About CICL

Coleambally Irrigation Area

Coleambally Irrigation Co-operative Limited (CICL) had its genesis in the NSW Department of Land & Water Conservation (DLWC). The Coleambally Irrigation Area (CIA) was established between 1958 and 1970 when the then Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission resumed a number of large pastoral holdings to make use of water diverted westward as a result of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme.  The CIA is located 650km south-west of Sydney in the Riverina.  Coleambally was constructed for the purpose of irrigated agriculture with construction commencing in the late 1950s and the town officially being opened in 1968. The area now has a population of approximately 1200 people.

Water is supplied from the Murrumbidgee River from the Gogeldrie Weir pool through the 41 kilometre main canal and 477 kilometres of supply channels. There is a further 734 kilometres of drainage channels flowing into the Billabong and Yanco Creeks, where the drainage and system losses are used by stock and domestic and irrigation on an ‘opportunistic basis’. Such opportunities are being significantly reduced as the operational environment changes reflecting the outcomes of State and national water reform.

The Irrigation Area covers some 79,000 ha of intensive irrigation, 42,000 ha irrigation/dry farms and 297,000 ha Outfall District stations delivering water supply to 473 farms owned by 364 business units. Water is diverted to the area from the Murrumbidgee River at Gogeldrie Weir. Coleambally Irrigation has a bulk license of 629 GL of water.  Irrigation water is used for crops such as rice, wheat, barley, oats, canola, soybeans, maize, sunflowers, lucerne, grapes, prunes and pastures for sheep and cattle. Irrigation has turned what used to be less productive land into highly productive land, which produces a diverse range of food that ends up on the dinner tables of many Australians. Export of produce is also an important market with 80% of rice destined for overseas countries.

In the years prior to 1991 the DLWC was responsible for the management of all irrigation water distribution across the state of NSW. The Coleambally Irrigation Area was then managed as part of the wider Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas and Districts.

Corporatisation

On 1 July 1997, the Governor of New South Wales proclaimed the commencement of the Irrigation Corporations Act 1994 which had the effect of bringing Coleambally Irrigation Corporation into being as a State owned corporation under the State Owned Corporations Act 1989 and established it as a class 1 irrigation corporation under the Irrigation Corporations Act 1994.

Privatisation

On 6 December 1999 Coleambally Irrigation Limited was formed as a vehicle to facilitate the transfer of the State owned irrigation corporation undertaking to local ownership. On 7 December 1999, by order of the Minister for Land and Water Conservation, all assets, rights and liabilities of Coleambally Irrigation Corporation were transferred to Coleambally Irrigation Limited.

On 9 June 2000 the ministerial shareholders transferred their shares in Coleambally Irrigation Limited to irrigators in the Coleambally Irrigation District and the company began as an irrigator owned and operated enterprise.