Why Irrigation Matters To Every Australian

A new statewide campaign warns that uncertain water policy could affect food production, regional jobs and supermarket prices.

By The Northern Rivers Rural News Desk

New statewide campaign warns that decisions made about water policy today will determine what Australian farmers can produce tomorrow.

The NSW Irrigators’ Council has launched a statewide campaign highlighting the essential role irrigation plays in Australian food production, regional employment and long-term food security.

The #IrrigationMatters campaign aims to build greater public understanding of the connection between water policy, productive agriculture and the food Australians place on their tables every day.

It also calls on state and federal governments to deliver water policies that protect healthy river systems while providing agricultural businesses with enough certainty to plan, invest and continue producing.

NSW Irrigators’ Council chief executive Dr Madeleine Hartley said the campaign had arrived at a critical time for Australian agriculture.

Governments are progressing major water reforms while irrigators face increasing production expenses, regulatory complexity and uncertainty surrounding future access to water.

“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.”

The campaign argues that the effects of those pressures extend beyond farms and irrigation districts.

Reductions in agricultural production can affect food processors, transport operators, machinery businesses, contractors, rural retailers and the many regional communities supported by farming.

They can also influence the price, availability and origin of food sold to Australian consumers.

“Irrigation matters to all Australians — from the food on supermarket shelves to the jobs and businesses that keep regional communities thriving,” Dr Hartley said.

“Irrigation is an investment in Australia’s food security, economic resilience and cost of living.”

Irrigation Behind Everyday Food

Australians rely heavily on irrigated agriculture, although many consumers may not realise how much of their weekly shopping depends on managed water.

NSWIC figures show irrigation produces more than 90 per cent of Australia’s fruit, nuts and grapes, more than 76 per cent of its vegetables and all domestically grown rice.

Irrigated production also contributes more than half of Australia’s dairy and sugar output.

Those figures mean water availability can influence the supply of fresh produce, milk, rice, wine grapes, nuts and other everyday products.

Irrigated agriculture occupies about five per cent of Australia’s cultivated agricultural land but generates approximately 30 per cent of total agricultural production.

NSWIC cites the gross value of irrigated agricultural production at $18.9 billion nationally and $4.4 billion in NSW during 2020–21.

However, the value of irrigation extends beyond the farm gate. Agricultural production supports packing facilities, food manufacturers, cold-storage operations, freight networks, exporters and local service businesses.

Reliable irrigation can also help farmers maintain production through periods of low rainfall. Nevertheless, water availability still depends on seasonal conditions, storage levels, allocations and rules designed to protect environmental needs.

Audit Identified Regulatory Weaknesses

The campaign follows a NSW Audit Office examination of water management and regulation released in June.

The audit assessed the work of the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, WaterNSW and the Natural Resources Access Regulator.

It found that significant reforms had strengthened aspects of water regulation since deficiencies were identified in 2017.

These reforms included establishing the Natural Resources Access Regulator and progressively introducing non-urban water metering and floodplain harvesting licences.

However, the audit found the complexity of the reform program had reduced clarity about legal obligations for some water users. It said this had undermined voluntary compliance and confidence in the regulatory system.

The Audit Office also found that the department had assessed some reforms individually but had not evaluated their combined environmental, social and economic effects.

Furthermore, deficiencies in ageing information technology systems and water data were limiting regulatory oversight.

The audit made four recommendations aimed at examining the cumulative effects of regulatory change, repairing core data systems and improving how regulatory performance is measured and reported.

About 40,000 water access licences operate across rural and regional NSW. Water entitlements held across the state had an estimated value of up to $41 billion in 2023.

NSWIC believes the findings reinforce concerns raised by water users about the cumulative burden of frequent regulatory changes.

Healthy Rivers And Productive Farms

Dr Hartley rejected the suggestion that Australians must choose between maintaining healthy waterways and supporting productive agriculture.

“Australia does not have to choose between healthy rivers and productive agriculture because Australia’s irrigation achieves both,” she said.

Modern irrigation businesses have invested heavily in water-efficiency technology, upgraded delivery infrastructure, soil monitoring, improved crop management and more precise scheduling.

These measures can increase the amount of food and fibre produced from each unit of water while reducing losses through leakage, evaporation or inefficient application.

However, efficiency improvements alone cannot remove every challenge. Irrigators still require dependable rules, workable compliance systems and confidence that investments made today will remain viable over many years.

Permanent crops such as citrus, grapes and nuts require long-term planning because trees and vines cannot simply be switched off when government policy changes.

Dairy farms, vegetable growers and rice producers also make expensive decisions about equipment, staffing and planting before their final water position or market return is known.

Dr Hartley said farmers were investing not only in current production but also in the future of Australian agriculture.

“Our growers are not just producing for today — they are investing in the future of Australian agriculture,” she said.

“They are growing the food we eat, the fibre we rely on and building farms they want to hand on to the next generation.”

The #IrrigationMatters campaign will seek to connect consumers, regional communities and policymakers with the people and industries behind irrigated production.

Its central message is that water policy must balance environmental protection with the capacity to produce food and fibre.

“Water policy must give them the certainty to keep producing for Australia, now and into the future,” Dr Hartley said.