water buybacks

The National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) met in Sydney ... to finalise a response to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review, issuing a sneak peek. "The balance has been struck when it comes to sharing water, with three-decades of reforms shrinking the share for farmers by one-third," said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien.

Hugh Schuitemaker. The announcement of a "worst-case" water allocation scenario for SA River Murray irrigators – the first in five years – is set to compound the region's economic struggles, according to a senior irrigation figure, and a Riverland politician. The DEW last week announced South Australian River Murray irrigators were projected to receive minimum opening water allocations of 62 per cent for the 2026-27 water year.

This year’s projected opening allocation for South Australian River Murray water users has reinforced the importance of a healthy and flowing Basin – and ensuring parties representing River communities put local interests ahead of upstream states.

Greater Shepparton City Council is intensifying its advocacy and engagement efforts to ensure local community and industry voices are heard as part of the Murray Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) review, with public submissions closing on 1 May 2026. As part of its water advocacy program, Council is undertaking targeted engagement activities to encourage community and stakeholder participation in the review process...

A forum highlighting the negative impacts of the basin plan on rural communities was held in Barham recently – hundreds were in attendance or have watched the forum online. Southern Riverina Irrigators (SRI) joined the Central Murray Environmental Floodplain Group, The Bridge Newspaper and Upper Goulburn Catchment Alliance to organise the event which included a variety of speakers across industry, science and agriculture.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s (MDBA) own analysis shows further water buybacks are unlikely to deliver significant improvements in environmental objectives across the Basin and zero improvements in any Victorian river systems including the Victorian Murray.

The Nationals team met with Murray-Darling water users in Narrandera on Sunday, speaking about increasing pressures from water buybacks, fuel costs and energy costs. Key stakeholders, businesses and members of the public met with key Nationals members to have their water issues heard at a roundtable meeting.

Kimberly Grabham and Tertia Butcher. One Nation's candidate for Farrer, David Farley, firmly denied he falsely claimed to have a degree from prestigious Harvard University. In response to a question from The Riverine Grazier during his visit to Hay last week, Mr Farley said he attended Harvard University three times to deliver a course, not as a student.

There's been spirited debate and productive discussion about the Murray–Darling Basin Plan Review (the Review) at the 2026 Basin Leadership Summit. Nearly 200 senior leaders from across communities, agriculture and tourism industries, environmental groups, First Nations, government and science converged in Brisbane over two days to discuss the future management of the Murray–Darling Basin.

The Albanese Government has ... tabled the annual Murray–Darling Basin First Nations water report for 2024–25. This report provides an overview of the progress made in 2024–25 by the Albanese Government to strengthen First Nations peoples’ leadership, knowledge and self determination in water management and planning decisions across the Murray–Darling Basin...