BASIN PLAN REVIEW SUBMISSION

Dear Customers, 

Submissions for the Basin Plan Review are due on Friday 1 May. 

You can lodge a submission here. 

I encourage you to write a submission to ensure the voices of the people who live and work in the Basin are clearly heard by the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA). 

CICL will be making a submission and have been working with both the National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) and NSWIC to support their submissions. I encourage you to make a submission which emphasises what you believe is most important for the next version of the Basin Plan. Some suggestions are below: 

• Over the past three decades of water reform, our farm business has adapted and become more efficient and productive. We’ve invested in new technology, improved our practices, and learned to do more with less, even as more water has been returned to the environment.

• Despite rising input costs and global uncertainty, our businesses need stability. We cannot afford to lose any more water from farming if we are to remain viable and continue contributing to regional economies.

• Water is central to the social fabric, identity, and wellbeing of our community. It underpins local jobs, supports families, and keeps our towns strong and connected.

• Governments must now shift the focus from expensive and damaging water recovery to an integrated management plan for the future.

• Government investment must prioritise practical, on ground actions that improve river health - such as carp and invasive species control, removing barriers to fish movement, and better land and riparian management.  These measures deliver real environmental outcomes without taking more water from communities.

• The next phase of the Basin Plan must put communities at the centre of decision making. We need a genuine partnership with governments - one that respects local knowledge and ensures decisions support both healthy rivers and healthy communities. 

More information about the Basin Plan review including the MDBA Discussion Paper is here.

Regards, 

Julian Speed

CEO