The National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) has released its new position statement on finalising the
Murray-Darling Basin Plan with a renewed commitment to implementing the Plan in the best
interests of regional communities.
NIC CEO Isaac Jeffrey said: “The Murray-Darling Basin Plan has been a success. It has provided
balance between the needs of the productive sector, local communities and the environment. It
has delivered incredible outcomes, such as fish and bird breeding events from Queensland through
to South Australia.
“The Plan is the most complex and challenging water management system in the world, and we
should all celebrate its hard-won achievements. It is important to note, that the Plan can only be a
success through collaboration and working together, which is why NIC is committed to co-design
and partnerships to deliver the remaining elements of the Plan.
“The new position statement sets out NIC members’ views on how the Plan can be finalised without
resorting to the blunt instrument of buybacks, which serve only to damage regional communities,
jobs and businesses, while ramping up the pressure on cost of living, and food quality and security.
“Key to finalising the Plan is Basin States delivering on their commitments. In particular, New South
Wales and Victoria must honour their pledges to regional communities and deliver their Sustainable
Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism projects. If more time is needed, then it should be given. If
new or modified projects are needed, then they should be considered.
“Governments should stand by their commitments to providing neutral or positive socio-economic
benefits to communities through the Efficiency Measures program and not change the goalposts in
the final quarter to allow buybacks, which are not efficiencies.
“There are better ways to deliver the remaining parts of the Plan, including infrastructure investment
and complementary measures, which should be progressed as a matter of urgency. Volumes are
incredibly important in delivering some environmental outcomes, including for native fish, but the
Plan has become blinkered and has forgotten its purpose – which is to deliver outcomes. If solutions
can be found to deliver these outcomes, that should be the focus.
“Around a quarter of agriculture in Australia is irrigated. Irrigation delivers our vegetables, fruit, nuts,
grapes, rice, cotton and large portions of our dairy and sugarcane. It does so using world-leading
practices in farming and water management, under the strictest regulations in the world. And, it
delivers true-blue high-quality Australian grown food and fibre making us self-sufficient, and a
significant player in global trade, helping to feed and clothe our partners around the world.
“The industry is focused on sustainability for the future and is continuously investing in research and
development to enhance yields with better practices, while empowering local workforces and
economies.
“We need irrigation. We need strong communities. We need a healthy environment. And, we’ve
delivered it through the Basin Plan. Let’s work together to finalise the Plan and continue its success.”
You can find our position statement at www.irrigators.org.au/policy.
Ends. Media Contact: Isaac Jeffrey 0407 083 890 ceo@irrigators.org.au
8/16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 | 02 6273 3637| ABN: 92 133 308 326
E: ceo@irrigators.org.au | W: www.irrigators.org.au | T: @Nat_Irrigators | F: @IrrigatorsCouncil
