Allocations / South Australia

SA River Murray irrigators reach full allocation

100 per cent for 2026-27, the third and final lift from April's 62 per cent worst-case floor.

South Australian River Murray irrigators are now on a 100 per cent water allocation for the 2026-27 water year, after the Department for Environment and Water lifted the allocation from 92 to 100 per cent on 15 July. It is the third and final increase since the 62 per cent worst-case minimum announced on 15 April, which was based on the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's conservative planning scenario.

The improvement reflects the moderate to high rainfall across the upper Murray catchments through June, which lifted inflows to the River Murray system and the shared storages. Under South Australia's water allocation plan, allocations are set using a deliberately conservative approach designed to reduce the risk of allocations going backwards during a season.

Because the opening allocation exceeded the plan's 50 per cent threshold, irrigators were not able to carry over unused water from 2025-26, so the season begins on full allocation with a clean slate. Allocations have now reached 100 per cent every year since 2011-12, and with no further announcements planned for the year, irrigators can plan the season ahead with a high degree of certainty on water availability.

Water watch / Storages & market

Storages keep rising, allocation prices ease

Winter rain has lifted the southern Basin and softened the water market.

The seasonal picture has continued to improve. Winter rainfall across the southern and central Basin through June and into July has kept lifting soil moisture and storage inflows, building on the falls recorded across Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia earlier in the season.

Murray-Darling Basin storages have kept rising: whole-of-Basin storage reached 12,450 gigalitres, or 56 per cent of capacity, at 15 July, up from 11,337 gigalitres a fortnight earlier. In the upper Murray, Dartmouth sat at around 70 per cent and Hume at around 48 per cent, easing the tighter position that carried into the 2026-27 water year.

The improved availability has flowed through to the market. Allocation prices in the Victorian Murray below the Barmah Choke have eased to around $320 per megalitre, down from about $414 in late June, as higher allocations lift supply. Trade remains open across the southern connected system, from the Goulburn to the Murray, downstream through the Barmah Choke, and from the Murrumbidgee to the Murray.

Policy / Murray-Darling

Basin Plan Review reaches its halfway point

The first full review since 2012, with a final report due late 2026.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority's once-in-a-decade review of the Basin Plan is now well underway, with a final report expected in late 2026. This is the first full review since the Plan commenced in 2012, and it will shape how water is shared and managed across the Basin for the next decade.

Irrigation industry bodies have been active in the consultation process. The National Irrigators' Council has released its own review position, 'Moving Forward', calling for a Plan that balances environmental outcomes with the viability of irrigated agriculture and Basin communities. The National Farmers' Federation has also renewed its call for an end to water buybacks, pointing to a recent MDBA report on the social and economic impacts of continued water recovery on Basin communities.

State governments, local councils and community groups have lodged submissions, with Victoria among those pushing for greater recognition of regional impacts. Irrigation professionals with an interest in the outcome should watch for the MDBA's final report later this year.

Funding / Drought & infrastructure

Record drought funding and the Resilient Rivers program

$519.1M for the Future Drought Fund, plus $494M over four years for river infrastructure.

The Federal Government has announced a record $519.1 million investment in Future Drought Fund programs to help farmers and regional communities prepare for the next drought and build climate resilience.

The funding supports a suite of programs including the Drought Resilience Innovation Challenges Pilot, with successful projects commencing from May 2026, and a $12 million inaugural grant program supporting First Nations-led drought resilience initiatives. Alongside this, the Resilient Rivers Water Infrastructure Program is providing $494 million over four years for projects that modernise water delivery infrastructure while recovering water for the environment, a significant pipeline of modernisation work for irrigation contractors, designers and network operators.

State support is also expanding. In New South Wales, the maximum loan available under the $250 million Drought Ready and Resilient Fund has been doubled from $250,000 to $500,000, enabling larger sustainability-focused projects, many of which involve on-farm water infrastructure and irrigation efficiency upgrades.

ABARES data shows 77 per cent of broadacre and dairy farms adopted at least one drought resilience practice in the three years to 2023-24, a sign that preparedness is becoming standard practice across the sector.

Waterwise / Western Australia

WA winter sprinkler switch-off is in force

Reticulation stays off across Perth and the South West to 31 August.

A timely reminder for Western Australian members and their customers: the Water Corporation winter sprinkler switch-off is in force from 1 June to 31 August. Scheme and bore users across Perth, the South West and parts of the Great Southern must keep reticulation off for the winter period, with the usual two-day roster resuming afterwards. It is a good window to service controllers, check for leaks and plan upgrades before the watering season returns.

Irrigation Australia delivers the Waterwise programs in partnership with the Water Corporation to lift water-use efficiency in domestic and commercial irrigation across WA. The self-study endorsement programs include the Waterwise Garden Irrigator Program, covering efficient sprinkler and drip design, installation and maintenance for residential systems, and the Waterwise Irrigation Design Shop Program, recognising retail and design outlets that promote water-efficient practice.

Becoming a Waterwise-endorsed business signals to customers that you meet best-practice standards, and links you into Water Corporation referral and rebate activity. Members in WA who are not yet endorsed are encouraged to get involved.

Member news / Philmac

Philmac launches PUSH tool-free fitting range

Pushfit connections for polyethylene pipe, designed and made in South Australia.

Irrigation Futures Platinum Sponsor Philmac has launched Philmac PUSH, a new pushfit connection system for polyethylene pipe that delivers secure, tool-free connections across irrigation, plumbing, agricultural and civil pipeline applications.

Designed and manufactured in South Australia, the PUSH range needs no chamfering and allows easy refitting, cutting installation time on the job. The system has been extensively tested for durability at Philmac's Adelaide laboratory, from high pressure testing to real world demonstrations in extreme Australian conditions.

For installers and contractors, PUSH offers a faster alternative to traditional compression fittings without compromising on the reliability Philmac fittings are known for.

Member news / Valley Irrigation

Valley brings Small Field Centre Pivot to Australia

Purpose-built for smaller and irregular fields up to around 24 hectares.

Irrigation Futures Platinum Sponsor Valley Irrigation has released a new Small Field Centre Pivot for the 2026 growing season, purpose-built for smaller and irregularly shaped fields of up to around 24 hectares that have traditionally been difficult to irrigate efficiently with pivots.

The pivot can be fitted with 5.8 metre or 8.7 metre overhangs to extend the irrigated radius, and pairs with the Valley Icon panel and AgSense 365 digital platform for remote monitoring and control. The product is being rolled out in Australia through authorised Valley dealers.

You can also catch the Valley Irrigation team in person at the 2026 Australian Cotton Conference on the Gold Coast this August.

Technology / Trends 2026

Smart irrigation tipped as a key growth area

Australia's smart agriculture market is forecast to grow around 13 per cent a year to 2034.

Industry analysts have named irrigation tools, remote sensing and farm management software among the hottest areas of agrifood technology investment in 2026, as water scarcity and rising input costs push growers towards data-driven water management.

Australia's smart agriculture market is forecast to grow at around 13 per cent annually through to 2034, with agricultural sensor technology alone projected to reach USD 254 million in 2026. Smart irrigation systems that link soil moisture, weather and timing data are a leading use case, helping growers cut water waste while protecting yields.

Irrigation Futures members are at the front of this shift. Gold Sponsor Netafim recently launched its fifth generation AI-enabled Dosing 5G fertigation range, which integrates with its GrowSphere operating system to automate irrigation and fertigation management from a single interface.

For irrigation designers and installers, the trend points to growing demand for skills in sensors, controllers, telemetry and system integration, capabilities that are increasingly part of the modern irrigation professional's toolkit.

RTO 91313 / Nationally accredited

Upcoming training courses

Places are limited, early registration recommended.

Western Australian apprentices and trainees may be eligible for funding support, and group discounts are available for organisations booking multiple participants. Self-paced online courses, including the free Irrigation Insights induction, are also available year-round.

Careers / Talent Hub

Talent Hub: employers wanted

Free employer profiles, and a Pay-for-Success model, so you only pay on a successful hire.

In partnership with Goheadhunt, the Irrigation Australia Talent Hub connects employers with a growing pool of industry talent. Members can create a free employer profile and start attracting candidates from across the irrigation sector.

The Talent Hub runs on a Pay-for-Success model, so you only pay when you make a successful hire. With the pool of registered candidates continuing to grow, it is a low-risk way to fill roles with people who know the industry. We encourage members looking to hire to register and set up a profile today.