NATIONAL IRRIGATORS’ COUNCIL
Advocating for the Australian irrigated agriculture industry
NIC provided a submission into the Productivity Commissions National Water Reform Interim update.
The submission reinterated our key points from our initial submission but also explored a number of topics where the interim update was seeking information, covering intitial assessments, sustainable water limits, managing climate change and metering.
The NIC provided a submission to the Water Act Review Discussion Paper: Strong Voices, Healthy Waters.
The NIC continues to monitor the Federal Government’s implementation of the additional Held Environmental Water (HEW) program under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and has released a second report, following our December 2025 analysis.
The 450 GL program has fundamentally changed since it was first conceived. The original budget has been exhausted, expected costs have
escalated significantly, the scope of the program has expanded, and new environmental evidence has emerged. Despite these material changes,
there has been no transparent reassessment of whether continued expenditure represents the most effective, efficient and economical
investment to achieve environmental outcomes and deliver benefits to the Australian economy [...]
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 submited their comphensive analysis and advice to the Murray Darling Basin Authority as part of the Murray Darling Basin Review.
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."
NIC report reviewed the Federal Government’s purchases and found most have low environmental utility and cannot directly contribute to today’s environmental priorities in the Basin – despite costing taxpayers billions.“These additional water buybacks go beyond what was required to ‘bridge the gap’ to get Sustainable Diversion Limits in place for the Basin Plan,” said NIC CEO Zara Lowien “most of this additional water will not be able to be used as intended and unlikely to contribute to desired environmental outcomes”. [...]
There have been several concerns raised regarding the Federal Government’s decision to purchase additional water from farmers that go beyond
the water recovery required to ‘bridge the gap’ to reduce water usage to Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDLs), in the Murray-Darling Basin
Plan. The concerns relate to the effectiveness or need for additional water acquisition, with questions on how the Government’s actions are
contributing to policy outcomes, meeting value for taxpayers’ money, and consider the growing evidence that signals alternatives approach to
‘just adding water’ are needed to enhance environmental outcomes around the Basin.
This Report by NIC, provides a preliminary assessment of the Federal Government purchases of additional water under “the 450 GL” program of
the Plan. [...]
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.
NIC has completed our own internal review into the Murray Darling Basin Plan, which is a series of papers addressing the key themes of
the 2024 Early Insights paper using the recently published “Triple Crown of Water Reform Framework” to highlight possible next
steps for the Basin Plan. We hope to help forge a future pathway that embraces the paradigm shift needed for the Basin that is more
about a 'plan of management' than the current ‘water recovery plan’ focus. The review addresses; regulatory design, sustainable water limits, climate change, environment, agriculture and community and contemporary issues.
We encourage stakeholders to reach out to discuss these papers, the evidence, our findings and recommendations.
Australian Farm Institute, Executive Director Katie McRobert says "Much of Australia’s agricultural policy is caught in a loop. When a crisis erupts – be it drought, market disruption, or community outrage – political and media attention surges. Decisions are demanded, headlines written, levers pulled. But as the immediate threat subsides, so too does the will to implement lasting solutions...This edition of the Farm Policy Journal explores that cycle – and asks what we can do to break it. ....The opening article by Christine Freak and Zara Lowien examines the long and often reactive trajectory of water policy reform in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB)...[They] offer offer an original contribution to this challenge in the form of the Triple Crown of Water Reform Framework, which conceptualises reform as a three-pronged effort: water-sharing (Flows), watermanagement (Functions), and integrated resource initiatives (Further)."
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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NIC Members agreed to a specific Position Statement on the reliability of water access entitlements to provide a clear message to Governments on how decisions impact water property rights, as represented and agreed in the National Water Initiative. This position statement was prepared in conjunction with our guiding principles. Approved 17 July 2025. |
NIC Members agreed to amend and update our Aboriginal Water Position Statement, and agreed to the following Position Statement titled 'enabling Cultural objectives in water management'.
This position statement was prepared in conjunction with our Murray-Darling Basin Position Statement and our Positon Statement on
reliability of water entitlements and our guiding principles.
Approved 17 July 2025.
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. [...]
NIC Members agreed to a Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) Reconciliation Position Statement following the release of
the MDBA's SDLAM Reconciliation Framework.
This position statement was prepared in conjunction with our Murray-Darling Basin Position Statement, our Constraints Management Position
Statement and our guiding principles.
Approved 20 March 2025.
NIC Members agreed to an update to the Constraints Management Position Statement following the release of the MDBA's Constraints Roadmap.
This position statement was prepared in conjunction with our Murray-Darling Basin Position Statement and our guiding principles.
Approved 20 March 2025.
NIC Members prepared an updated Position Statement regarding key principles to be considered by Governments when finalising the Murray
Darling Basin Plan.
These were prepared in conjunction with our Guiding Policy Principles.
Approved 20 March 2025.
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 […]
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.
Take a look at our final submission on both the:
Today is a great day to celebrate that 93% of Australia's fruit, nuts and grapes together with 83% of our vegetables are all grown by irrigation.
Every day, is great day to support Aussie Farmers and buy Australian grown fruit, nuts and vegetables.
15 November is National Ag Day, a day to celebrate the amazing work our farmers and the broader agricultural industry do for Australia. Australian
irrigators are recognised as the most water efficient in the world, growing more crop per drop than many of our international counterparts.
100% of Australia's rice is irrigated, and is world leading using 50% less than the global average [DAFF].
85% of Australia's cotton crop on average is irrigated, the cotton industry has increased its water use efficiency by 240% since the first crop in the 1970's [DAFF]
National Irrigators' Council is concerned that these proposed listings are being rushed prior to the Federal election (reminiscent of a previous disallowed attempt prior to the 2013 election) and that little additional work since 2013 has been provided to support the nomination despite significant improvements and other measures being taken since that previous attempt (namely the implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan and evolution of environmental water management in these specific regions). [...]
The NIC is deeply concerned by the draft principles proposed for the National Water Agreement (NWA) and is of the position, it is not
fit-for-purpose to be signed in its current form.
The original National Water Initiative (NWI) set the blueprint for water reform in Australia over the past two decades and is a fundamental underpinning of Australia’s water management. It is a document that needs to be taken seriously by all stakeholders and jurisdictions, and
its content upheld to be a first-class and best-practice approach to water management. [...]
The National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback into the Australian Government’s National Water Agreement Discussion Paper. The opportunity to submit our voice into this critical agreement for ongoing national water planning and management, has been considered with much consternation on the part of our members. We are frustrated at the current urgency to undertake this discussion process, right now. We are frustrated at the opaque and minimalist engagement process now and during the agreement development stages. We are frustrated that 20-years of difficult reforms for many across Australia, are seemingly being disregarded.
The Murray Darling Basin Plan has been a vital tool in balancing the needs of our communities, our environment and our productive sector. It hasn’t always got it right, but it has achieved a great deal since its inception. Ensuring balance is needed so we can keep our rivers and communities healthy and thriving, while feeding and clothing Australia and the world. Whilst we didn’t agree with all elements of the Restoring our Rivers bill such as the lifting of the cap on buybacks and the ability to use direct water purchases towards the 450 GL efficiency measure program. We remain committed to finalizing the Basin Plan and ensuring all the tools, not just buybacks, are utilized in its implementation to maintain and protect the prosperity of our regional communities and agricultural businesses. [...]
The National Water Initiative (NWI) has played a crucial role in shaping the future of water management in Australia and supporting the growth of the irrigation industry. In doing so, it has also reshaped many regional communities and irrigation industries, particularly when considering the impacts experienced to achieve sustainable levels of take and establishing the water market. Nonetheless, it is imperative that any updates to the NWI uphold the fundamental principles that are now the backbone of the industry. We must also recognize that the objective to achieve environmentally sustainable level of take has been or is near completion, in all developed water sources and consideration how this objective applies for remaining regions should be a future focus. [...]