e-News Edition #75 New

Date: 23-Oct-2026

Welcome to Edition 75 of the Irrigation Australia e-News. Peter Durand opens with a question about getting membership value to your whole team. We then cover next Wednesday's AGM, the Esperance sprinkler roster, allocations and the summer outlook, Queensland funding, water-quality guideline updates and the next WA Certificate III intake.

Hot Topics

From Peter: Getting Membership Value Through to the People Doing the Work
The 2026 AGM Is Next Wednesday, 28 October
Esperance Bore Users Move to a Two-Day Sprinkler Roster on 1 December
15 October Allocations and a Hot Summer Outlook
Queensland Funding for Bores, Pipes and Drought Infrastructure
Water-Quality Guideline Updates for Irrigation Practitioners
National Water Week Ends This Sunday
WA Certificate III: October Intake Full, Register Your Interest in the Next

1. From Peter: Getting Membership Value Through to the People Doing the Work

Membership is most useful when the people doing the work can draw on it. In a business with several branches or teams, that means getting relevant information beyond the person who receives the membership invoice.

I am organising a small discussion with irrigation dealer and retail groups about what Irrigation Australia needs to deliver for their businesses. We will look at how we reach branches and employees, where industry connections would help, and which services staff would actually use. I will report back on the priorities that emerge.

Recent supplier conversations have also highlighted the technical experience held across our membership. There is scope to make that knowledge more accessible through practical contributions and member case studies. The most useful examples explain a problem, the decisions made and what happened on site, so others can learn from the experience.

I would welcome the same practical feedback from smaller businesses, contractors and councils. Which part of your team is least connected with Irrigation Australia, and what information or support would make the biggest difference to their work?

Please send one example to info@irrigation.org.au with "Member value" in the subject line. Your feedback will help us choose a manageable set of actions and communicate them to the people who need them.

Peter Durand, Acting General Manager

2. The 2026 AGM Is Next Wednesday, 28 October

Irrigation Australia's 2026 Annual General Meeting will be held online on Wednesday 28 October at 11 am AEST (12 noon AEDT, 11:30 am ACDT, 10:30 am ACST and 9 am AWST). We will present the 2026 Annual Report, share an update on our financial position and announce the new incoming Directors. Eight candidates were nominated for the five available Director positions.

Register to receive the Teams link and meeting details. If you cannot attend, please complete the 2026 Proxy Form to help the meeting reach quorum. Proxy forms must be received by the Company Secretary by 5 pm AEST on Monday 26 October 2026.

2026 Proxy Form

2026 Annual Report

3. Esperance Bore Users Move to a Two-Day Sprinkler Roster on 1 December

From 1 December 2026, domestic garden bore users in the Shire of Esperance and Munglinup will be limited to watering two days a week, followed by a winter sprinkler switch-off from 1 June 2027 covering June, July and August. Esperance relies almost entirely on a single groundwater source, where levels are falling and salinity is rising.

Bore-fed customers in the district will need their controllers reprogrammed for the new roster, and it's a good time to check systems for leaks and coverage before the restrictions start. Water Corporation has not yet published the rostered days.

Read Water Corporation's announcement

4. 15 October Allocations and a Hot Summer Outlook

Northern Victorian allocations rose on 15 October after early October rain. Murray high-reliability water shares went from 75% to 82%, Goulburn and Loddon from 57% to 65%, Campaspe low-reliability shares from 64% to 69%, and Broken low-reliability shares from 0% to 60%. The next announcement is on 2 November.

In New South Wales, general security allocations held steady at 45% in the Murrumbidgee and 30% in the NSW Murray. Menindee Lakes fell below 480 GL on 5 October, so it can no longer support Murray operations, and the Lower Darling is now in Drought Stage 2. The next statements are due on 2 November.

The Bureau of Meteorology's outlook for November to January, issued on 15 October, gives a better than 80% chance of above-average day and night temperatures across much of the country. Rainfall is likely to be above average in much of southern and central WA, SA, southern Queensland and north-eastern NSW, and below average in southern Victoria and Tasmania.

Northern Victoria seasonal determinations

NSW allocation statements

Bureau of Meteorology climate outlooks

5. Queensland Funding for Bores, Pipes and Drought Infrastructure

Queensland's Great Artesian Basin Rehabilitation Program is open for 2027-28 cap and pipe projects, which replace uncontrolled bores and open bore drains with capped bores and piped systems. Expressions of interest close at 4 pm on Friday 30 October 2026, and full applications at 4 pm on Monday 30 November. Last year the program rehabilitated 30 bores and replaced 150 km of bore drains.

QRIDA's Drought Preparedness Grants also remain open, covering up to 25% of the cost of permanent on-farm infrastructure such as pipes, tanks, bores, dams and pumps, to a maximum of $50,000. As at 1 October, $4.28 million of this year's $5 million had been committed, and the scheme closes when the money runs out.

If you supply or install for Queensland landholders, these are worth raising with customers now, while there's still time to apply.

Great Artesian Basin cap and pipe funding

QRIDA Drought Preparedness Grants

6. Water-Quality Guideline Updates for Irrigation Practitioners

Through its involvement in the Queensland Government's Water Engagement Forum (WEF), Irrigation Australia has received an October update on the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (ANZG).

We are sharing the relevant developments with members, particularly water authorities, scheme operators, councils and consultants assessing the environmental effects of irrigation drainage, runoff or discharges into waterways.

Recent updates include:

Finalised freshwater guidelines for copper, nickel and zinc, supported by guidance on how local water chemistry (including pH, hardness and dissolved organic carbon) affects toxicity and the interpretation of monitoring results.
Additional guidance on applying the PFOS freshwater guidelines, including assessment of risks to aquatic organisms.
Forthcoming public consultations on further draft guidelines, including hexazinone and imidacloprid. Consultation dates will be available when the drafts are released.

These updates concern the protection of aquatic ecosystems. They should not be interpreted as new limits determining whether water is suitable for irrigating crops or turf.

Members who use ANZG guidance in environmental assessments or monitoring programs should check the current documents and their applicability to local conditions.

Source: Update circulated through the Queensland Government's Water Engagement Forum on 21 October 2026.

View the official ANZG updates and guidance

Subscribe for future updates

7. National Water Week Ends This Sunday

National Water Week finishes on Sunday 25 October, and there's still time to take our Water Week quiz. It's ten questions on water and irrigation, and answering all ten correctly earns one CPD point for all Irrigation Australia certifications, including Waterwise.

Gary, our irrigation robot built from poly pipe and fittings, is hiding in a photo on our LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram each weekday this week. Spot him and tell us where in the comments.

Take the Water Week quiz

Our National Water Week page

8. WA Certificate III: October Intake Full, Register Your Interest in the Next

The October intake of the AHC32424 Certificate III in Irrigation Technology in Western Australia started on Monday 19 October, and it is full. Thank you to the employers and learners who enrolled.

The date of the next intake will be announced soon, and you can register your interest now. Our training team can also help you check eligibility for the WA apprenticeship and Priority Industry Training subsidies.

To learn more or register your interest, email info@irrigation.org.au with "WA Certificate III" in the subject line.

View all upcoming courses

Also This Fortnight

Six weeks to the NSW coastal metering deadline. Coastal water users whose works are nominated by 100 ML or more must have an AS4747 meter, local intelligence device and telemetry installed and validated by a duly qualified person by 1 December 2026. Check how the metering rules apply to you

Certified Meter Installer and Validator, Brisbane, 1 and 2 December. Places remain on our Queensland course, which runs as the state's first meter certification deadlines fall due. Book your place

Have your say on the Basin's SDL adjustment by 1 November. The MDBA's draft finds 22 of 39 supply and efficiency projects on track to deliver 340 GL a year, short of the 605 GL forecast. Make a submission

Draft Lachlan Valley Floodplain Management Plan on exhibition until 16 November. It sets the rules for approving flood works in the Lachlan valley and replaces three older plans. Have your say on the Lachlan plan

Bill to end Basin water buybacks. The Coalition has introduced a private bill to stop further Commonwealth purchases of Murray-Darling Basin water entitlements, which the National Irrigators' Council supports. Read the Council's statement

Work starts on the Goldfields pipeline upgrade. The $543 million project replaces 44.5 km of WA's 566 km Goldfields and Agricultural Water Supply Scheme pipeline and duplicates Binduli Reservoir. Read the WA Government's statement

Recycled water for Wamuran growers. Unitywater is inviting more growers north of Brisbane to connect to the Wamuran Irrigation Scheme, which supplies Class A recycled water from Caboolture South. Read more at Inside Water

Melbourne flags possible summer restrictions. Storages rose from 63.4% to 69.3% over winter but are 56.7 billion litres below last year, and Melbourne's water corporations say restrictions are possible if spring stays dry. Read more at Inside Water

Solar telemetry on the Don Irrigation Scheme. Solar-powered cellular telemetry units at property outlets on Tasmanian Irrigation's 53 km Don scheme now feed flow and pressure data into its SCADA system. Read more at Inside Water

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. 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!

Our Talent Hub, delivered with Goheadhunt, puts your business in front of graduates of our Certificate III and certification programs and people coming through the Irrigation Insights induction course.