About The GVIA

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 hubs.

The GVIA is a representative body comprising over 400 water entitlement holders within the valley, with a focus on providing a unified voice championing the local irrigation industry.

Established in the 1990s, 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 20 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:

• Secure, protect and enhance water rights for irrigation;
• Ensure the efficient management and operation of our valley’s water resources; and
• Encourage industry profitability and sustainability.

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.

Our Employees and Committee

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.

More information is available via Our Employees and Committee, available on this website.

Our Members

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 and unregulated surface water areas, in addition to groundwater resources.  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.

Our Partners

The GVIA has developed close and effective ties within the industry, working particularly closely with the Gwydir Valley Cotton Growers Association (CGA).
The Gwydir Valley CGA is a voluntary organisation representing the needs of both dryland and irrigated cotton growers in the Gwydir Valley. The Young Aggies 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 associate membership comprising a broad range of industry suppliers such as agronomists, bankers, merchants and machinery dealers.

The GVIA has hosted the CottonInfo Irrigation Technical lead for the last three years, 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), 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.