Delivering for Victorian Irrigators
The VFF Water Council advocates for members on water issues, advises the VFF Policy Council on water policy, and represents Victoria in the water policy debate at a national level within bodies such as the National Farmers Federation (NFF).
The VFF Water Council’s main objective is to protect the interests of water users in Victoria in achieving efficient, equitable and profitable water use. The Water Council provides an objective analysis of the water issues and policies as well as formulating strategic policies and decisions at both the State and Federal levels.
Key Issues
Find out what the VFF is doing on your behalf across the key issues that are important to you.
Murray Darling Basin
Recycled Water
Drainage
Water Markets
News
Latest news on the activities of the VFF Water Council View all news items →
Basin communities hung out to dry
Farming communities have been betrayed as the Albanese Government secured changes to the Murray Darling Basin Plan in…
Farmers fed up with Basin politics
The recent Senate Report into the Murray-Darling Basin Plan further demonstrates that rural communities are being treated as…
Water buyback plan would devastate rural communities
The Productivity Commission’s Murray-Darling Basin Plan Implementation Review backing of more water buybacks would irreversibly damage Basin farming…
VFF Water Council
The VFF Water Council is made up members that represent 11 regions across Victoria with a Chair appointed by the VFF Policy Council. The current members as of November 2021 are:
⇛ Chair: Andrew Leahy
⇛ Central: Kain Richardson
⇛ Central North : Peter Hacon
⇛ Wimmera Mallee: Graham Nesbit
⇛ South West: Vacant
⇛ South West: Peter Delahunty
⇛ Sunraysia: Peter Middleton
⇛ North West Region: Garner Smith
⇛ North East: James Neary
⇛ Northern: Craig Reynolds
⇛ Gippsland: Meg Parkinson
⇛ East Gippsland: Vacant
Click here to view the VFF Water Council Region Map
Media Releases
VFF public announcements on current issues. View all media releases →
VFF urges Water Minister to continue to support farming communities
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has encouraged the Victorian Government to maintain its support for Northern Victorian farming…
Water buyback plan ignores evidence and farming communities
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says the Albanese Government’s plan to buyback water under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan…
People and industry must be at centre of Basin Plan
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says people and industry must be at the centre of discussions during next…
Submissions
VFF responses to government on current issues. View all submissions →
Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy
The VFF acknowledges that over the next 50 years, water supplies will need to double just to meet…
NSW Upper House Inquiry into Floodplain Harvesting
The VFF is concerned there remain historic issues in the Northern Basin around water management, compliance, floodplain harvesting…