Noel takes the chair

At its meeting, the board also confirmed that the 2022-23 Strategic Plan would chart the next 12 months for the company, under the direction of new CEO Ron McCalman.

Mr Baxter said he was honoured to be elected as chair at such an exciting and important time for Murray Irrigation.

Mr Baxter was appointed to the company’s board of directors in 2018.

He operates a mixed irrigation farming business near Berrigan and is a director of Baxter Family Farms, which also operates irrigation properties in the West Corurgan, Coleambally and Murrumbidgee irrigation areas.

Mr Marshall was appointed to the board of directors in 2021 and, along with his family, operates a dairy business at Blighty.

Mr Baxter said the new leadership team would look to take the company forward as it continues to work on the company’s key strategies.

A priority is engaging with new Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek, and a key pillar of this advocacy will be a focus on Murray Irrigation’s proposed solutions to some of the challenges being faced by implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Mr Baxter said the board wants to progress the Murray Reconnected Floodplains project, which would be Australia’s largest targeted environmental watering project, utilising Murray Irrigation’s vast delivery network.

It will also prioritise obtaining funds for other ‘shovel ready’ projects in its Regional Recovery Prospectus, that will enable smarter use of existing parcels of water to achieve both environmental and agricultural outcomes.

The prospectus also includes obtaining significant funds for bridge repair and maintenance across the Murray Irrigation footprint.

Murray Irrigation will also continue its established priorities of maximising water allocations for shareholders and ensuring the company’s financial stability is maintained.