The #IrrigationMatters campaign was unveiled to coincide with the continuing progress of major water policy reforms, while a recent NSW Audit Office report highlighted concerns around water management and the cumulative impacts of regulatory changes on water users.
NSWIC chief executive officer Dr Madeleine Hartley said decisions made now would have long-term consequences for Australian agriculture.
“The decisions governments make about water policy reform today will shape what Australia can grow tomorrow,” Dr Hartley said.
“Irrigators are working within a broken system, dealing with the combined impacts of ongoing water recovery, endless reform, complex regulation, rising water and production costs, and growing uncertainty about their future.”
Dr Hartley said the importance of irrigation extended far beyond farming communities.
“Irrigation matters to all Australians - from the food on supermarket shelves to the jobs and businesses that keep regional communities thriving,” she said.
“Irrigation is an investment in Australia’s food security, economic resilience and cost of living.”
According to NSWIC, irrigated agriculture produces more than 90 per cent of Australia’s nuts and grapes, more than 76 per cent of its vegetables, all of the nation’s rice, and more than half of Australia’s dairy and sugar production.
Dr Hartley said Australia did not have to choose between environmental outcomes and agricultural production.
“Our growers are not just producing for today - they are investing in the future of Australian agriculture. They are growing the food we eat, the fibre we rely on and building farms they want to hand on to the next generation.
“Water policy must give them the certainty to keep producing for Australia, now and into the future.”
The campaign will roll out across NSW as discussions continue on the future direction of water policy and river management across the Murray-Darling Basin.
