Talking Water - Tuesday 20 February, 2024

This week's contents

Operations

• Ordering via our Customer Portal
• Reminder about our new banking partner
• ICT Modernisation
• MI information sharing tour
• Water Delivery Performance
• Talking Water data

Business

• Special message from the Chair
• Murray Irrigation Canberra visit   

Industry

• Farm Business Fundamentals Online course
• Stock Water Workshop - Deniliquin
• Weekly climate, water and ag update



Operational Update

Please use our Customer Portal for orders 

To help reduce the risk of human error (such as incorrect flow rates, or orders being put on the wrong outlet), please use our Customer Portal to start, change, and finish your orders.

You can find step-by-step instructions on how to use the Portal in our Watering Ordering Instruction Guide, or our staff can show you how. Pop in to see us or call to organise a visit: 1300 138 265.

Reminder - Our banking partner is now ANZ

December 23 Quarter invoices are due at the end of February. If you haven’t already paid, please remember to process your account payment/s to our new ANZ bank accounts.   

Paying via BPAY - The Biller codes will not be changing, and you will not have to take any action. 

Paying via your Customer Portal - You can pay via your Customer Portal. Just go to 'Finance Amount', select the invoice you'd like to pay and proceed to payment.

Please contact our team if you need further assistance: 1300 138 265. 

Visit our information web page for more details and to add the new bank details to your systems. 

Business Development at Murray Irrigation - ICT Modernisation

As mentioned in last week's Talking Water, Murray Irrigation is in the process of identifying priority needs to bring our technology into the 21^st century. 

Here is Geoff Mann, Customer Service Manager, to give a quick summary on how this modernisation will give customers the ability to easily maintain and update their contact details, ensure they receive relevant information from Murray Irrigation and access invoices and statements securely from their portal. 

Murrumbidgee Irrigation information sharing tour

The Murray Irrigation delegation: Dave Dudley, Peter Magill, John Pearce and Phil Sefton. 

A delegation from Murray Irrigation's Planning & Maintenance and Safety teams headed to Griffith on 2 February on an information exchange and tour of Murrumbidgee Irrigation's (MI) operations hub.
 
The trip gave the group a chance to inspect up close some of the new innovations our neighbouring irrigation company is implementing across the business, and to share mutually beneficial knowledge and information around weed management, safety and technology. 

The busy itinerary included tours of MI's Control Room and Infrastructure Department, an on-site demonstration of new equipment designed to efficiently cut and remove weeks from blocked channels (as pictured below), and meetings with the company's GIS team and Safety Manager. 

The visit was extremely valuable and has provided the team with a lot of information to research and consider in terms of its potential future benefits for Murray Irrigation. 

Water Delivery Performance 12/02/2024 - 18/02/2024 

Talking Water data 20/02/2024

All the detailed data for Murray Irrigation allocations, delivery, channel flow and Water Exchange temporary trade is available on our company web page below. 

To see the latest data for Murray system storages and rivers, 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. 

Special message from the Chair

It is with deep regret that I advise the death of Bruce Simpson last week.

Bruce was a former Chair of Murray Irrigation and a passionate supporter of his local community.

There will be a celebration of Bruce’s Life this Thursday 22 February at 12.30pm at the Deniliquin Boat Club.

The Murray Irrigation Board and Staff send our condolences to Bruce’s family and acknowledge his significant contribution to the company.

Phil Snowden - Murray Irrigation Chair 

Murray Irrigation Canberra visit 

Murray Irrigation Chair Phil Snowden and CEO Ron McCalman were in Canberra last week, speaking with Ministerial representatives, government agencies and industry groups about current national water market reforms. 

As part of their schedule, the pair attended the National Irrigators' Council General Meeting (as pictured above), where Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek provided guests an update on the Federal Government's water markets reforms and its draft strategy for delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

This draft framework is currently open for public comment until March 4. 

DCCEEW is hosting a one-hour public webinar tomorrow (Wednesday, 21 February) at 12:00pm to provide further information about the draft framework and how to provide feedback. The panel will include representatives from DCCEEW and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. 

Industry News

Farm Business Fundamentals National Online Course 

Farm Business Fundamentals Online is an essential foundation for anyone who runs or will run a farm business and is involved in the management of farm business records, finances, budgets, and tax and legal requirements. It is also a perfect starting point for farmers who are looking to build their skills and confidence to manage a dairy farm business in the future.

The program consists of five facilitated online group sessions (each approximately 1 to 2 hours) which are hosted on web-based conferencing software, Zoom, and facilitated with business consultant Cam Smith and Dairy Australia's Agribusiness Program Lead Greg Duncan.

Between sessions you will put the learnings into place with the guidance of short online modules on Dairy Australia's Enlight learning platform, which you can complete in your own time.

This free online training is being held throughout March and April. 

Stock Water Workshop - Deniliquin 

Do you know how much S&D water you have stored on your farm? Do you know how much you should have and how to get it where you need it in drier seasons?
 
The Ricegrowers Association is hosting a Stock & Domestic Farm Water Management Planning Workshop for all landholders (not just rice growers) in Deniliquin this Friday, 23 February, from 9.00am to 2:30pm.
 
This workshop will assist landholders in creating a comprehensive Farm Water Management Plan. It will cover topics such as water storage identification, water supply assessment and estimating livestock and farm activity demand. With additional Tocal College resources and training, this workshop will equip landholders with valuable tools for effective water management and planning for future changes in water availability and farm requirements. 
 
This workshop is free for attendees. Morning tea and lunch is provided. If you have any questions, please call Janet Manzin on 0438 719 628.

The Weekly Update contains a summary of total and forecast rainfall, temperature anomalies, recent climatic conditions, notable weather events and their impact on agriculture, water storage levels, irrigation allocations, and commodity prices.

The report is produced and published online by ABARES each Thursday and incorporates recent, topical events for which there is a need to provide high-quality, timely information.