Cotton Australia engages NSW Parliament on water policy risks

The Northern NSW Connectivity Review and the draft National Water Agreement were at the top of the agenda when Cotton Australia’s General Manager Michael Murray visited the NSW Parliament last week.

During the visit, meetings were held with a range of parliamentarians and advisors, including NSW Legislative Council Members Stephen Lawrence and Cameron Murphy, Legislative Assembly members Dugald Saunders, Stephanie Cooke, Helen Dalton, and Brendan Moylan, along with Samantha McCallum, water advisor to Minister Rose Jackson.

During these meetings, Mr Murray helped familiarise Members with these documents, which present significant risks to water access rights and are expected to be a focus of parliamentary debate and decision-making in the coming months.

Mr Murray described the meetings as a valuable opportunity to update members across the political spectrum on the cotton industry in NSW and discuss the critical aspects of both documents.

"The proposed National Water Agreement goes far beyond the 'refresh' to the National Water Initiative recommended by the Productivity Commission. If all 300+ principles were adopted, effective water management in Australia would become nearly impossible.

"As for the Independent Review of Connectivity in the NSW portion of the Northern Basin, it seems to be more of a 'wishlist' for reducing water use by stealth, with many impacts neither modelled nor tested."

Mr Murray stressed the importance of NSW Parliament members having a solid understanding of these documents, ensuring water management and the irrigation industry are not jeopardised by their acceptance.

Latest News

May 15, 2025

Engaging the next generation on the Darling Downs

Over the past week, Cotton Australia Regional Manager for the...

May 15, 2025

New NSW Agriculture Commissioner meets with Cotton Australia

Newly appointed NSW Agriculture Commissioner Ms Alison Stone has held...

May 15, 2025

ICAC Executive Director Visits Australian Cotton Industry

Cotton Australia recently hosted Eric Trachtenberg, Executive Director of the...

May 15, 2025

Channel 9’s 60 Minutes Positive About Australian Cotton on Tariff Story

Well-known Boggabri cotton grower Andrew Watson has featured in a...

May 14, 2025

Sydney Ag Students learn about cotton at HSC Revision Day

Students from across Greater Sydney recently came together for the...

May 13, 2025

Kununurra hosts first Teach the Teacher event

The first-ever Teach the Teacher event in Kununurra was held...