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The Loddon Murray Irrigation Region Irrigation Drainage Strategy is a plan to guide the effective management of irrigation drainage across the region. 

The strategy is crucial for safeguarding agricultural productivity, high-value industries, and public assets, while acknowledging evolving environmental priorities and First Nations people aspirations. 

It aims to manage surface water movement for the benefit of the environment, culture, agricultural productivity and community resilience in the LMIR. 

This plan addresses the risk of waterlogging, salinity, and decline in water quality caused by irrigation-induced rainfall runoff from irrigated land.  

Updating the existing plan is vital, to address the changes in irrigation across the region, such as reduced volume of water delivered, more on-farm efficiencies, and more opportunistic irrigation. 

The strategy focuses on irrigation-induced rainfall runoff, not flood waters, and recognises the changing climate and irrigation trends over the past two decades. 

It covers the Loddon Valley Irrigation Area and the Torrumbarry Irrigation Area (TIA), but not the Nyah, Tresco, Tyntynder, and Woorinen drainage schemes, which have different needs.  

Drainage planning and management across the region has historically been ad hoc, so an integrated management plan is urgently needed. 

We’re keen to get your feedback on the strategy to ensure the future drainage needs of the community are met. 

A series of drop in community sessions, an online survey, and focussed engagements will take place over the next few months to help steer the strategy through to completion.