Talking Water - Tuesday 3 February 2026
This week's contents
Basin Plan Review info sessions
- Have you registered your interest?
Operations
- Forward Allocation Product education sessions
- Talking Water Data
Business
- Murray Irrigation cotton farm tour
Industry
- Claire Miller to lead MRSG Basin Plan Review response
- Latest NSW DCCEEW Water Allocation Statement
- Australian Dairy Conference 2026
- Road-Tested Research & Farm Mapping Insights
Basin Plan Review info sessions - Register your interest
Thank you to shareholders who have registered their interest in participating in a preliminary information session on the approaching 2026 Basin Plan Review, presented by Murray Irrigation's Water Policy Coordinator, Linda Christesen.
With the Murray-Darling Basin Authority getting ready to start the public consultation phase of this critical Review, Linda will be on hand at these sessions to assist shareholders to understand the topics that will be covered, how they can participate in the Review process, and to understand what elements of the Review are likely to be of most interest to our footprint.
Specific times and locations for these sessions will depend on when the Review officially commences and level of shareholder interest to participate.
Please click on the button below to register your interest.
Operational Update
Forward Allocation Product customer sessions
A reminder that Ruralco Water brokers Marianne Graham and Rebecca Williams are hosting two face-to-face education sessions tomorrow (Wednesday 4 February) for Murray Irrigation customers interested in participating in the recently launched Forward Allocation Product (the first of these meetings was held at Wakool earlier today).
The details for these meetings are as follows:
Deniliquin RSL Club | 9.00am - 10.00am
Finley Returned Soldiers Club | 2.00pm - 3.00pm
Marianne and Rebecca will step participants through the Ruralco Water Trading Platform, demonstrating to customers how they can bid on the forward allocation parcels independently.
They will also provide some historical data on the forward market and the benefits of diversifying some buying intent.
Click on the button below to register.
The Forward Allocation Product is being offered exclusively to Murray Irrigation customers for a two-year period, for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 irrigation seasons.
For more information, contact Marianne Graham or Rebecca Williams.
Marianne Graham: 0408 239 111 | mgraham@ruralcowater.com.au
Rebecca Williams: 0427 967 641 | rebecca.williams@ruralcowater.com.au
Talking Water live data
Live data for Murray Irrigation water delivery, channel flow, Water Exchange temporary trade and DCCEEW water allocations is available on our Talking Water
Data webpage below.
To see the latest data for Murray system storages and rivers, including dam heights, visit the Murray Darling Basin Authority's River data page.
Additional resources
MDBA weekly report
NSW Water allocation statements
Rainfall and evaporation
Barmah Choke trade balance
The information and data provided in Talking Water is for general reference purposes only. We take best endeavours to ensure accuracy.
Business News
Join Murray Irrigation's cotton farm tour
Join Murray Irrigation's Customer Experience team for a collaborative day learning about cotton cultivation in the Southern Riverina, in the latest of our Irrigation Innovation Farm Tour series.
When: 17 February 2026
Time: 10.00am – 1.00pm
Location: 'Sandford’s Farm', located approximately 20-minutes southeast of Deniliquin (specific location provided on registration).
Program: The program will focus on interactive discussions and a hands-on crop walk where attendees will hear from industry experts on topics including:
- Transitioning into cotton production
- Soil suitability
- Feasibility of land conversion
- Planning considerations, spray drift management, and
- Available support for those considering the transition.
Transport: Attendees are welcome to travel in their own vehicles. Buses will be provided for those who wish to utilise them. Details on bus departure times and locations will be shared closer to the date.
Catering: Lunch will be provided – please provide any dietary requirement information in your RSVP.
For further information on this year’s Irrigation Innovation tours, contact the Customer Experience team on 1300 138 265 or email customersupport@murrayirrigation.com.au
Industry News
MRSG appoints Claire Miller to lead Basin Plan Review response
The Murray Regional Strategy Group (MRSG) has engaged widely-respected water policy expert, Claire Miller, to spearhead its community response to the 2026 Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review.
Claire, who has extensive working knowledge of the Basin Plan and water management issues in general, will lead the preparation of a submission to the impending Basin Plan Review on behalf of MRSG and the broader NSW Murray community.
Read the full MRSG announcement below.
Murray Irrigation congratulates MRSG on the appointment of Claire to this critical advocacy role.
We look forward to working with Claire and supporting MRSG's efforts to develop a strong and comprehensive Basin Plan Review submission that has the united interests of the NSW Murray community at its core.
Latest NSW DCCEEW Water Allocation Statement
The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) announced yesterday (2 February) that there will be no change in allocations to General Security entitlements for the NSW Murray.
The total cumulative allocation to General Security entitlements remains at 20% for the 2025/26 water year.
You can read the full announcement below.
You can subscribe to DCCEEW's updates by email and download its announcements here.
Australian Dairy Conference 2026
Created by a group of pioneering farmers as a forum to push boundaries and dairy thinking, the Australian Dairy Conference (ADC) has evolved into Australia's premier dairy event.
Held every February, ADC has established itself as the leading national dairy forum in Australia looking at the industry holistically and focusing on the bigger picture issues.
Strong global links and collaboration ensure delivery of a thought-provoking and challenging program designed to explore new frontiers and motivate Australian dairy farmers to think beyond the farm-gate.
When: 11-13 February
Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Road-Tested Research & Farm Mapping Insights
This session is for anyone operating machinery that collects data or anyone interpreting data on farm so please extend the invite to all staff and members of your farming operation.
Tim Neale (Data Farming) and Edward Scott (Field Systems) will cover the basics of setting up boundaries and paddocks, choosing and checking layers, and creating a simple, repeatable workflow you can use year after year.
Common pitfalls to be mindful of, including GPS drift, mismatched datums/projections, and why small errors can become big issues when you’re comparing seasons or lining up operations will also be unpacked during the session.
When: Tuesday 10 February
Time: 8.30am - 1.30pm
Where: Berrigan
Cost: Free
