CICL Update - The Main Channel May 2026
Dear Customers,
This newsletter provides Customers with an update on key water issues affecting CICL and its Customers’ businesses.
In this month's newsletter -
DCCEEW Allocation
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)
Allocation announcements
15/05/2026
High Security 95%
General Security 32%
Groundwater 100%
(Lower Murrumbidgee)
2025-26 CICL announcement and offers
Member benefit 10%
Additional water offer 7%
Water allocation update –NSW - DCCEEW released a water allocation update on Friday 15 May 2026 found here. The first allocation announcement for 2026/27 season is due to be published 1 July 2026 at 6am.
Inter-valley trade (IVT)
Up-to-date information on the IVT is here.
You can register for WaterNSW IVT alerts here.
Office Closure June long weekend Monday 8th June 2026.
Water Operations staff can be contacted on M: 0427 544 269
Water Operations Update
Season closure
CICL's Main Offtake was closed on 13 May. Limited water deliveries may continue subject to availability at outlets, but supply of orders is no longer guaranteed. Channels are now being drained in preparation for our Winter Works program.
Waterways Ordering
The Waterways ordering system has now closed for the 2025/2026 season. Please contact Water Operations to place or amend any water orders for the remainder of the season. Waterways will still be available to view water statements until the end of June.
Contact Water Operations:
Business Hours
02 6954 4003
After Hours
0427 544 269
Winter shutdown 2026
One of CICL’s key responsibilities to its members is to ensure our infrastructure continues to meet both current needs and future demands.
To achieve this, we carry out ongoing strategic planning and delivery of essential works, including:
· Repairs and Maintenance (R&M)
· Capital improvement projects
To complete these activities safely, efficiently and to the highest standard, our teams generally require direct access to infrastructure – ideally without water present.
Key R&M activities in winter include:
· Desilting of channels, to optimise water flow
· Channel bank repairs and rebuilds, to prevent leaks and improve stability and safety
· Repairs to below-water concrete structures (such as regulators and bridges), to extend asset life and reduce the risk of major failure
Capital projects are planned, one‑off investments that renew, upgrade, or replace parts of an asset to extend its useful life, improve its performance, or address safety, environmental or legal risks.
End of 2025/26 Key Dates
Main Offtake now closed
End of season transfer and trade close – 4pm 16 June 2026
Please ensure trades are approved and lodged with WaterNSW for approval before their end of water year cut-off. CICL trading forms are available on the CICL Website here.
End of Season Balancing of SFU’s close – 4pm 16 June 2026
Prior to the end of the water season, SFU’s are required to balance annual allocation remaining within the SFU to cover any negative individual farm water allocation accounts. You may also wish to optimize carryover options with end of water season balancing. This year End of Season SFU transfers will be completed using a new form and not the internal transfer form – the new form is on our website here.
As well as a new form, the other change is that our staff are unable to complete any internal, external or End of Season SFU balancing for you. Therese and Genevieve can provide general assistance only, including showing you how to access forms and confirm the end of season closing dates. However, they are no longer allowed to assist you in calculating your end of season SFU balancing and are unable to complete a trading related form for you to sign.
Staff Milestone - 30 years for Kevin Kelly & Graham White
Celebrating an Incredible Milestone
Graham White and Kevin Kelly recently marked 30 years of service with CICL. It was a pleasure to come together to recognise and honour their long-standing contribution, dedication and lasting impact on the business.
L-R: Kevin Kelly, Graham White - 30 years at CICL
CICL 2025/26 Invoices - Active Member Criteria
CICL 2025/26 Invoices
CICL will issue its 2025/26 invoices to customers no later than Friday 26 June 2026 with invoices due for payment by Friday 31 July 2026. Invoices will be emailed and posted. The invoice for any additional water offers accepted in 2025/26, if not previously paid, is also due by this date. A statement including all unpaid amounts will also be emailed and posted in the first week of July. When paying your 2025/26 invoices please allow sufficient time for any payments to be cleared by Friday 31 July 2026. Payments by cheque should be received CICL by 24 July 2026 to ensure that funds are cleared in time.
Active Member Criteria
An important reminder that to be considered an Active Member, each Member must meet the Active Membership criteria in CICL’s Rules. Rule 9.2 references payment (or undertaking to pay) by the due date. You are encouraged to call, email or visit CICL in advance of the due date if you need to discuss a payment arrangement.
Environmental Update
Water Use Limit 2026/27 set at 9ML/ha
In line with its Water Use Policy, CICL has set the total farm water use limit (including on-farm bores) at 9ML/ha for the 2026/27 season, an increase of 1ML/ha from the prior season. The increase is possible because of the reduction in land area with a shallow water table (i.e. within 0-2m of the surface), as demonstrated by our recent piezometer readings. The rice soil suitability provisions in the CICL Water Use Policy also remain suspended.
Please contact Keith Thompson via reception on Ph: 02 6954 4003 for further information.
Basin Plan Review
The consultation period for the Murray Darling Basin Plan Review Discussion Paper closed on Friday 1 May. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) received more than 2,400 submissions reflecting the importance of the basin to communities and industries.
The National Irrigators' Council (NIC) took a leading role in the consultation period, and their submission is available on their website. In addition to working with NIC, CICL prepared its own submission, as well as a joint submission with the other southern NSW IIOs- Murray Irrigation and Murrumbidgee Irrigation. CICL also provided input to the New South Wales Irrigators’ submission.
The evidence base for no further water recovery from farming, by any means, was highlighted in these submissions. The Basin Plan needs to move beyond ‘just adding water’ and today’s priorities must now lie in complementary measures and integrated land and water management.
The MDBA will release a ‘what we heard’ report at the end of June, alongside publication of submissions, where consent was provided. As the Basin Plan review process is finalised, industry focus will shift to the final recommendations and legislative change, in addition to the review of the Water Act 2007.
Pictured: L-R: Tom Mannes – CICL Licencing and Compliance Coordinator, Zara Lowein – National Irrigators’ Council CEO, Craig Perkins CICL Chair at the National Irrigators Council general meeting in Sydney last month.
SWIOID Review
The Snowy Water Inquiry Outcomes Implementation Deed (SWIOID) review which will look at ways to enhance the health of the Upper Murrumbidgee River is ongoing. Issues include cultural water and potential demand for urban growth in the Upper Murrumbidgee along with the potential changes to Snowy Hydro.
CICL and downstream water users are concerned about the impact of any changes in Snowy Hydro’s releases which reduce the volume available to general security water entitlements. The department has released a summary of the 132 submissions received during the consultation period. Of the submissions, 18% were in relation to protecting downstream water interests.
CICL and industry are continuing to advocate for “zero third-party impacts” to protect downstream entitlement reliability and ensuring any increased transmission losses associated with Upper Murrumbidgee releases are offset, rather than deducted from the consumptive pool.
The Independent Panel is expected to release an interim report in late June for four weeks’ public consultation in July, with their final report due in August 2026. It will be important that western irrigation communities take stock of their draft recommendations and respond to the submission process.
EWON Membership and IC's Regulatory Improvement Program
CICL’s membership of the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW commences on 1 July. This will provide our customers with access to a free, independent external dispute resolution service should the need arise. More information regarding EWON and the new policies developed under the Irrigation Corporations Regulatory Improvement Program will be communicated to customers as well as being available on the website from the commencement date.
IPART
CICL finalised both its own submission and a joint submission with MIL and MI and supported the NSWIC submission to IPARTs draft determination on WaterNSW charges.
The final determination from IPART for prices beginning 1 July is expected in June. Our submission acknowledged IPART’s willingness to consider the cost sharing arrangements between government and water users for various WaterNSW activities, however, we believe further work is required on this issue. We also recommended a two-year determination with a capped price increase of five percent plus CPI and welcomed IPART’s draft decision to retain valley-based pricing.
Inter-Valley Trade (IVT)
WaterNSW and the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) are jointly investigating ways to improve the efficiency and equity of access to IVT opportunities in the southern connected Murray-Darling Basin.
Independent assessments have been carried out for five alternative options to provide access to scheduled trade openings. Feedback on the options assessment is being sought with the deadline for feedback 14 June. More information can be found on the Engage Victoria website.
IREC
IREC membership has again been renewed for all CICL customers. For details on upcoming events, research projects, and available resources, please visit the IREC website (link below) or contact Iva or Kelsey on 02 6963 0936.
Home | The Irrigation Research and Extension Committee (IREC)
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