CICL Update December 2024

Dear Members,

This newsletter provides Members with an update on key water issues affecting CICL and its Members’ businesses.

In this month's newsletter - 

  • Operations update

  • Environmental Compliance

  • CICL Crown Lands Awards

  • Drainage water

  • Staff news

  • Moving on

  • New Staff

    EXTERNAL ISSUES

  • Channels are NOT for swimming in.

  • Water safety for Primary schools

  • Sustainable Communities Funding

  • Minister Jackson visit

  • IPART Water NSW and Water Administration Ministerail Corporation (WAMC) pricing determination

  • A new National Water Agreement (NWA)

  • RGA Next Gen Leadership Opportunities

  • CONCLUSION

  • CEO

Department of Climate Change Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)

Allocation announcements

16/12/2024

High Security                                       95%

General Security                                     34%

Groundwater                                        100%
(Lower Murrumbidgee)

 

2024-25 CICL announcement and offers

Member benefit                                     10%

Additional water offer 6%

          

Water allocation update – NSW – DCCEEW released a water allocation update on Monday 16 December 2025. It is here. The next allocation announcement will be published at 2.30pm on Wednesday 15th January 2025.  

Christmas Operations

CICL Offices

Closed from 12 noon Tuesday 24 December until 8.30am Thursday 2 January 2025.

Waterways

No changes with staff contactable on M: 0427 544 269.

Waterways http://www.colyirr.com.au

T: 1300 850 105

Annual transfers

Closed from 12 noon Tuesday 24 December until 8.30am Thursday 2 January 2025

Inter-valley trade (IVT)

Up-to-date information on the IVT is here.

You can register for WaterNSW IVT alerts here.

 

CICL Management & Staff wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.


Operations Update

Irrigation demand is expected to increase over the next few months. We acknowledge stormy weather and public holidays influences watering schedules. Members could assist Water Operations with our advance water order from the dams by placing their orders up to seven days in advance.

The accuracy of CICL’s advance order is important to reduce the risk of supply shortfalls and CICL having to implement restrictions and capacity sharing.  

In addition, if you have outlets in the same regulator pool please consider staggering starting times for these outlets. This will help the Total Channel Control System’s operation to maintain supply.

Blow grass and aquatic weeds have already and will continue to influence water delivery during this season. Please look out for flow restrictions and report your observations to Water Operations.

Detailed below are Water Operations contact details. Water Operations staff are available across the Christmas period on the mobile number below.

Any issues with blow grass or aquatic weeds over the Christmas period should also be reported to the Water Operations mobile number below.

Water Operations contact details

T: 02 6954 4003 – business hours only (8.30am to 5pm)

M: 0427 544 269 – business hours and after hours (please note this phone does not receive SMS text messages).



Environmental Compliance

CICL Crown Lands Awards

CICL has received a Certificate of Achievement as a Semi Finalist in the NSW Government Crown Land Management Excellence Award. CICL congratulates our Environment Team including Keith Thompson for their work.

Keith Thompson at one of the CICL Biodiversity Reserves

Drainage Water

Customers are reminded draining water contaminated with pesticides, at a level above the EPA notification level, into the CICL drainage system is a breach of CICL’s Rules. As part of routine compliance monitoring for our Environment Protection Licence, CICL staff regularly monitor the drainage network and sample water from drainage outlets. If you are unsure of the quality of on-farm water you wish to drain, you may request on-farm water testing. If you have accidently released contaminated water into the drainage system, please contact Keith Thompson on M: 0439 084 569.


Staff News

Moving On

Jack Weymouth-Smith, Senior Channel Technician, will finish with CICL in mid-December. Jack began his career with us as a school leaver in 2015 and has been a key member of Water Operations for several years, helping to train new Channel Technician recruits. He has also been an active member of the social club and willing to lend a hand with any extra tasks. Jack leaves us to work for Essential Energy as an apprentice linesman.

Daniel Whittred, Manager Information Systems, after nearly 19 years with CICL has decided to explore new opportunities. Daniel, who first commenced with CICL as a graduate engineer, has made important contributions to Water Operations and our Information Technology systems.

CICL wishes both Jack and Daniel well in the future.

New Staff

CICL is pleased to announce Srikanth (Sri) Naladala will be joining CICL as Business Analyst driving our Strategic Transformation projects. Sri is an experienced business analyst and brings the skills we need to support CICL in the delivery of our Digital Transformation Roadmap.

L-R Srikanth Naladala, Julian Speed and Noel Currie


Photo courtesy of Joe Briggs


External Issues

Channels are NOT for swimming in

Irrigation channels are not a safe place to swim, play or for water sports. As well as the known dangers like varying water depths, submerged objects, and snakes, channels have automated structures that can trap and drown you. These structures are remotely operated resulting in unpredictable flows. I remind you that swimming and other water sports in channels are prohibited. Please ensure your children and visitors are aware of this.

Water safety for primary schools

CICL is pleased to continue its support for both our local schools to run intensive swimming programs for all primary students. Our goal is to encourage maximum participation in this program, but also for the program to reinforce our message that swimming in channels is prohibited because it is dangerous.

Photo supplied by Coleambally Central School

 

Photo supplied by Coleambally Central School

Sustainable Communities Funding

The Commonwealth and NSW Governments have signed an agreement to provide NSW communities with $160M for projects and initiatives to support and create jobs, establish new industries and support existing industry to innovate and stimulate economic development in response to the Commonwealth’s decision to achieve a further 450GL for the environment.

NSW is the first state to reach agreement with the Commonwealth. 

Implementation is being led by NSW Regional Development. Murrumbidgee Local Government Area is one of nine Local Government areas eligible for funding. More information is here

While some money is better than none, our key message to both the State and Commonwealth is removing water from agriculture has enormous flow-on impacts throughout communities, which cannot simply be addressed with one-off handouts.

Earlier this year the Australian Government released an update to the Regulatory Impact Statements for the Murray Darling Basin Plan, estimating the negative economic impact of between $602M-$914M annually[1] from the Plan’s implementation. A one-off contribution to NSW of $160M does not address this impact.

Minister Jackson Visit

CICL along with Murrumbidgee Irrigation recently hosted Water Minister Rose Jackson. This was an opportunity provided at short notice to meet. Attending from CICL were our chair Craig Perkins, deputy Denise Kelly and NSWIC delegate Peter Sheppard along with myself and Jenny McLeod. We had extensive discussion about the impacts of the Murray Darling Basin Plan on our business and area, the importance of NSW delivering on their projects to minimise buybacks. The complexity of the draft Murrumbidgee Floodplain Management Plan was also discussed, and we were given assurances the intention of this Plan has no negative impact on   our infrastructure or services to members.

The Hon Rose Jackson, Julian Speed and Jenny McLeod, Thursday 14 October 2024

IPART Water NSW and Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (WAMC) pricing determination

CICL’s submission to IPART highlighted the extraordinary scale of the proposed increases in water charges over the five years of the next determination. CICL has argued there are structural issues with the “impactor pays” model with irrigation farmers being asked to pay for activities not caused by irrigators but costs caused by government regulation, or services and benefits required by the community for public good outcomes.

CICL has also argued that as customers, we have no choice in the services being provided by WaterNSW or WAMC.   

Thank you to members who took the time to prepare their own submissions. IPART has a significant challenge in front of it to adjudicate on the appropriateness, fairness and affordability of the pricing proposals.

A new National Water Agreement (NWA)

The Commonwealth Department of Climate Change Energy Environment and Water had a “soft launch” of its updated new National Water Agreement, it can be found here

The updated draft is not the final agreement, it is still subject to agreement with the states. The update could be summarised as an improvement on the earlier draft. NIC and NSWIC are scrutinising the updated version to finalises our position on the new NWA. 

If a state does not sign the new agreement, the old National Water Initiative remains in place. 

RGA Next Gen Leadership Opportunities

Are you (or is someone on your farm) a young person working in irrigated agriculture?

The RGA Next Generation Leadership Program may be worth exploring. Application are open now and close on Friday 10 January 2025.

Last year former CICL employee George Payne was fortunate to complete this program, which he found interesting and valuable.

This program is designed for new and/or inexperienced people with a passion and interest in the rice industry, supporting industries/communities, or running their own businesses. This program will engage the next generation of leaders with the challenges and opportunities facing agriculture and gain exposure to the industry and associated organisations.

You can find out more, including the application form here.

[1] Office of Impact Assessment Addendum for 450GL scenarios via  https://oia.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/posts/2024/06/Addendum.pdf together with the original RIS via MDBA https://www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/Basin-Plan-RIS-Nov2012.pdf



Conclusion

I would like to acknowledge the efforts of CICL, Murrumbidgee Council and all the Coleambally community members responded to the “mini tornado” which ripped through Coleambally on the afternoon of Saturday 7th December. The support of the community to provide immediate assistance and with the clean-up was appreciated by many.

 I am looking forward to the challenges ahead in 2025, with a focus on:

  • Identifying opportunities to minimise the impact of the Murray Darling Basin Plan and other water reforms on CICL and our members.

  • A concerted effort to minimise the impact to our members of government pass-through charges.

  • Careful implementation of our information systems as we implement important projects within our Digital Roadmap.

  • Establishing a close working relationship with our new investment advisers Morgan Stanley.

  • Ensuring our business as usual meets the needs of our members, with a continued focus on providing sustainable and efficient water delivery services and advocacy on behalf of our members.

I thank former chair Peter Sheppard for his support and guidance, and I look forward to continuing to work with new chair Craig Perkins and the board and management in the best interests of CICL and the region.

On behalf of CICL management and staff I wish you and your families a happy and safe Christmas and New Year.

Kind regards,

Julian Speed

CEO