Tasmanian Irrigation recently concluded pre-season meetings with all 19 Irrigator Representative Committees (IRC), marking the completion of a significant annual engagement process.

IRC’s comprise a number of volunteer landowners from each operational irrigation scheme and work as a collaborative conduit between Tasmanian Irrigation and irrigators in each district.

The meetings enabled Tasmanian Irrigation to present detailed financials and collaboratively determine the water price and Asset Renewal Levy (ARL) for the upcoming irrigation season.

Tasmanian Irrigation Chief Operating Officer David Skipper said the process is not merely administrative, it reflects our commitment to fairness, accountability, transparency and responsiveness to the needs of our customers.

“We are committed to providing accurate and up-to-date information that is of high value to our customers,” David said.

“We strive to approach pricing decisions by placing ourselves in the shoes of our irrigators, recognising the pressures they face and the impact our decisions have on their operations.

"Tasmanian Irrigation, like other commercial entities, operates in a challenging environment shaped by global market forces and rising costs. We don’t have the same flexibility or alternative revenue streams to absorb these pressures, which means rising operational costs must be passed through to customers.

"That said, we remain committed to using our scale, industry relationships and collective bargaining power to secure the best possible terms with suppliers and actively manage cost impacts wherever we can."

“This approach underscores our broader mission: to deliver reliable, cost-effective water services while maintaining financial sustainability and fostering trust with our irrigation communities.”

Mathew Dent, who attended the Whitemore IRC meeting, said farmers welcomed the opportunity to meet with Tasmanian Irrigation prior to the commencement of each irrigation season.

“We appreciate the time and effort put in by Tasmanian Irrigation staff to inform us of the financials and the costs associated with accessing and using TI water for the coming season,” Mathew said.

“It’s a great opportunity for irrigators to provide on-ground feedback to the TI team to ensure our scheme can continue to deliver the water when and where we need it for our livestock and cropping enterprises.”