SUBMISSIONS

Feeding Australia: A national food security discussion paper
26 Sep '25

NIC provided a submission into Feeding Australian: A national food security discussion paper.  We stated "A national food security strategy must consider Australia’s food sovereignty as well as, our role in the future food security needs of our trading partners; to achieve this, a national water security strategy for agriculture will be needed to underpin it. Water is a critical input into agricultural production, and the objectives of this strategy cannot be achieved in the absence of agricultural water security". We provided six recommendations for consideration in developing the national strategy.  Read More…

NIC Submission on the WESA Review
8 Aug '25

We have just put in our submission for the third Water for Environment Special Account (WESA) review - take a look.

Our key recommendation: "The Independent Panel take a broad view to examine the policy settings and decision-making on the use of WESA funds to achieve enhanced environmental outcomes with consideration of socio-economic impact - to ensure WESA can be used transparently to target priority environmental investments. We encourage you to explore the option to amend the WESA to ensure it can be used transparently to target priority environmental investments such as community-supported constraints measures and investment in non-flow complementary measures as evidence within the 2025 Basin Plan Evaluation and Sustainable Rivers Audit."

Thank you to our members who have contributed to this piece of work, and taking the time to provide feedback. 
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Submission Water Amendment (Water Markets Intermediaries Code and Trust Accounting Framework) Regulations 2025 – Exposure Draft
7 Apr '25

The NIC recently provided DCCEEW with feedback into the Exposure Draft for Water Amendment (Water Markets Intermediaries Code and Trust Accounting Framework) Regulations 2025 as part of the ongoing consultations on the matter.  NIC acknowledges the commitment of the Water Market Reform team to consider the feedback throughout the multiphase engagement.  However, we offer the following as considerations for further clarity within the proposed regulations as well as recommendations regarding the timing of the regulations.  [...] Read More…

NIC submission on Water Markets Intermediaries Code and Statutory Trust Accounts Policy Position Paper
16 Dec '24

NIC today lodged their submission to DCCEEW on the Water Market reform - Intermediaries Code and Statutory Trust Account Policy Position paper with an overarching concern that the regulatory burden of this reform, particularly given its scale and pace. We are also concerned that the reform is going too far, and is becoming disproportionate to the problem at hand, and the size and extent of water markets. While market integrity, transparency and good governance are important – there is enormous risk of not striking the right balance for a proportionate policy response […] Read More…

IGWC Northern Toolkit Inquiry
29 Nov '24

Check out our final submission into the Inspector General of Water Compliance Inquiry into the Northern Basin Toolkit. 

The Toolkit was a multi-pronged solution developed through the Northern Basin Review to recommit government to existing requirements (Bridging the Gap requirements), fund a series of investments over-and-above the Murray Darling Basin Plan assumptions and existing levers of just adding water, enhance environmental outcomes and minimise socio-economic impacts.  The Toolkit was the Government's initial investment into complementary measures. 

As with many of the Murray Darling Basin Plan elements, it has lacked transparency and accountability, which should be improved in future program development.  The Toolkit highlights a number of great outcomes when investment is provided to optimising environmental water delivery and environmental outcomes.  Read More…