GWYDIR VALLEY IRRIGATORS ASSOCIATION

News

MOREE Plains Shire Council is seeking community feedback on a proposal to adjust the Moree to Sydney flight schedule.
The proposal is to remove the Saturday service, and put on an evening service on Tuesday. There is no proposal to change the existing time of the Tuesday morning flights which get to Sydney between 11:30 and 12:00. 
The proposed schedule is available here 

Temporarty Trade of General Security Entitlements

We have recently determined that there are some components of the Gwydir WSP that are restricting temporary trade of General Security entitlements. Specific advice can only be determined via an application to WaterNSW. In general the assessments will entail the following: 

The rule 57 (1) of the Water Sharing Plan for the Gwydir Regulated River Water Source 2016 states that a temporary trade is prohibited if it increases total allocation in the segments specified in table A of rule 55.  Increase in allocation means buying water into those segments in Table A. 
That means, for temporary trade rule 57 (1) 

  • WaterNSW first look at where are the linked works of the buyer's access licence. If at least one linked work is in those segments specified in Table A, then rule 57 (1) is applied. 
  • If none of the buyer's linked works are in any of those segments (table A), then WaterNSW proceed with the rest of the assessment, because there is no risk of total allocation increase in any of the segments from Table A. 
  • If WaterNSW needs to apply 57(1) rule, they also look at the seller's licence linked works to see where the water could come from (other segments, same segment, mix), unfortunately there is no mechanism for WaterNSW to check where the seller is transferring the water from, if the seller licence has multiple works in different segments.


Applying the rule 57(1) means calculating the total allocations of the buyer's segment from Table A and adding the proposed trade amount. If the calculated amount is below the permitted allocation amount in Column 2 of the Table A, they move on to the rest of the 
assessment, however if the calculated amount is higher, then the transfer will be refused. 

Farmers in the Basin are calling on the Federal Government to escalate water security for agriculture as a priority, following the findings of the Basin Outlook, published today which echoed findings from the National Climate Risk Assessment. 
“All climate change scenarios will have significant risks on water security for Australian agriculture,” said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien “farmers are adapting every day to changing climate, but can only adapt so far, water security is critical”. 
“The Outlook modelling scenarios found the Basin will be both wetter and drier, with more extreme conditions with varying impacts and level of uncertainty around the Basin.” 
“It is absolutely important that we consider climate change as part of the Basin Plan Review, but this needs to be fit for purpose, recognising the uncertainty, and extremes to both wet and dry.” 
“We are concerned the document has over-generalised headlines, but when you look at the detail, there are a lot of unknowns and uncertainty,” said Ms Lowien. “That’s not to dismiss the work, rather that when Government responds to it, they need to consider its limitations which are very evident in the report.”
NIC Media release available here

The Member for Cootamundra/ Shadow Minister for Water Steph Cooke and local member Brendan Moylan spent many months putting together approximately 40 amendments to the Bill to make it fairer for irrigators and water users across NSW. 
Together they ran and argued 39 amendments in the Lower House where they were voted down by the Minns Labor Government and the Greens.

Our local representative worked very hard on this and are very disappointed by this result. The Link to the Hansard is below; 
 Water Management Legislation Amendment (Stronger Enforcement and Penalties) Bill 2025 
Legislative Assembly Hansard - 12 November 2025 - Proof 
Legislative Assembly Hansard - 12 November 2025 - Proof

Steph Cooke 
Legislative Assembly Hansard - 12 November 2025 - Proof 
Legislative Assembly Hansard - 12 November 2025 - Proof

Please see dropbox link which will take you to the videos of the contributions: 

NSW DCCEEW are hosting a series of metering webinars:   Register Here
9.30–10.30 am, Wednesday 26 November
Focus topic: Metering exemptions and works classifications
1.30–2.30 pm, Thursday 27 November
Focus topic: Duly qualified person (DQP) installations for 100 ML+ entitlements
5.30–6.30 pm, Thursday 4 December
Focus topic: Self installations for 15 ML – under 100 ML entitlements

  • All works with total entitlement of more than 15 ML and less than 100 ML must have a pattern-approved meter installed by 1 December 2027 or their next works approval renewal date (whichever is the later) 
  • Works with total entitlement of less than 15 ML do not require a meter unless they are utilized for trading entitlement.
  • Surface water pumps of 500 mm diameter or more, and works in inland water sources with total entitlement of 100 ML or more must already have an AS4747 meter, LID, and telemetry, installed and validated by a duly qualified person (DQP) 

"More water rights in the Murray-Darling Basin will be purchased from farmers and irrigators in a renewed push by the federal government to return 450 gigalitres of water to the environment.".....
"He also flagged that the government is closely considering purchasing water from the northern part of the basin for the first time.
"Recent advice from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority highlights the potential benefits of pursuing water recovery in the northern basin to contribute towards the 450 gigalitre target.
"While this is not an adopted policy of our government right now, I will work closely with my department in considering this advice.""

There is no allocation increment to general security (GS) licences in the Gwydir Regulated River Water Source at the end of October 2025.
The GS account balance is about 623 gigalitres (GL), or an average 122% of entitlement.
Environmental water allowance (EWA) remains the same as it has reached its maximum limit by 200%.
As of 31 October 2025, Copeton Dam received an estimated 8 GL of inflow, with downstream tributaries contributing a further 2 GL. These inflows were insufficient to support an increase in GS water allocations. The current resource assessment is based on system conditions observed up to 31 October 2025.

The New England North West AI Forum, in association with Telstra, and supported by Moree Business Chamber, is a must-attend event for regional businesses ready to harness the power of artificial intelligence. Hear from leading voices from across the region and beyond as they share their expertise and answer your questions. 
Unlocking AI: Tools, Tactics and Transformation 
Date: Wednesday, 19 November 2025 
Time: 10:45 AM to 2:00 PM (includes networking lunch) 
Venue: Social Co House, 157 Balo Street, Moree NSW 
Tickets: Register Here 

Cotton Australia recently released some information on what is required under the Fair Work Act 2009 with regards terminating an employee. It provides some interpretation of what is required by the Act from a procedural fairness perspective. 

“This was a missed opportunity for Minister Watt to put politics aside and send a strong message about refocusing the Basin Plan on outcomes, not just numbers” said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien. 
“At the MDBA’s invitation, Basin Leaders gathered in Adelaide to consider the recently released scientific evidence which found environmental priorities in the Basin have shifted and emboldened participants to work on solutions to move beyond ‘just adding water’”.
“Stakeholders were focusing on how to achieve environmental outcomes and considering options to reduce invasive species and improve native fish populations, better integrate broader catchment management principles into Basin management, and how to efficiently get water onto floodplains.”
“The announcement which targets additional environmental water, above Sustainable Diversion Limits and arguably with low environmental utility due to the uncertainty of constraints, was at odds the proactive and productive discussions”.

MDBA

The Murray Darling Basin Plan 2012 has achieved its goal to reduce diversions to Sustainable Diversion Limits delivering a healthy working basin with optimised social, economic and environmental outcomes. The Basin Plan Evaluation notes that flow-based outcomes have been achieved, there’s no need for more water as 72% of river flows are for environmental purposes.

There are still many non-flow outcomes needing to be achieved.  The focus must be on getting better outcomes from existing water, by addressing barriers to improve environmental outcomes, including carp management, riparian management, fish screens and fish passage. It is in Australia’s best interest for water policy to focus on shared outcomes not politics into the future. The next MDBP must be a management plan not a volumetric plan.

The Gwydir Unregulated WSP remains inactive. In early September the department released proposals for cease to pump restrictions on three water sources in the Gwydir. These were Copeton Dam, Moredun Creek and Tycannah Creek. These assessments were based on assertions that the water sources ecologically significant and under pressure from extraction. The assessments of the water sources considered only the potential risk (assumption of 100% of take being accessed) versus the actual risk. They failed to consider and metering data or inactive entitlements. For more information please read our submission. 

WAMC’s prices for water management services will increase by an average annualised rate of 5% plus inflation over four years to 2028-29.
They continue to apply water take charges to floodplain harvesting licences and have introduced an additional water management charge for floodplain harvesting to help recover WaterNSW’s incremental costs associated with floodplain harvesting.
As  introduction of new WAMC prices were deferred by 3 months (i.e. from 1 July 2025 to 1 October 2025), the water management component of a typical bill will increase by 7.5% and the MAC by 3.9% on 1 October 2025. Typical bills over the full 2025-26 year will be equivalent to what they would have been if new WAMC prices had been introduced on 1 July 2025.

Water Allocation Statement 5 Sept 25

General security (GS) licences and ECA in the Gwydir Regulated River have received an increase of 48% of entitlement. This takes the GS account balance to 607 gigalitres (GL), or an average 119%, and increases the ECA account balance to its maximum allowable 90 GL or 200% of entitlement. 
In August, Copeton Dam inflow was approximately 268 GL, with downstream tributaries contributing an additional 141 GL. 

To get concurrence from the environment minister the NSW DCCEEW are proposing changes to access rules on the Tycannah Creek.
* existing access rules prevent water being taken when there is no visible flow at an individual pump site.
* proposed new access rules will prevent water being taken when flow is 2 ML/day or less at the Tycannah Creek Horseshoe Lagoon Gauge (418032). This rule is proposed to apply to all access licenses in the water source.
Register to attend the in person meeting in Moree at 4:15 on Wednesday 10th September at Social Co in Balo St here.
Register for the general webinar here

To get concurrence from the environment minister the NSW DCCEEW are proposing rule changes to access entitlement in the Copeton Dam Management Zone.
* existing access rules prevent water being taken when there is no visible flow at an individual pump site.
* the proposal is to prevent water being taken when flow is 80 ML/day or less at the Gwydir River at Bundarra Gauge (418008). This rule is proposed to apply to all access licenses within the management zone.
Register for the Webinar here

To get concurrence from the Environment minister, the NSW DCCEEW are proposing to change access rules in the Moredun Creek Water source.
* existing access rules prevent water being taken when there is no visible flow at an individual pump site.
* proposed access rules prevents water being taken when flow is 80 ML/day or less at the Gwydir River at Bundarra gauge (418008). This rule is proposed to apply to all access licenses in the water source except for the single Domestic and Stock (Town Water Supply) subcategory access license which is exempt from access rules and pool rules.
Register for the webinar here

NIC media release.
A new report by the Inspector-General of Water Compliance (IGWC) found: "All 78 SDL resource units assessed for the 2023–2024 water accounting year were found to be compliant." 
“The report confirms Sustainable Diversion Limits are being enforced and in fact, water diversions are well under these limits,” said National Irrigators’ Council CEO, Zara Lowien.
“Getting water use below these Sustainable Diversion Limits was a huge feat, and it means 1 in 3 litres of irrigation water are now out of production and remain in rivers.”

 Please join us for the 2025 GVIA Annual General Meeting.
This is also where we ask for nominations for the GVIA committee. The Committee is elected by members at the AGM, the only requirement is that the nominated member is a financial member of the Association and that nomination is endorsed by two other members.
Please find included a link to the GVIA Committee Nomination Form.  This form must be completed and returned to the GVIA by Tuesday the 2nd September 2025.   Click here to RSVP for this Event through our website

Three year Supplementary summary

Please find included the latest updated on the three year supplementary volumes from WaterNSW as of Monday the 11th August. 

NSWIC July Newsletter includes information on the following:
1. Review of Murray Darling Basin Plan begins
2. Stronger Enforcement and Penalties Bill 2025 
3. NRAR enforcement action again BLR user
4. Water for the Environmental Special Account

The NSW Government has declared the Landholder Negotiation Scheme (LNS) as an amendment to the Water Management (General) Regulation 2018 under the Water Management Act 2000, accompanied by statutory negotiation guidelines.
The LNS provides the approach the NSW Government will take when negotiating voluntary agreements with landholders affected by future environmental water deliveries at higher flow levels, or under different regimes, than current operating practice.
An outline of changes made,  is provided in the What we heard report released May 2025. View the What we heard report, new regulation and negotiation guidelines.

GVIA Celebrates 30 years

This month we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the creation of the GVIA following a motion from July 1995 proposing to bring the irrigation associations of Biniguy / Moree Water Users' Association, Carole/Gill Gill Water Users' Association, Copeton / Biniguy Spray Irrigators' Association, Gwydir Co-operative Ltd and the Mehi / Moomin Water Users' Association together to form the Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association. The intention was to "employ and take any necessary action to promote the interests of the irrigators in the Gwydir Valley."


Last week the MDBA released the 2025 Basin Plan Evaluation and the 2025 Sustainable Rivers Audit.
These are encouraging as it shows progress has been made, but there are still concerns which we are reviewing in partnership with National Irrigators Council. 
The findings and key insights from this Evaluation will be considered alongside other key lines of evidence as part of the 2026 Basin Plan Review. The Review is an opportunity for the MDBA to consider the evidence, listen to Basin communities and recommend changes to the Basin Plan.

This month's newsletter bids a farewell to outgoing CEO, Claire Miller and introduces new CEO Dr Madeleine Hartley. 
Claire has done a wonderful job over the past five years helping to grow the membership and profile of the organisation and hence help get the voice of irrigators heard in the community, many of you will have heard her on the Country hour. Thank you for everything Claire.
The new CEO Madeleine will bring a different skill set, with a legal background, something that will no doubt be useful as the Council navigates a path for members through the new NRAR enforcement bill introduced to the upper house last week. We look forward to working with you in the years to come. 

As of Tuesday the Gwydir Unregulated Water Sharing Plan has lapsed.
Water users are still required to operate in accordance with their existing licence and works approval conditions.
WaterNSW will continue to apply dealings (water trades) and approvals as per the current plan provisions, so license holders will still be able to conduct trades.


* Local Water utilities and stock and domestic licence holders have received maximum (100%) allocation
* Regulated High security licences received usual full opening allocation
* Floodplain harvesting licence holders have received full opening allocations
* Supplementary access license holders have received full allocations in the Gwydir

NSWIC latest media release states that "IPART has added to the cost squeeze on NSW farmers with its final determination today to increase rural water bills by up to 8.3% in most valleys for 2025-26."
"NSW Irrigators’ Council CEO Claire Miller said it was disappointing that IPART had shifted from the affordable 1.9% plus CPI price rise proposed in its information paper last month."
“The determination underlines the need for the NSW Government to urgently reform the flawed pricing model and corporate structure driving unaffordable hikes in rural water bills over the last 10 years.”

For the full story follow the link.

IPART has decided to issue a 1-year determination commencing on 1 July 2025 and ending 30 June 2026, or when replaced
From 1 July, prices will increase by 5.8% plus inflation of 2.4% for bulk water customers. MDBA charges will increase by 0.6% plus inflation of 2.4% and BRC charges will increase by 1.1% plus inflation of 2.4%. All other prices will increase by inflation only.​
At this stage, the Tribunal is not convinced that all the increased costs proposed by WaterNSW are sufficiently justified as necessary or efficient, or that they should all be passed on the customers. The short determination will allow more work to be done on the broader challenges identified through this price review.
The GVIA requested a full performance review and analysis of the business structure. ​

The AgriEmpower Scholarship Program is an investment in the future of our next generation of changemarkers, dedicated to helping young people enhance their capabilities and unlock new opportunities for growth.
The program offers financial support, resources, and access to National Farmers’ Federation and Woolworths networks, and a community of like-minded individuals, all with the goal of driving long-term success in the agriculture sector.
As part of the $400,000 program, 20 scholarships of $20,000 each will be awarded.

The AgriEmpower Scholarship Program runs for 18 months allowing individuals an opportunity to deep dive into developing themselves and with the support of NFF & Woolworths.

The link is to the submission by the GVIA to the NSW Parliament’s Legislative Assembly Committee on Investment, Industry and Regional Development
To the inquiry into the Impacts of the Water Amendment Act 2023 on NSW regional communities.

Within the GVIA submission we raise issues associated with 
* Government Performance
* Impacts of Rules-based changes
* The Risk Assignment Framework
* Floodplain Harvesting regulations and
Other Water related matters such as 
* Over-recovered water
* Water Resources Plans
* Wetlands
* NRAR and
* the NRC. 

The NSW Irrigators Council April newsletter is now available. The Top issues discussed include.

  1. Parliamentary Inquiry: Restoring Our Rivers
  2. Revised wetland mapping in water sharing plans
  3. IPART draft report on rural bulk water pricing
  4. Sustainable Diversion Limits Adjustment Mechanism update
  5. Non- Urban Metering


This month's NSW-DQ webinar focused on "Are You Measurement Ready". A recording is available here and responses to questions taken on notice will be available here in the next fortnight.

Some key take aways:
  • All water users should check their licence and approvals to ensure the details are correct, and ensure they are following their conditions.
  • Water users subject to the mandatory metering condition but eligible for exemption should use the online metering guidance tool and take a record of what exemption they believe they can claim.
  • Metering requirements apply to Unregulated users as well as Regulated.

To take FPH entitlement in the Gwydir you must have Primary storage meters installed and validated by a DQP on all the storages in your works approval. 

Users looking to find out the storage levels on the DAS before starting an FPH event, and then at the end of an FPH event may find this video useful.

The primary storage meters record on approximately 15 minute intervals, but only upload onto the DAS once a day, so ensure you monitor your FPH take using a secondary storage meter or gauge boards. 

To log onto the DAS you will need a username and password.
You should have received an email with this information on it. To find this email search WaterNSW+DAS, it may have landed in the junk folder. 

This link provides useful tools for water users

NSW Irrigators Council newsletter March 2025. Topics include

  1. Federal election and Budget
  2. NSWIC March General Meeting
  3. Expanding NRAR's enforcement powers
  4. Water sharing plans and wetland mapping saga
  5. Murray-Darling Basin Plan updates

As we have seen rain in the recent week, it is possible that there may be opportunity for FPH where you have all the storages in your works approval fitted with a primary storage meter certified by your DQP.
Entitlement holders with a point of intake meter completed and approved by your DQP will also be able to access FPH entitlement. 
This is the link to the WaterNSW Gwydir FPH fact sheet. 
This is the link to the department Gwydir FPH and licensing page. 

Federal Election

As we will now have a federal election on the 3rd of May 2025, I encourage you to have conversations with people from all different parts of the community to ensure they understand what is important to safegard the Australian irrigation industry. The following links will show you what the peak industry organisations have as their election policy positions. There are also a number of useful facts about irrigation which you may be able to utilise in your discussions. 

National Irrigators Council

NSW Irrigation Council

National Farmers Federation

Following the review of the Non-Urban metering framework there are some changes that are of importance for smaller users. 
A summary of the changes to the rules around non-urban metering are available here. There is also information to step you through how to ensure you are compliant. 
Some points to note:
* Smaller water users across NSW with works nominated by total entitlements of >15 ML and <100 ML, (unless otherwise exempt) have until 1 December 2027 to comply or by the work approval renewal, whichever is later.
* Water users with entitlements of 15 ML or less are not required to install a meter unless trading water allocations. However, recording and reporting water usage remains mandatory.

The government have updated the metering guidance tool, so you can check if you need a meter or telemetry.

The department sought public feedback in late 2023 on proposed changes to distance restrictions for new or amended bores from other bores or property boundaries in the Water Sharing Plan for the NSW Great Artesian Basin Groundwater Sources 2020 (the plan).

At this time, feedback from stakeholders indicated that the community needed further information on the proposed changes. To address the community's questions, we released a Status Update Document on 17 February 2025, outlining what’s changing and why. Public feedback on this document and the proposed changes is welcome until 6 April 2025.

The GVIA have completed a thrid submission on the update Gwydir unregulated WSP in this submission we make the following recommendations. 

1. We request that any wetland identification not be included as a component of any Water Sharing Plan (WSP) regulated or unregulated now or at any time into the future as it adds no benefit to the public given that any changes to water access in WSP is already accounted for.

2. We request clarity on the financial, legal and production implications of gazetting wetland sites as members have major concerns as to how rules may be interpreted or adjusted in the future.

3. Although we do not support the creation of wetlands on private land, we request that the Department consult with all landholders directly and that ground truthing of any wetland include all sites gazetted in all earlier versions of the Gwydir Unregulated and Regulated Water Sharing Plans.

4. Although we do not support the creation of wetlands on private land, if the Department wishes to identify any new wetlands as a standalone process, unrelated to any Water Sharing Plan, the process must include individual consultation will all landholders likely to be impacted by the identification of a wetland, this includes all neighbouring landholders.

5. We request that following ground truthing and consultation with landholders, to confirm the existence of a wetland, if the Department continues to include them unnecessarily in Water Sharing Plans, then they should be included as a detailed list as in Schedule 4 and Schedule 5 of the Water Sharing Plan for the Gwydir Unregulated River Water Sources 2012 and be supported by the interactive map. We cannot accept a map alone as we have no confidence it will be tamper proof.

Just a Farmer

Please find included information on a film being screened at the Town and Country Club, 5 Frome St Moree on Friday the 4th of April. 
The film writer Leila McDougall will be a special guest at the event. 
This screening is proudly sponsored by mcGregor Gourlay Agricultural Services, AFF, NSW Farmers and CWA Moree
The event beguins at 6pm and there is no charge. 

The NSW legislative assembly are conducting an inquiry into the Impacts of the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Act 2023 on NSW regional communities. The chair is Roy Butler and has been designed to consider the following:

a) the social, economic and environmental impact of repealing limits to the cap on Commonwealth water purchases
b) the risks to the effective implementation of the Federal Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Act 2023 including unlicensed take of water and options to address these risks such as rules for floodplain harvesting
c) the impact of Planned Environmental Water rules on the reliability of water allocations in NSW and the Commonwealth's environmental water holdings
d) the impact of rules-based changes on the reliability of water allocations in NSW, including their impact on different water license categories
e) the effectiveness and impacts of past water reforms, including community-based water reduction adjustment programs such as the Strengthening Basin Communities program and Murray-Darling Basin Economic Development Program
f) options to improve future community-based reduction adjustment programs including next rounds of the Sustainable Communities Program
g) any other related matter. Submissions are Due 14th April 2025. 

Today the NSW Government released media associated with wetlands in the NSW unregulated WSP. There has been significant changes to the proposals, a direct result of the feedback from each of you. We thank the NSW water Minister and her department for responding to the feedback they received.
There are still however newly prescribed wetlands in the Gwydir. Landholders who still have sites on their land, which they do not support as wetlands have until the 23rd March to provide feedback to the department, as the plan is still subject to change through the public consultation period. 
In addition we will be reinforcing the need for any landholder impacted by these new and all existing wetlands to be directly consulted by the department. Gazetting a wetland without appropriate consultation is not acceptable. 
The updates on the department website include mapped wetland areas limited to internationally significant Ramsar listed wetlands, those registered in the Directory of Important Wetlands of Australia, any wetlands already receiving protection in the current water sharing plans and wetlands identified as ecologically and/or culturally significant in previously exhibited floodplain management plans.
People can also attend a webinar from 12.30-1.30pm on Wednesday 12 March 2025 to learn more.

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