Water

Water impacted in climate report

Sep 19, 2025

"The current approach of just taking water off those last in line (agriculture), has its limitations,“ the National Irrigators Council says.

The release of the National Climate Risk Assessment and National Adaptation Plan exposes the risks to Australia’s agriculture sector from climate change, particularly water security for irrigation to grow food and fibre, according to a national water body.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

The report found that “changes in water security could significantly impact agriculture ... and decrease reliability of water resources, resulting in reduced allocations”.

National Irrigators Council chief executive officer Zara Lowien said climate change posed a very real risk to irrigated agriculture.

“Currently the water management system adapts to climate seasonality, through allocating water when it is available,” she said.

“The agriculture sector is amongst the last in line for water, with water prioritised for the environment and domestic uses.

“If the climate risks extend beyond what can be achieved by just water-sharing, then it’s time for a much bigger conversation looking at many options (like infrastructure), that works towards improved water security for all.

“Adapting to climate change will be a shared responsibility that will need integrated solutions and collaboration, a far cry from the current, single water policy approach being used in the Murray-Darling Basin of just buying back water from farmers for the environment.”

While the assessment acknowledged that water security challenges will impact agriculture through reduced water allocations, it fell short of assessing the likely extent of these impacts.

“The assessment is right in pointing to the impacts to agriculture from reduced water allocations, but it is a major shortcoming that it did not detail exactly what those impacts are expected to be,” Ms Lowien said.

“Australia’s irrigated agriculture sector is worth billions, and supplies Australia and our trading partners with food and fibre, including 93 per cent of Aussie fruits and nuts and 83 per cent of our vegies.

“We are calling on the Federal Government to include water security for irrigation as part of their plans to develop a National Food Security Strategy.

“Water security for all, including agriculture, is a critical piece of the climate change puzzle, we have a shared responsibility to come together to work through this challenge and develop solutions — we cannot afford for anyone to lose.”