NATIONAL IRRIGATORS’ COUNCIL
Advocating for the Australian irrigated agriculture industry
The NIC team has prepared a briefing note on the Independant Reviewer's Interim Water Act Review Report. We trust this will help guide
discussion of the key issues raised during the consultation sessions.
Our next drop-in session on 18th November will be an opportunity to gather direct feedback from you on the interim report.
Independant Reviewer, Geoff Leaper has released the draft Interim Report of Review of the Water Act 2007.
A public webinar will be held on Friday 13th November 2026.
Consultation period has opened until 17 December 2026 with the Final report due to Government in February 2027.
Visit the website to read the report or register for consultation.
The NIC team released the first edition of our free, monthly newsletter. 'The Current' on 31st October 2026.
In each monthly edition of our new newsletter, you will find our latest media releases, research, policy positions, and news from
across our desk — starting with the stories in this first issue. October was a busy month for the National Irrigators' Council. We travelled
to Canberra for our Annual General Meeting and General Meeting, where we heard from Minister Watt, The Hon. Michael McCormack MP, and David
Farley MP, and decided on new policy positions. [...]
National Irrigator's Council has launched a new free monthly newsletter called 'The Current'.
Why the name? Because current is what we’re all about: water, current affairs, and staying ahead of the flow. And right now, a
lot is moving — the Basin Plan and Water Act reviews, water security, and the future of the communities that grow our food and fibre.
'The Current' is our way of cutting through the noise: the news, insights and connections that matter, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign
up on our 'Contact Us' page.
NIC prepared a submission to the MDBA on the Draft Determination for the Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism.
This submission calls for a made 13 findings, three key recommendations and a total of eight recommendations on how the MDBA and the
Government can consider next steps.
Thank you to those Members who participated in our Policy Session on Wednesday and provided input into SDLAM submission, and to those that provided direct tracked changed. The NIC team has updated the SDLAM Reconciliation Draft Determination submission with the FINAL version now available to Members. This will be lodged prior to 1 November 2026.
NIC team have prepared the attached draft SDLAM submission for review by Members. We re-scheduled the drop in session, to Wednesday 28th October to be used as an opportunity to discuss the submission and relevant issues online. Alterntaively, we welcome tracked
changes to the document. The slides from the General Meeting are useful background to this submission.
Feedback is due no later than Thursday, 29th October as submissions are due 1 October.
NIC has set up a dedicated Member Area section for our Advocacy Roadmap materials. The first focus campaign page - Growing Australia:Moving Forward, Together that details the messaging and asks for the Water Act and Basin Plan under its time to move beyond "just adding water" is starting to be built. Please note the full message house and draft Basin RiverCare brochure is now available to view.
The NIC have prepared a background 'Certinaty Uncertain: A report on water security with a variable and changing climate in the Murray
Darling Basin' to support our recently Member approved Climate Resilience and Water Security Position Statement.
We will be releasing this in early November, to lean into the many pre-meetings prior to the 2026 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC
COP31) in Türkiye from November 9. To do do, we are accepting FINAL feedback no later than 29th October 2026 and the earlier the better.
Find out more about our community, and join our mission advocating for the Australian irrigated
agriculture industry.