Hay Shire Council and FW & RB Crighton Rural Engineering have been awarded more than $5 million in grants under the Australian Government's Sustainable Communities Program. Crighton's will merge its two local operations into a purpose-built facility with new equipment and worker accommodation. Council will establish a regional circular economy hub to support waste management and renewable energy delivery. The grants are part of a $50 million package funding 20 projects across the Murray-Darling Basin. The projects aim to offset the effects of voluntary water buybacks, create jobs and build long-term climate resilience.
Member for Farrer David Farley has called for the Murray Darling Basin Plan to be replaced with a collaborative Water Accord. He says the accord would involve governments, irrigators, Indigenous groups and regional businesses, and would give regional communities greater ownership of water decisions. Farley says productive water supports regional supply chains and economic stability. The proposal also calls for new water infrastructure, funded across generations, to support an additional 2,000 gigalitres across the Basin. Farley linked the proposal to national debt above $1.1 trillion and annual interest payments of around $58 billion, according to Treasury budget figures.
The Nationals and the Coalition have introduced a bill to ban new Commonwealth water buybacks across the Murray-Darling Basin. The bill would stop the federal government buying permanent Basin water entitlements that would increase its share. Temporary water trading would not be affected. The Coalition has also launched a Water Taskforce, chaired by Shadow Minister for Water Michael McCormack, to hear from irrigators, growers and councils. The taskforce will report to the Coalition ahead of the next federal election.
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Anglers removed a combined 1,827 noxious carp from waterways in Western NSW during the 2026 Tilpa Mud Marlin Muster and the Hay Spring Carp-A-Thon. At Tilpa, a record 433 participants caught 1,635 carp, more than double last year's tally. At Hay, 192 carp were removed, led by Michael Arnold with 46 fish. Organisers said the events aimed to raise community awareness of the damage carp cause to riverbanks, water clarity and native fish habitat.
South Australian politicians from Labor, Liberal, the Greens and an independent met in Canberra to demand the Murray-Darling Basin Plan be delivered in full. A recent report shows a 265 gigalitre shortfall caused by failed state-run water-saving projects. Liberal senator Andrew McLachlan said South Australia had already done its share and other states needed to step up. Riverland resident Neil Burton said the river was vital to communities. A review of the plan is due to be completed later this year.
