Water for the Future

Policy and programs

Irrigator-led Group Proposals

As part of Water for the Future, $3.1 billion will be invested over ten years in Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling Basin, to purchase water entitlements from willing sellers. The purchased water will be managed by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) and used to protect and restore the high priority environmental assets in the Murray-Darling Basin. The water will also help to keep the Murray mouth open, and protect against algal bloom outbreaks, salinity and other water quality risks that threaten the health of our rivers and livelihood of our farmers.

Opportunities for developing Group Proposals

The Australian Government recognises that groups of irrigators may wish to develop coordinated proposals for selling their water entitlements to the Commonwealth and decommissioning or altering shared irrigation supply infrastructure under the Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling Basin program.

As well as contributing to healthy rivers and waterways, it is expected that such proposals may assist the Australian Government in achieving other Water for the Future objectives such as taking action on climate change and using water wisely.

The Government is inviting groups of irrigators to work with their irrigation water provider and other directly affected parties to develop proposals. Working together has the potential to provide a number of benefits for the parties involved, including:

There are four key features that the Government is looking for in industry-led group proposals:

  1. Acquiring value for money water entitlements that the Australian Government can use to protect environmental assets and support healthy rivers
  2. Rationalising irrigation supply infrastructure to address system losses and better prepare irrigation regions for the future impact of climate change
  3. Using water wisely, and
  4. Ensuring that appropriate consultation with directly affected parties has occurred.

Group eligibility – Who can submit a proposal?

If you own a permanent water entitlement (also known as a water share) and are part of an irrigation district within the Murray-Darling Basin that has shared irrigation supply infrastructure – you may work with a group of irrigators and your water provider, to develop a proposal to sell your water entitlements to the Commonwealth and decommission shared irrigation infrastructure.

A group of irrigators may consist of two or more separate business entities. The entities should demonstrate they have agreed to work together to achieve a common set of goals as outlined in the proposal.

Group proposals may be from irrigation districts serviced by either open channels or by a pressurised pipe network. Your proposal will need to demonstrate that all entitlement holders involved agree to the proposal to sell entitlements to the Commonwealth. The Australian Government does not have any restrictions on the scale of proposals that it will consider.

Need more information?

The Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling Basin - Irrigator-led Group Proposals fact sheet provides a summary of the $3.1 billion Australian Government Water Entitlement Purchasing Program and the opportunity that irrigators have to work with their water provider to develop group proposals for selling their water entitlements to the Government and decommission or alter irrigation infrastructure to reflect the sale of water entitlements.

The Information and Guidelines pack sets out the Australian Government's objectives in relation to Water for the Future and provides details on what the Government is looking for in a group proposal and the process for progressing your proposal once it is submitted to the Department.

The Supporting Documents provide further information on specific topics relevant to your proposal.

Download the documents

Documents available separately

Submitting your proposal

Send your proposal to the Department by one of the following ways:

  1. Fax: (02) 6275 9398
  2. Email: waterpurchasing@environment.gov.au
  3. Post: The Water Purchasing Officer
    Water Efficiency Division
    Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
    GPO Box 787
    Canberra ACT 2601

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