e-News Edition #64 New

Date: 28-May-2026

Hot Topics

1. SA River Murray allocation holds at 62 per cent for 2026-27 opening

2. Water markets reform: new national trading rules begin 1 July

3. Eastern drought deepens as winter crop outlook softens

4. Grundfos backs Rural Aid water relief for drought-affected farms

5. Hunter launches new MCC controller for commercial irrigation

6. Netafim launches Dosing 5G range with AI-driven fertigation

7. Watering smarter this winter: a primer on soil moisture monitoring

8. Coming up: events to mark

9. Upcoming Training Courses

10. The Irrigation Australia Talent Hub - Employers Wanted!

11. Advertise in Our Publications

1. SA River Murray allocation holds at 62 per cent for 2026-27 opening

The 15 May projection from the South Australian Department for Environment and Water confirms the minimum opening water allocation for River Murray irrigators remains at 62 per cent for the 2026-27 water year. That is 1,246 gigalitres against South Australia's annual Entitlement Flow of 1,850 gigalitres.

The hold reflects two consecutive years of low rainfall and low inflows into Basin storages. Improvements through the year are still possible, as most Basin inflows historically occur between July and October. Rainfall through May, however, was not enough to lift the projection above the original 15 April figure.

Because the projected opening exceeds 50 per cent, irrigators will not be eligible to carry over any unused allocation volumes from 2025-26 into 2026-27. The actual opening minimum allocation will be announced on 15 June.

Read the SA Government update: SA River Murray irrigation allocation projection for 2026-27 remains at 62 per cent

2. Water markets reform: new national trading rules begin 1 July

A national package of water trading reforms under the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Act 2023 takes effect on 1 July 2026, broadening obligations on every party that trades water in the Murray-Darling Basin.

New prohibitions cover market manipulation and strengthen rules around insider trading, applying to all market participants for the first time. Government agencies and irrigation infrastructure operators will also need to either publish water markets decisions through the Bureau of Meteorology, or publicly announce them before notifying the Bureau.

A second wave of broader data reporting obligations was delayed by 12 months and now takes effect on 1 July 2027. Separately, the Productivity Commission's National Water Reform 2026 inquiry final report is due to the Australian Government by 4 September.

This is the most significant change to Australia's water-trading framework in over a decade. Irrigators who trade water, directly or through brokers, should familiarise themselves with the new conduct rules ahead of 1 July.

3. Eastern drought deepens as winter crop outlook softens

Central western New South Wales and southern Queensland are approaching winter after more than six months without decent rainfall, and farmers across both states are rapidly destocking as conditions intensify. The Bureau of Meteorology's long-range forecast indicates rainfall is likely to be below average for much of eastern Australia from June to August, reinforcing the dry pattern. Cropping regions in Western Australia, NSW and Queensland saw little to no rainfall in mid-May.

ABARES expects a significant decline in the area planted to winter crops in 2026-27. The US Agricultural Attaché projects Australia's 2026-27 wheat harvest could fall 19 per cent to 29 million tonnes, with some growers without subsoil moisture choosing not to plant and others shifting from wheat to barley, legumes and canola.

For irrigators in drought-affected regions, the combination of low storages, reduced inflow expectations and below-average outlooks underlines the value of tight scheduling and active monitoring through the cooler months.

Read the latest ABARES update: Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update

4. Grundfos backs Rural Aid water relief for drought-affected farms

Grundfos Australia, backed by the Grundfos Foundation, has partnered with Rural Aid to fund water tanks and pump replacements for drought-affected Australian farms. The agreement was signed during the Danish State Visit in March.

The partnership ties directly to the drought conditions across eastern Australia, channeling sponsor resources into on-farm water security at exactly the moment producers need it. Member businesses involved in pump install and service work may see flow-on opportunities through the Rural Aid distribution network.

More on the partnership: Grundfos joins Danish royal delegation to drive Australian water security

5. Hunter launches new MCC controller for commercial irrigation

Hunter Industries' new MCC controller is rolling into the ANZ market. The mid-range commercial unit handles 8 to 108 stations and supports conventional, EZDS two-wire and Wireless Valve Link outputs from a single box.

Designed for sites that mix legacy wired infrastructure with new wireless installs, the MCC bridges the gap between Hunter's ACC2 brain and ICC2 economics. Useful kit for contractor members handling commercial retrofits or expansions.

Read the announcement: New MCC Controller - Hunter Industries

6. Netafim launches Dosing 5G range

Netafim Australia's new Dosing 5G range brings AI-driven precision fertigation with remote control to the Australian market. FertiKit, FertiOne, NetaJet and NetaFlex 5G models cover orchard, broadacre and protected-cropping applications.

The 5G generation steps up automation, monitoring and remote management for designers and growers running fertigation as a critical part of their operation. Relevant to CID-credentialled members specifying systems for high-value crops.

Read the announcement: Netafim - News and Events

7. Watering smarter this winter: a primer on soil moisture monitoring

With the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting below-average winter rainfall and many regions already drought-affected, soil moisture monitoring is a practical way to take some of the guesswork out of irrigation scheduling.

Two sensor families dominate the Australian market. Suction-based sensors measure how tightly water is held in the soil, usually in kilopascals (kPa), giving an indication of how hard plants are working to extract water. Volumetric sensors measure the percentage of water in a given soil volume, useful for tracking how much applied water has been retained.

Probes can be installed at multiple depths and read in real time, so irrigators can match watering to actual root-zone moisture rather than a fixed weekly schedule. The result is less over-watering, less nutrient leaching and more efficient use of every megalitre. This matters most heading into winter, when reduced evaporation and cooler conditions can mask how much (or how little) the soil actually needs.

Read the Dairy Australia primer: Soil moisture monitoring - Dairy Australia

8. Coming up: events to mark

The next few months bring several events worth getting in the diary now.

Brown Brothers at Australian Sports Turf Management Conference, Melbourne, 22 to 25 June 2026. Irrigation Australia Platinum sponsor showcasing pumping solutions for turf and sports-facility irrigation.

Hart Winter Walk, Hart SA, Tuesday 21 July 2026. South Australian field-site update for cropping irrigators.

AgriNext 2026, Tuesday 22 July 2026. Includes the panel "Securing Water Futures: Innovation Across Sectors and Markets" covering smart water meters, AI-driven irrigation and groundwater monitoring.

Greenscapes + Green Expo 2026, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, 5 to 6 August 2026. New Irrigation Precinct featuring smart irrigation, automation, pumps and IoT monitoring. Irrigation Australia attending.

Wandin Silvan Field Days, Victoria, 16 to 17 October 2026. Irrigation equipment and water tanks among the exhibitor categories.

9. Upcoming Training Courses

Irrigation Australia is an RTO (91313) delivering nationally accredited irrigation qualifications, certifications and short courses across the country. Below are the next confirmed sessions. Group discounts and the WA Apprenticeship subsidy may apply, so contact the training team for details.

Upcoming training

June 2026

Electrofusion and Butt Welding, Victoria: 3 to 4 June 2026
AHC32424 Certificate III in Irrigation Technology, South Australia: commencing 15 June 2026
Electrofusion and Butt Welding, South Australia: 17 to 18 June 2026

Self-paced online courses

Introduction to Irrigation Part A (free for beginners)
Introduction to Irrigation Part B (Landscape and Agricultural streams)
Irrigation Insights, a free induction course for new entrants
12-month subscription package available for company members covering all three Introduction to Irrigation courses for unlimited staff

Click here to view all upcoming training

Irrigation Australia is pleased to share that we will be an approved provider for the new Apprenticeship in Western Australia.

Funding and subsidies are available in WA. Discounts are available for multiple staff enrolments from the same organisation.

View all upcoming courses and register via our website.

10. Advertise in Our Publications

With 2026 well underway, Irrigation Australia continues to ensure our members are supported and connected. We’d like to remind you of the opportunity to advertise your business in our publications.

We’ve recently made changes to how we share our publications, with additional promotion streams and distribution methods to help your message reach a wider audience across the irrigation industry.

If you’re looking to reach irrigation professionals through The Irrigation Journal or The Overflow, contact info@irrigation.org.au for more information or to receive our 2026 Media Kit.

11. The Irrigation Australia Talent Hub – Employers Wanted!

With 2026 well underway, Irrigation Australia continues to ensure our members are supported and connected. We’d like to offer the opportunity to advertise your business in our publications.

We’ve recently made changes to how we share our publications, with additional promotion streams and distribution methods to help your message reach a wider audience across the irrigation industry.

Your advertisement is promoted through:

Member email notifications
Irrigation Australia’s website
e-News (8,500+ subscribers)
Social media channels
QR codes in WA irrigation retail stores
Publuu distribution

All ads include live links to your website, email and phone number for instant reader engagement.

If you’re looking to reach irrigation professionals through The Irrigation Journal or The Overflow, contact info@irrigation.org.au or view our media kit on the Irrigation Australia website.

Click here if you are interested in becoming an Irrigation Australia Member.

Click here to view upcoming Training Courses.

Click here to view the latest Career Opportunities available within the Irrigation Industry.

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