity Commission national water reform review.
- June 2020 – submission to AEMC compensation for affected market participants rule change proposal.
- June 2020 – Ag Energy Taskforce submission to Technology Roadmap for energy.
- June 2020 – submission on NSW energy security target and safeguard discussion paper.
- May 2020 – submission to ARENA bioenergy roadmap.
- April 2020 – submission to the draft independent social and economic review of the Murray Darling Basin.
- February 2020 – NIC submission to the Senate select committee on the multi-jurisdictional management and implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
Submissions 2019
- December 2019 – submission to ACCC on draft guidelines for the Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct Act
- December 2019 – NIC letter to Basin Water Ministers
- December 2019 – submission to the review of the Water for the Environment Special Account
- November 2019 – submission to ACCC water markets inquiry
- September 2019 – Response to AEMC draft rule on Demand Response Mechanism
- July 2019 – Senate Standing Committee on Environment inquiry into Murray Darling Basin commission of inquiry bill 2019
- April 2019 – Submission to Senate Committee inquiry into Cotton Export Ban
- April 2019 – Ag Energy Taskforce submission to AEMC on Stand Alone Power Systems
- March 2019 – Ag Energy Taskforce submission to AEMC consideration of Wholesale Demand Response Mechanism
- March 2019 – Response to the Productivity Commission five year review of the Basin Plan
- March 2019 – submission to Senate Environment and Communications committee on Water Act (Purchase Limit Repeal) Bill 2019
Submissions 2018
- December 2018 – Ag Energy Taskforce submission to ACCC monitoring of electricity supply
- November 2018 – Murray Darling Basin Plan efficiency measures additional criteria discussion paper – submission to Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
- October 2018 – Regulated Australian Electricity Networks – Analysis of rate of return data published by the Australian Energy Regulator – Sapere Research Group
- September 2018 – NIC comment on ACCC collective bargaining class exemption discussion paper
- September 2018 – NIC response to draft Productivity Commission five year review of the Murray Darling Basin Plan
- July 2018 – Agriculture Industries Energy Taskforce research report Empowering irrigation consumers electricity purchase arrangements
- July 2018 – Agriculture Industries Energy Taskforce submission to ESB draft detailed design of the National Energy Guarantee
- July 2018 – Ag Industries Energy Taskforce submission to COAG Energy Council NEG detailed design Commonwealth elements paper
- June 2018 – Re. National and NSW Irrigators’ Council Submission to Fresh Food Pricing Inquriy
- May 2018 – AER Rate Of Return Guideline Process
- May 2018 – Submission to AER position paper on Profitability measures for network businesses
- April 2018 – Productivity Commission’s five year review of the Murray Darling Basin Plan
- April 2018 – House of Representatives Inquiry into the management and use of environmental water
- April 2018 – South Australian Royal Commission Murray Darling Basin Plan
- March 2018 – Agricultural Industries Energy Taskforce submission to the National Energy Guarantee design discussion paper
Submissions 2017
- Agriculture Industries Energy Taskforce AER Discussion paper Profitability measures for regulated gas and electricity network business
- Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Framework for Investing in Environmental Activities
- Agricultural Industries Energy Taskforce submission to COAG Energy Council consultation paper on consumer resourcing
- NIC comment on MDBA SDL adjustments assessment
- NIC response to Productivity Commission Interim report on National Water Reform
- National Irrigators Council submission to Senate Rural and Regional Affairs Committee
- Agricultural Industries Energy Task Force submission to ACCC Inquiry into electricity
- Agriculture Industries Energy Task Force Submission to House of Representatives Inquiry into Modernising the Electricity Grid
- Productivity Commission Inquiry into National Water Reform
- Submission to the House of Representatives’ Inquiry into water use efficiency in Australian agriculture
- Independent Review into the Future Security of the National Electricity Market (Finkel Review)
- Northern Basin Review – Proposed Basin Plan amendments
Submissions 2016
- Foreign Ownership of Water
- COAG Energy Council: Limited Merits Review
- ACCC Water Charge Rules – Draft Advice
- Productivity Commission: Regulation of Australian Agriculture
Submissions 2015
- NIC Submission to the South Australian AER reset process
- NIC Submission to Queensland (Ergon) AER reset process
- Australian Energy Markets Governance Arrangements
- ACCC Water Charge Rules
- Water Amendment Bill 2015 (1500GL cap)
- Select Committee on the Murray Darling Basin Plan
- Commonwealth on-farm further irrigation efficiency program (COFFIE)
Submissions 2014
- NIC Submission Water Act 2007 Review
- The Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) Environmental Watering Strategy
- Senate Inquiry into the cessation of the National Water Commission (Abolition) Bill 2014
- NIC Response to the MDBA Evaluation Framework
- Australian Government Energy Green Paper
- Australian Government Review of the Personal Property Securities Act 2009
- National Competition Policy Review
- Agricultural Competitiveness Green Paper
- Senate Inquiry into the performance and management of electricity network companies
Submissions 2013
Submissions 2011
- NIC submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Water Act
- Supplementary submission to the Regional Australia Committee
Submissions 2010
- NIC Submission to the Senate Murray Darling Inquiry
- NIC Submission to the Regional Australia Committee Inquiry
- MDBA Guide Submission
- Senate submission – Water (Crisis Powers and Floodwater Diversions) Bill
- Submission to ACCC on GST on Termination Fees
- Productivity Commission draft report on buyback – submission
- National Water Initiative Planning and Management Guidelines submission
- ACCC Water Trading Rules draft advice – submission