Customer Update - A message from the Murray Irrigation Board and Management

24 November 2023

The Murray Irrigation Board and Management are writing to you today to address the Southern Riverina Irrigators' (SRI) advertorial published in today's issue of the Deniliquin Pastoral Times.

Today's item is the latest in a string of paid editorials that SRI has published over the past months containing various inaccuracies and mistruths about our business. These advertorials serve to diminish Murray Irrigation staff, management, our Board and, even more concerning, to tarnish the reputation of the company.

Murray Irrigation has so far maintained a dignified silence on this negative campaign, choosing instead to focus on the positive work the company is doing to cement a strong future for the company, the company’s shareholders, and the future generation of irrigators in the community.

We believe our efforts are paying off, as evidenced by the numerous positive headlines in the local papers over recent weeks, and through the positive feedback we have received from the many shareholders and customers our team has spoken with over the past few months.

However, in light of today's direct attack on not only the integrity of the company, but on our people, we are now choosing to respond. At a time when our community should be uniting more than ever, SRI's implication today that Murray Irrigation is in some way "complicit" in water buybacks is false, offensive and represents politics in its ugliest form.

Furthermore, in response to their claim that there was "basically radio silence" from the company at Tuesday's rally, we would like to confirm that Murray Irrigation actively communicated with the National Irrigators Council, National Farmers' Federation and other advocacy groups prior to the rally and actively promoted the event across our networks via email, SMS and social media. The company’s Chair, Deputy Chair and CEO (as featured on the front page of Wednesday’s Southern Riverina News) attended the event, as did a number of Murray Irrigation staff.

Lachlan Marshall, Ron McCalman and Noel Baxter at Tuesday’s rally. Photo Credit Deniliquin Pastoral Times.

On this latter point, our members of staff live, work and contribute to this community. We are proud of the work they do each and every day. They do not deserve to be attacked in this public manner.

This behaviour will no longer be tolerated by the Murray Irrigation Board, management or staff.

As a result, the Board has today approved to rescind SRI’s permission to speak at Thursday’s AGM and has formally terminated the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and funding of SRI and the LHAs.

Please know, we have not taken this decision lightly. SRI has not been acting in a professional or ethical manner, nor is it truly representative of the majority of shareholders. We know shareholder engagement is vital, and want to reassure you that there are many avenues for direct engagement with the business.

Our frontline team is talking with irrigators every day and our Customer Accounts team will embark on another round of one on one engagement with customers from December.

We trust this current situation is a temporary setback in what has generally been a collaborative relationship between MIL and the above organisations, and look forward to the day when we can again work together in the best interests of our region in a professional and mutually respectful manner.

As highlighted in today’s Pastoral Times, Murray Irrigation’s Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Thursday 30 November at 10.00am. This matter will be further addressed on the day.

The company encourages all shareholders to attend, either in person or online, to ensure your voice is heard above the noise coming from the ‘advocacy body’ that purports to represent your interests.

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