GWYDIR VALLEY IRRIGATORS ASSOCIATION
About The GVIA
GWYDIR VALLEY IRRIGATORS ASSOCIATION
Irrigation is a key industry driving rural Australia, with the Gwydir Valley – a region centred around Moree in North West NSW - one of the world’s most highly productive regions in Australia.
The GVIA is a representative body comprising over 400 water entitlement holders within the valley, with a focus on providing a unified voice for the local irrigation industry.
Established in the 1995, the aims of GVIA include consolidating the local industry whilst promoting, showcasing and ensuring water rights are protected and secured. Helping build a sustainable future through the irrigation industry has also been a top priority of the association.
A comprehensive history of GVIA is available within this website.
Over the past 30 years our mission has remained consistent - build a secure irrigated agricultural future whilst balancing the needs of
members, the environment and the Gwydir Valley community.
Our priority is to Make Every Drop Count; in the rivers or aquifers, on our farms, for the environment and for the future of our towns.
The association works to represent the irrigation interests of our members so to:
The core activities of the GVIA are funded entirely through a voluntary member's levy. In a genuine community approach, membership accounts
for over 90% of the entitlement issued in the valley. State and Federal government holdings are, however, excluded from this figure.
The GVIA is also an integral body in the facilitation of negotiations and advocacy for irrigators with the Local, State and Federal
Government sectors. Our priorities at this level are two-fold - to ensure the rights of irrigators are maintained and respected through the
development of policy, whilst also providing representation for members.
Another important role of the GVIA is the implementation of programs to maintain and improve industry sustainability. From conducting
on-farm research through to the project management of on-farm innovations, we take an active role, and collaborate closely with members,
government funding bodies and research corporations.
A more detailed outline of our role is explained in What We Do, available on this website.
The association is managed by a committee which consists of a minimum of 11 irrigators. The GVIA employs a full-time executive
officer and a part-time administrative assistant, and has hosted externally funded positions such as the Cotton Research and Development
Corporation (CRDC) Project Manager and CottonInfo Irrigation Technical Lead.
More information is available via Our Employees and Committee, available on this website.
Be it large or small entitlement holders, or private, corporate or government organisation, our members are all equally important in ensuring the future of our region is secure.
All GVIA members hold entitlements within the Gwydir regulated, unregulated surface water resource, or groundwater resource. These assets
are managed through water sharing plans, plans which have been developed progressively since early 2000.
There are approximately 575,000megalitres (ML) available to irrigators from regulated river flows and 30,000ML from groundwater, with
150,000ML of entitlements now government owned specifically for environmental purposes, and thus not levied by the GVIA.
All GVIA members are also members of the NSW Irrigators Council and the National
Irrigators Council
which are the peak bodies representing State and National interests.
The GVIA works closely with both of these organisations to develop locally relevant state and national policies. All Northern NSW irrigator
groups also work informally and in collaboration as a sub-group of these peak bodies.
The GVIA has developed close and effective ties within the industry, working particularly closely with the Gwydir Cotton Growers Association (CGA).
The Gwydir CGA is a voluntary organisation representing the needs of both dryland and irrigated cotton growers in the Gwydir Valley. The Young Aggies organisation (now an independent organisation) and An Evening of Cotton are just two initiatives of the Gwydir Valley CGA, helping to promote and showcase the local industry.
Additionally, the Gwydir CGA has a substantial partner membership comprising a broad range of industry suppliers such as agronomists, bankers, merchants and machinery dealers.
The GVIA has for many years, and continues to work with the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) to support cotton
industry projects.
The GVIA hosted the CottonInfo Irrigation Technical lead from 2022 to 2025, and works in consultation with the CottonInfo Project lead,
the local CottonInfo Regional Development Officer and Cotton Seed Distributors Regional Extension and Development Officer.
Adopting a holistic, whole of industry approach, the GVIA also enjoys a healthy and robust working relationship with government agencies such as the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), WaterNSW, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH), NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment, and Water DCCEEW, the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) and the local North West Local Land Services (NWLLS) representatives.
When required, the GVIA also engages the local NSW Farmers group and the Moree Plains Shire Council.
More information on our partnerships is available at Community and Industry Initiatives, via this website.
Water is society's most precious asset, and the aim of the GVIA is to Make Every Drop Count; in the rivers or aquifers, on our farms, for the environment and within our communities.
On of the main responsibilities of the GVIA revolves around advocating and negotiating with government at a federal, state and local level.
We provide a strong and united representative voice, aiming to ensure the rights of water entitlement holders are maintained and respected
throughout the development of policy.
Issues or government policy - whether proposed or in place - with the potential to threaten the industry is a focus area for the
GVIA.
Likewise, we react instantaneously to opportunity within the sector that may improve any of our core principles. Our aim is to
represent the interests of our members to:
As the local industry representative, the GVIA employees and committee members are active participants at forums nationwide. Providing a unified voice ensuring the interest of the industry whilst paving the way for communication and industry feedback. The GVIA has played an active role in the following:
The GVIA is also dedicated to programs aimed at maintaining and improving the sustainability of its member's on-farm activities. We proudly take an active role in on-farm research and project management, with many activities funded through government or research corporations.
