Renmark’s long-held vision to restore Bookmark Creek will be a step closer when the Jane Eliza regulator is officially opened on Thursday, 23 October. The last constraint will be removed!

Bookmark Creek – once known as Salt Creek – has a story deeply tied to Renmark’s irrigation heritage. In the early years, the Creek supplied water through various pump stations which allowed the pioneering settlement to thrive.

However, from the 1920s onwards, it became clear that underground drainage was vital for irrigation to continue. Initially, tile drains were installed beneath the soil, funnelling excess water into Bookmark and Ral Ral Creeks.  RIT’s drainage scheme introduced in the 1960s and the RADDS scheme in the 1980s helped divert salt water away from the Creek to Noora Basin. However, by this stage the creek’s ecosystem had been badly degraded.

That decline inspired a community-wide effort to bring it back to its natural habitat. Since the 1990s, The Trust, local residents, community groups, such as the Bookmark Creek Action Group, the Renmark Paringa Council and government agencies have worked to restore Bookmark Creek to health.

Today, Bookmark Creek is a living environment that supports native fish, attracts birdlife, and provides spaces for people to connect with nature.

As the last constraint on Bookmark Creek is completed, the Trust thanks everyone who has contributed to restoring Bookmark Creek. It is a great example of what a community can achieve together.

To acknowledge this event, and the Trust’s long relationship with the Creek, we have put together a history of the Creek from the 1890s to today.

More detail below

Notice is hereby given that nominations will be received at the Trust Office until 4.00 pm on Friday 7 November 2025, to fill vacancies caused by expiry of the term of office of the following:

DIRECTORS

BUTLER, James

KOR, Jasvindar

LOGOS, Andrea

LUDAS, David

Nomination forms in accordance with the Renmark Irrigation Trust Act 2009 are available at the Trust Office.  Should more nominations be received than there are vacancies to be filled, an election by ballot will be conducted at the Annual General Meeting of Members on Monday 1 December 2025.

R Auricht, Returning Officer

Renmark continues to account for most recent Queensland fruit fly detections in the Riverland. In the four weeks to 31 August 2025, about 77% of detections were in Renmark, Cooltong and Chaffey.

The biggest barrier to eradicating fruit fly in Renmark is “no access” to properties meaning there are land holdings where PIRSA is unable to check or treat fruit. Providing property access to PIRSA staff is critical to returning to Fruit Fly Free status.

What you can do

PLEASE, let PIRSA fruit fly staff access your property if they call or knock.

• Dispose of fallen fruit correctly.
• Pick, collect, and check homegrown produce to protect your patch.
• Utilise the free self-baiting program for Riverland growers. Get started by calling the Fruit Fly Hotline 1300 666 010

The State Government has put significant resources into controlling this fruit fly outbreak in the Riverland. However, they cannot do it alone. This is our chance to work together to restore our Fruit Fly Free status. Let’s finish the job!

Rescheduled Works –  Planned Water Shutdown

Previously planned and notified works to repair a leak at the corner of 25th Street and Renmark Avenue were postponed due to complications isolating the affected area. These works have been rescheduled and now require a full system shutdown.

Start: 9:00 PM, Sunday 10 August 2025
End: 11:59 PM, Wednesday 13 August 2025
Location: Corner of 25th Street & Renmark Avenue, Renmark
Affected Areas: Full system shutdown

Please ensure your holding tank is filled before the shutdown. As per Trust requirements, your tank should provide sufficient storage to carry you through the outage.

These works are weather dependent and may be delayed if frost is forecast. We will provide updates if the schedule changes.

Changes under Water Market Reform

New regulations under the Commonwealth’s water market reform are now operative. Renmark Irrigation Trust is disappointed to advise customers that from 1 July 2025, it is unable to provide services that could be regarded as a water market intermediary service under the new laws. This means that the Trust cannot provide services to facilitate any water trades of allocation or entitlement between customers (e.g. Form 4 Buy/Sell Orders). Transfers of water between accounts or on/off licence, where the Trust is an approval authority only, may still occur (e.g. Form 3a, 3b and 3c).

We will keep you informed of any further developments.

A new schedule of charges will be in place from July 1 2025. The Schedule can be found on the Customer Portal or a copy can be downloaded here

Join our ecologist this National Science Week for two unique, hands-on experiences on Renmark’s floodplains.

Guided native bird tour– Sunday 10 August | 9:00 AM

Look for native woodland and wetland birds on Renmark’s restored floodplains.

Insect collection workshop– Saturday 16 August | 2:00 PM

Help record the first-ever invertebrate collection for Renmark’s floodplains.

Spots are limited! Register here.

More event details here.

What happened to Chowilla Dam? Billed in 1960 as the antidote to SA’s water security issues, by 1971 plans were shelved, the tramway pulled up, and Dartmouth Dam in Victoria was the front runner. As part of SA History Month, we ran a panel event at the Renmark Paringa Library about the history of the Chowilla Dam project. It was a whirlwind time when salinity, water security, and economic survival were hot topics on the political agenda.

A video of the event is now available here

Background information to the event is here

All irrigators are advised that pumping will cease at 9pm on SUNDAY 11 May to 11.59pm FRIDAY 16 May 2025

The annual shutdown enables planned preventative maintenance and other works to be completed which cannot be carried out while normal pumping is in progress.

Domestic and industrial water users should maintain storage capable of holding up to 7 days supply at all times.