e-News Edition #73 New

Date: 30-Sep-2026

Welcome to Edition 73 of the Irrigation Australia e-News. The Spring 2026 Journal, Volume 42 No 02, is out now, with the Spring CPD Quiz on page 29. Peter Durand, our Acting General Manager, opens the edition with an update on training and industry connections, and he has also supplied two practical items: whole-farm planning support and weekly irrigation data in northern Victoria, and the Waterwise Council Program in Western Australia. We report the 15 September allocation lifts in New South Wales and Victoria, what a strong El Niño means for spring system checks, the New South Wales bill that sets up a new licensing framework for bore drillers, the first stage of the Western Irrigation Network near Bacchus Marsh, and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's Basin Plan Review discussion materials. We close with the October dates worth holding and an invitation to be our next Member Spotlight.

Hot Topics

From Peter: Making Training and Industry Connections More Useful
The Spring Journal Is Out Now
Southern Basin Allocations Lift Again
Planning an Irrigation Upgrade in Northern Victoria
A Strong El Niño Is Here: Get Systems Checked Before Summer
WA Councils Can Put Waterwise Support to Work on Site
NSW Water Bill Brings a New Licensing Framework for Bore Drillers
Western Irrigation Network Stage One Delivers Recycled Water to Farms
Basin Plan Review: Discussion Materials Released
October Dates Worth Holding
Be Our Next Member Spotlight

1. From Peter: Making Training and Industry Connections More Useful

Recent member conversations have reinforced two practical needs: helping people build useful irrigation skills and improving access to the customers who use their expertise.

On training, we are tightening our CMI pre-enrolment information so learners and employers understand the full pathway. The face-to-face sessions need to be supported by preparation, practical evidence and assessment. Clearer expectations should help businesses plan staff time and identify any workplace support needed before enrolling.

On industry connections, we are exploring opportunities to contribute irrigation expertise within established horticulture and turf events. The aim is to reach relevant end users through useful technical content and direct engagement. These discussions are still being developed; participation arrangements will be shared when there is a defined opportunity.

Employers do not need to wait for a new program to introduce someone to the industry. Irrigation Australia's free Irrigation Insights online induction is already available through irrigationcareers.org.au and can be a useful starting point for a new employee or work-experience student.

What is one task that a new employee in your business needs to understand sooner? Email info@irrigation.org.au with "For Peter" in the subject. Specific examples will help us select practical learning and communication topics.

Peter Durand, Acting General Manager

Start the free Irrigation Insights induction

Send Peter your feedback

2. The Spring Journal Is Out Now

Volume 42 No 02 is live on our Journal page. It leads on the two questions members have put to us most this year. What the New South Wales coastal metering rollout actually requires, and how you keep water moving when one bore is the only source on the place.

Also inside: a submersible bore pump upgrade on a cotton farm near Baan Baa that ended three turbine shaft failures in five years, irrigation scheduling from a calibrated soil water balance, Women in Water Connect, the When Water Meets the Ground workshop at Greenscapes, and Member Spotlight on Chris Rehm of Think Water Group.

The Spring CPD Quiz is on page 29. Ten questions drawn from the articles, and one Compulsory Professional Development point for members who score 100 per cent.

Read the Spring 2026 Journal

Take the Spring CPD Quiz

3. Southern Basin Allocations Lift Again

New South Wales lifted Murrumbidgee general security by 7 percentage points to 41 per cent on 15 September, up from the 34 per cent reported in our last edition. NSW Murray general security rose 10 points to 28 per cent, and Lower Darling general security holds at 30 per cent. The same day, the Water Minister announced a one-off 20 per cent boost to Murray supplementary allocations, up to 50 GL, drawn from uncontrolled flows.

In northern Victoria, high reliability water shares on 15 September stood at 70 per cent in the Murray, 51 per cent in the Goulburn and Loddon, and 100 per cent in the Broken and Campaspe, where low reliability shares reached 61 per cent. The next announcements in both states are due on Thursday 1 October, with the New South Wales statements published at 2.30 pm.

Each lift turns into planting and watering decisions on farm, which makes this the point in the season to talk scheduling and system efficiency with clients before the water is committed.

NSW water allocation statements

Northern Victoria seasonal determinations

Murray supplementary allocation boost

4. Planning an Irrigation Upgrade in Northern Victoria

Before developing an irrigation upgrade proposal, check whether a whole-farm plan would help clarify the customer's priorities. Eligible Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District irrigators may receive a cost-share incentive of up to 50% towards survey and design, subject to district-specific caps and conditions. Agriculture Victoria's irrigation officers can explain the current arrangements before work is commissioned.

For day-to-day decisions, the Northern Victoria Weekly Irrigation Requirements update provides reference evapotranspiration, rainfall and forecast information. Use the local data with crop and soil information when considering irrigation timing; reference evapotranspiration alone does not determine a site's watering requirement.

These resources can support a more informed discussion between the irrigator and their adviser.

Check whole-farm planning support

View the current irrigation data

5. A Strong El Niño Is Here: Get Systems Checked Before Summer

The Bureau of Meteorology's update of 15 September describes El Niño as firmly established and strong, and expects it to persist into autumn 2027. A positive Indian Ocean Dipole is also likely to develop this spring. Together they point to a drier, warmer season for much of the country.

Western Australia has already had a taste of it. Perth recorded 56.8 mm of rain in July against an average of 144.3 mm, and Water Corporation is advising customers to check for leaks and damaged sprinkler heads so their systems are ready when temperatures rise.

For irrigation businesses, that advice is work. Spring is the time to offer clients a system check covering leaks, pressure, head condition, coverage and controller settings, before the first heatwave turns a small fault into a dead lawn or a stressed crop. If a client asks for someone qualified, the Certification Directory lists every Certified Irrigation Installer and Designer.

Bureau of Meteorology climate driver update

Water Corporation on El Niño

Search the Certification Directory

6. WA Councils Can Put Waterwise Support to Work on Site

WA council irrigation teams may have useful support available through the Waterwise Council Program. Water Corporation lists staff training, data loggers to assist with leak detection, and access to Waterwise Greening Scheme co-funding among the benefits for endorsed councils.

Ask your council's Waterwise coordinator which support is available and how it could assist a current operational need. For contractors, bring a specific issue to that conversation, such as unexplained water use or a staff training gap, and agree what information is needed before proposing further work.

The program is jointly run by Water Corporation and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER), and joining is free for WA local governments. Eligibility and access to individual benefits should be checked with the program team.

Review the program and benefits

7. NSW Water Bill Brings a New Licensing Framework for Bore Drillers

The New South Wales Minister for Water introduced the Water Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 into the Legislative Council on 17 September. It amends the Water Management Act 2000 and supports a modernised licensing framework for drillers, covering the decommissioning of bores and the supervision of people who work alongside licensed drillers.

The bill would also move works held by irrigation corporations from the Irrigation Corporations Act 1994 to approvals under the Water Management Act 2000, and smooth the schedule for replacing water sharing plans. None of this takes effect unless the bill passes and receives assent. Members who drill, decommission or supervise bore work in New South Wales should read the fact sheet now, while the detail is still being debated.

Read the bill fact sheet

NSW water acts and regulations

8. Western Irrigation Network Stage One Delivers Recycled Water to Farms

The first stage of the Western Irrigation Network is complete. The $116 million project runs more than 28 km of pipeline from the Melton Recycled Water Plant to Parwan-Balliang, near Bacchus Marsh, with three transfer pumping stations and a one billion litre winter storage dam.

It will supply 2.4 billion litres of recycled water in its first year to about 1,500 hectares, rising to as much as 18 billion litres a year at full capacity. The project is funded by the National Water Grid Fund, the Victorian Government and private agribusinesses. New supply on that scale means new on-farm distribution, storage and scheduling work for designers and installers in the region.

Read the Victorian Government announcement

9. Basin Plan Review: Discussion Materials Released

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has released discussion materials for the 2026 Basin Plan Review, dated 17 September. The Authority is clear that these are working materials, not final decisions or government policy. They cover water resource plans, sustainable diversion limit accounting, climate adaptation and environmental water, and ideas under consideration include halving the number of water resource plan requirements from 55 and limiting annual sustainable diversion limit credits.

The final Review Report goes to governments in December 2026, and the Authority has said it will hold a public webinar later this year. Members whose clients rely on Basin water should keep an eye on it, because this review sets the rules those clients will be planning around for the next decade.

Basin Plan Review

Download the discussion materials

10. October Dates Worth Holding

Smart Water Connect, The Water Conservancy's annual water efficiency forum, runs at UTS in Sydney on Tuesday 13 October, and the organisers have asked for stronger representation from the irrigation sector.

National Water Week runs from 19 to 25 October under the theme Water is Life. Water Night falls on Thursday 22 October, when households and schools are asked to turn the taps off from 5 pm to 10 pm. Our last edition gave the date as 23 October; the organisers' site confirms it is the 22nd. If your business, council or regional committee is planning an activity for the week, tell us and we will share it.

The Australian National Field Days run from 22 to 24 October at Borenore, 15 km west of Orange, with more than 500 exhibitors, from 8.30 am to 4 pm each day.

Smart Water Connect registration

National Water Week

Water Night

Australian National Field Days

Tell us about your Water Week activity

11. Be Our Next Member Spotlight

We want to put more members in front of the industry. The Member Spotlight is a one-page profile that runs in The Overflow and is shared through this e-News and our social channels. It covers a project you are proud of, a highlight of your year, how you ended up in irrigation and what is coming up next.

It takes about 15 minutes. We send a short questionnaire, you send it back with two to four photos, such as a team shot on site and one or two project shots, and we write it up and send you the final wording for approval before anything is published. This is editorial and it costs nothing. Email info@irrigation.org.au and we will send you the questionnaire.

Put your business forward

Find out more about The Overflow

Also This Fortnight

The National Water Reform report is still with government. The Productivity Commission delivered it on 4 September and a release date has not been set. The government must table it within 25 sitting days, and we will cover it once it is public. National Water Reform 2026

Australian Water Association awards season opens in October. State awards dinners run from the Western Australian Water Awards on 30 October through to New South Wales on 2 December. Australian Water Association events

National Agriculture Day is Friday 20 November. It is a good date to show customers the irrigation behind the produce they buy. National Agriculture Day

Your invoices are in the member portal. Irrigation Australia invoices can be viewed and paid any time under the My Purchases tab, without waiting for the office to open. Log in to the member portal

Upcoming Training Courses

Irrigation Australia is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 91313) delivering nationally accredited irrigation qualifications, workshops and short courses. Our courses use a blended learning model, combining hands-on face-to-face training with interactive virtual classrooms.

Early 2027

Funding and discounts: Western Australian participants should check the WA Apprenticeship and the current Priority Industry Training funding subsidies, which substantially reduce the cost of the Certificate III in Irrigation Technology. Councils and contractors sending staff to the October Western Australian intake should ask the training team about eligibility before they enrol, not after. Group discounts are available for organisations enrolling multiple staff, so please contact the training team before booking a team in.

Self-paced online options also remain open, including the free Irrigation Insights induction course and the Introduction to Irrigation Part A and Part B courses. Company members can purchase a 12 month subscription giving all staff unlimited access to all three online courses.

View all upcoming training courses and dates

The Irrigation Australia Talent Hub: Employers Wanted!

Irrigation Australia has partnered with Goheadhunt to deliver the Irrigation Australia Talent Hub, a dedicated recruitment channel for our industry. If you are hiring, or expect to be hiring, this is the place to be visible.

Employers can create a free employer profile and get in front of a growing pool of industry talent, including graduates of our Certificate III and certification programs and people coming through the Irrigation Insights induction course.

Free employer profile, no cost to list your business
Access to a growing pool of irrigation-specific talent
Pay-for-Success model, so you only pay on a successful placement

The Talent Hub only works if employers are on it. We would encourage every member business with current or upcoming vacancies to register a profile.

Explore careers and the Talent Hub at irrigationcareers.org.au

Advertise in the Summer Edition of The Overflow

The Summer edition of The Overflow, Irrigation Australia's Western Australian publication, closes for advertising material on Friday 20 November and will be ready on 7 December. It reaches Waterwise Program participants, golf course superintendents, retailers, contractors and manufacturers across Western Australia, and every advertisement carries live links so readers go straight from the page to your website.

Your advertisement is promoted through:

Direct member emails to our membership base
The Irrigation Australia website
The e-News, reaching more than 6,900 subscribers
Irrigation Australia social media channels and our 8,800-plus LinkedIn following
QR codes displayed in irrigation retail stores across Western Australia

This is paid space and it is separate from the Member Spotlight earlier in this edition, which is editorial and free. Members receive preferential rates, and Irrigation Futures Sponsors have access to a discounted two-edition rate that pairs the Summer Overflow with the next Irrigation Journal. To book, or to request the media kit and current rate card, contact the team at info@irrigation.org.au.

Find out more about The Overflow

Find out more about The Irrigation Journal

Irrigation Australia Ltd | 1/35 Paringa Road, Murarrie QLD 4172 | 07 3517 4000 | info@irrigation.org.au

Back to list