CICL Update October 2025
Dear Members,
This newsletter provides Members with an update on key water issues affecting CICL and its Members’ businesses.
In this month's newsletter -
DCCEEW Allocation
Department of Climate Change Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)
Allocation announcements
15/10/2025
High Security 95%
General Security 32%
Groundwater 100%
(Lower Murrumbidgee)
2025-26 CICL announcement and offers
Member benefit 10%
Water allocation update –NSW – NSW DCCEEW released a water allocation update on Wednesday 15 October 2025. It is here. The next allocation announcement will be published at 2.30pm on Monday 3 November.
Waterways
T: 1300 850 105
Inter-valley trade (IVT)
Up-to-date information on the IVT is here.
You can register for WaterNSW IVT alerts here.
CICL AGM
The twenty sixth Annual General Meeting of members of CICL will be held at the Coleambally Community Club, 3 Falcon Road, Coleambally, on Thursday 23 October 2025 starting at 8:30 am.
The notice of meeting and Annual Report have been mailed to members and the Annual Report is on our website here.
The 2025 AGM is not a hybrid meeting and a quorum of 20 active members is required. Members are encouraged to attend.
The Ordinary Business includes among other items the reappointment of Denise Kelly for a further three-year term as a Member Director and a request for members support for the endorsement of the Board’s recommendation for the nomination of Suzanne Murray to the position of Independent Director for a further three-year term.
Additional water offer
On 25th September CICL announced an additional water offer of 7%, based on delivery entitlements of Active Members.
Additional water will appear on the water statement of successful applicants within two business days of the completed application having been received by CICL.
Eligible members must meet the requirements for active membership of CICL as described in Rule 9.2 of CICL Rules.
CICL Schedule of Charges
Staff News - Kathie Okely retires
After a 22-year stint at CICL covering a variety of roles, Kathie Okely has decided to retire from the business. Many Members would have dealt with Kathie over the years and it is pleasing that CICL will be able to send her off in good spirits in late October, with our best wishes for her next chapter.
Water Operations
Customers are required to complete a crop form with intended crop areas per farm before they can place a water order. CICL is required to report annual crop areas to government as part of its licence requirements, and the information is also useful for operational needs.
The crop form is available on our website here and from reception. The completed form can be submitted via email to enquiries@colyirr.com.au or in person at reception.
Once your final crop areas are known please call Water Operations with this information.
So far this season, our Water Operations team has noticed many customer water orders are being entered with inaccurate durations. In particular, orders are being extended for several days at the last minute or restarted very shortly after the original order finishes. This is causing large variations in our customer demand forecast (at times over 500 ML/day).
While it has always been a challenging task for CICL to estimate the daily customer demand seven days in advance as per WaterNSW requirements, last-minute changes to orders exacerbate the issue and increase the risk of a mismatch. If WaterNSW is unable to re-regulate the water in the river to meet our daily requirements, it can lead to a limitation on water available to CICL (resulting in an internal restriction/flow sharing event) or increased losses at the end of the Murrumbidgee River system (with a negative impact on GS allocation).
To help us avoid issues with water availability, please ensure that you are placing water orders with accurate durations and flow rates, and with as much advance notice as possible.
The WaterNSW Murrumbidgee Operations presentation to members to August 2026 is here. The last part of this presentation highlights the importance of improved advance order accuracy.
Contact details for Water Operations
T: 02 6954 4003 business hours only (8.30am to 5pm).
M: 0427 544 269 – After Hours/Emergency contact. Please note SMS text messages cannot be received by this number.
Boona 8 regulator in operation after winter works.
Maintenance
After a busy winter works program the focus of the maintenance team is on weed control around our channels and regulators. This is important for maximising flow through the channel system, and for ensuring safe access to infrastructure for our operators.
Water Use Policy
Customers are reminded that under its policy, the total farm water use (including on-farm bores) should not exceed 9ML/ha for the 2025/26 season unless they have entered into Water Use Agreements with CICL.
Our groundwater monitoring program has also confirmed that none of the rice soil suitability action triggers were reached in the 2024/25 season. As a result, the ‘Rice Soil Suitability’ provisions in the CICL Water Use Policy will remain suspended for another year.
All other aspects of the CICL Water Use Policy and Guidelines here remain in place.
Please contact Keith Thompson via reception on T: 02 6954 4003 for further information.
Hire of CICL Equipment
CICL advises we will no longer be hiring out equipment, plant, or trailers from our Bencubbin Avenue Depot. This decision follows a review which determined the hire of such equipment presents an unacceptable level of operational, workplace health and safety, and insurance risk.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to our customers, members and local businesses who have previously used this service and appreciate your understanding.
EXTERNAL ISSUES
Women in Irrigated Agriculture
IREC has organised three luncheons across the region to celebrate Rural Women’s Day. The Coleambally event is on Tuesday 28 October between 10am and 2pm at the Muddy Duck.
Guest speakers will include Annabel Burge, CICL director, Tracy Valenzisi, chair at Murrumbidgee Irrigation, Jenna Bell, director at National Irrigators’ Council and Melissa DeBortoli, director at SunRice.
RSVP by Friday 24 October at this link https://shorturl.at/x4PIn
NSW IPART WaterNSW Final Determination
IPART made its final determination for the Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (WAMC). The final determination is for four years and further information is here.
As advised in CICL’s correspondence to members that accompanied the updated Schedule of Charges on 30 September, CICL has decided to absorb the increases in the WAMC pass-through charges announced on 29 September 2025, until 30 June 2026.
The final determination increased WAMC charges by five percent plus CPI year on year until 2028/29.
Water Management Legislation Amendment Bill
Water Management Legislation Amendment (Strong Enforcement and Penalties) Bill 2025 (NSW) – This Bill has been passed in the NSW Legislative Council, minor amendments were made and the Bill now proceeds to the Legislative Assembly.
Measurement of Environmental water
The NSW Government and the Commonwealth have identified a number of issues with the delivery and account management of environmental water in NSW which are inconsistent with NSW law including the non-urban water metering policy.
NSW recently made a new regulation to address some of the policy gaps Water Management (General) Amendment (Water Return Flow Rules and Exemptions) 2025, although Mark Banasiak has moved a disallowance motion.
The Commonwealth initially responded by pausing its environmental watering, it has since commenced some events, including in the Murrumbidgee.
It is important there is confidence environmental water delivery is consistent with the law and upholds the principles of water measurement, recording and reporting that is essential for transparency and accountability of the water management system as a whole, and the ongoing due diligence of this public asset.
Grant Latta Bonded Scholarship
Are you pursuing or planning to study Engineering, Information Technology, Agricultural Science, Finance, or Communications? Don’t miss the chance to apply for the Grant Latta Bonded Scholarship sponsored by CICL.
Visit the CICL Careers page Careers — Coleambally Irrigation or The Country Education Foundation (CEF) and search for Coleambally/Darlington Point page Community Support Calls George Home - Country Education Foundation of Australia (CEF) Closes Friday 31 October.
Water Markets Intermediaries Code and Statutory Trust Accounting Framework
Full implementation commenced on Wednesday 1 October 2025. These changes place new obligations on water market intermediaries, more information is here.
Improving access to trade in the southern Murray Darling Basin consulatation findings
WaterNSW and the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) have released consultation report on the options to improve access, efficiency and equity to inter-valley trade (IVT) opportunities. The report here is interesting reading, including showing the challenges of achieving operation of the IVT accounts.
WaterNSW and DCCEEW will now finalise their assessment framework, including potential alternative options to manage access to trade opportunities for the major trading limits in the Murrumbidgee, Goulburn and Barmah.
The next consultation is expected in early 2026.
National Irrigators Council News
NIC recently launched its Basin Plan Review. This work is a series of reports focussing on the theme Moving Forwards as the Murray Darling Basin Authority and government proceed with the review of the Basin Plan and Water Act.
At the core, of NIC’s review is a new, systems-thinking framework - the 'Triple Crown Water Reform Framework'. This is described in detail in NIC’s published article. The review also importantly considers the following key questions:
What progress have we made towards the original purpose of the Plan (‘overallocation’)
What are now the biggest challenges in the Basin?
What mechanisms are now needed to address these?
National Irrigators Council on Instagram
Reaching new audiences and younger people is important for our industry. NIC recently commenced providing regular updates on Instagram. Trying following NIC @nat_irrigators and encourage family and friends to follow too.
Conclusion
I encourage you to attend our AGM on Thursday 23 October commencing at 8.30am.
I thank Denise Kelly on her renomination for a second term as a member director.
The business at the AGM will be short and streamlined and includes seeking members’ support for the appointment of Suzanne Murray as an independent director for a further three-year term. Craig Perkins, Chairman and Paul Clarke Chief Financial Officer will both address the AGM.
Jenny McLeod, Policy and Communication Manager and I will both provide updates to the General Meeting following the AGM, giving members the opportunity to ask questions about operations and external matters.
I congratulate Jenny McLeod on being re-elected as Chair of National Irrigators’ Council. She will be supported by Deputy Rosalie Auricht, along with Michael Murray and Phil Snowden as Treasurer and Assistant respectively.
As always, we will be busy on your behalf in the weeks and months ahead, advocating for our industry and striving for sensible outcomes.
Julian Speed
CEO
