205
the australian farmer
Foreign Ownership of Australian Water Entitlements (as 30th June 2024)
ate opportunities to offset declining supply through continued technological advancement. Australian irrigators increasingly deploy precision agriculture, smart irrigation systems, and on-farm automation that transform water use efficiency across the Basin. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority's monitoring demonstrates that whilst climate variability remains a challenge, adaptive water management practices and improved infrastructure are building resilience into the system. These structural pressures – from the complexity of foreign ownership to the rising cost of ageing irrigation infrastructure and increasing climate variability – make it clear that Australia cannot rely on past approaches to govern its water resources. Australia's water sover- eignty ultimately depends not on restrictive policies or protectionist rhetoric, but on intelligent stewardship that recognises the interconnected nature of our water systems, markets and communities. We must main- tain robust transparency around foreign ownership whilst remaining open to investment that strength- ens agricultural productivity and regional resilience. Likewise, government water recovery programmes must be coupled with active, adaptive management regimes that deliver measurable environmental out- comes, ensuring that public investment translates into tangible benefit. The next chapter of Australian water management will be defined by how effectively we balance compet- ing demands while safeguarding the resource itself. We have the tools, the knowledge, and the institu- tional frameworks to do this. What remains is the will to apply them without succumbing to the extremes of either unfettered marketisation or heavy-handed intervention. Our water sovereignty future depends on getting this balance right.
per cent of Total
Country/Region
Volume (GL)
Canada
1,062
2.6 per cent
1.8 per cent
United States
716
United Kingdom 382
1.0 per cent
China
351
0.9 per cent
Other Countries
2,421
6.0 per cent
Total Foreign Held 4,932
12.3 per cent
Source: ATO Register of Foreign Ownership 2023-24
water recovery plus 450 GL for enhanced environ- mental outcomes, managed by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. This rebalancing from consumptive to environmental uses faces further pres- sure from climate uncertainty, with Bureau of Meteor- ology projections indicating increasing variability and more frequent droughts. Individual irrigation companies throughout the Murray-Darling Basin face mounting challenges. Fixed infrastructure costs become increasingly burdensome as irrigator numbers decline, whilst ageing systems require substantial capital investment to modernise. The Australian Government's Resilient Rivers Water Infrastructure Programme provides $494 million for water-saving infrastructure projects. However, fund- ing alone is insufficient. Irrigation companies must evolve or face becom- ing inefficient relics. This means hard decisions about infrastructure rationalisation, adopting automated delivery systems, and potentially consolidation where economies of scale can be achieved. The alternative is gradual deterioration of service quality and escalat- ing costs borne by remaining customers – a declining spiral no stakeholder desires. It’s not all doom and gloom. These pressures cre-
Tom Rooney is CEO of Waterfind Australia. He is a Member of the Water Industry Alliance, grew up in regional Australia, and has owned and operated an irrigated citrus property.
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