Strategic Plan

The Foreword of the Strategic Plan appears below. To view the strategic plan in its entirety please click on the link.

Click to link

Foreword - NSWIC Strategic Plan

Water is an essential ingredient for life. Effective management of water resources in rural New South Wales is vitally important to the economy, the environment and the social well being of the people of New South Wales and Australia. In NSW there is more land to farm than there is water presently available to service this land, and competition for water is increasing. There is competition between: -

• extractive use and in-stream and other environmental needs;

• existing irrigators and new irrigation investments

• agriculture and other industries, particularly mining, fishing and urban water.

Successful and timely water reform outcomes will be achieved by a commitment to change from the water users. In return, a greater role must exist for water users in determining the rules and how the available water is to be shared. There must be certainty that the value of industry investments will not continue to be eroded over time.

The impacts of change due to the reform process can only be managed if industry is permitted to work closely and co-operatively in the planning for and management of change.

As the peak body representing irrigation farmers across NSW, the NSW Irrigators Council (NSWIC) supports the development and growth of sustainable irrigated agriculture through: -

• the adoption of appropriate Government policies, laws and regulations;

• the coordination of irrigation industry policy research; and

• the provision of authoritative information to the community.