From 5 October 2026, Renmark Irrigation Trust’s Main Office public contact hours will be:

Monday to Thursday: 9am–4pm
The office and general enquiry phone lines will be closed to the public on Fridays.

Our administration team will continue working their normal hours, including Fridays. This dedicated time will allow them to focus on water trade processing, regulatory and reporting requirements, and other essential work that supports the Trust’s operations and service to Members. This change will provide the administration team with dedicated time each week to focus on essential responsibilities, helping us improve efficiency and maintain a high standard of service for Members.

We appreciate that some irrigators can only attend on a Friday. If this applies to you, please contact the office in advance to arrange an appointment, and we will work with you to facilitate this.

Fault reporting and water orders remain available 24/7 on (08) 8586 6050.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Dear Members,

The Trust is seeking expressions of interest from Members who would like to lease River Murray Class 3 permanent water entitlement from the Trust for the three water years 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29.

Expressions of interest are invited for parcels of up to 100 ML and must include the volume sought and a nominated lease price per ML of entitlement for the first water year (2026-27). The agreed lease price will increase annually in line with National March Quarter CPI for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 water years.

Please submit your expression of interest by completing the form here prior to 5pm on Wednesday, 21 October via office@rit.org.au

Any queries can be directed to our Business Manager Karina Lambert via office@rit.or.au or by contacting (08) 85866911.

The Trust will notify successful applicants on Monday, 2 November.

Kind Regards

Karina Lambert, Business Manager

The Trust has been saddened by the recent passing of Trust Board Member, Iby Demir. Iby joined the Trust Board in 2004, serving the Trust and our community for 22 years as a Board Member. This was a time of great change and increased complexity in the irrigation industry. During his time on the Board, Iby was a totally committed advocate for all grower members and always ensured that grower voices were at the centre of any policy change. He was instrumental in pursuing reforms that were sorely needed. Iby contributed to infrastructure and system upgrades, community outreach and staff wellbeing, and helped navigate the many years of the Millennium Drought.

Questioning, caring, strong in character – member concerns were always front of mind. A leader in the Turkish community, Iby was also an important link to all of the Renmark community. He is sorely missed by all, and his contributions to the Trust will be lasting.

Our thoughts remain with the family at this time.

On 15 July 2026, the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) announced that the Class 3 (High Security) water allocation for the 2026-27 water year will be 100 percent.

As the projected minimum allocation announced on 15 April 2026 was greater than 50%, the carryover of unused allocations from 2025-26 will not be available in the 2026-27 water year.

More details can be found here

Renmark Irrigation Trust Water Trading Strategy 2026/27

Renmark Irrigation Trust has endorsed a Water Trading Strategy, effective from 1 July 2026.

The Strategy has been prepared to meet the water market transparency requirements under Part 5A of the Water Act 2007 and provides a public statement of the trading-related activities RIT may undertake, administer or facilitate.

In practical terms, the Strategy records the circumstances where RIT may deal with eligible tradeable water rights for operational purposes, member/customer services, conveyance and delivery requirements, carryover and allocation management, risk management, surplus water management, operational water needs and the efficient administration of member transactions.

RIT’s usual activity is in South Australian River Murray Class 3 irrigation water, including the SA Murray trading zone and connected Murray-Darling Basin interstate trading zones where trade, lease, parking, carryover or transfer is permitted.

The Strategy also identifies the types of processes that may be used where trading activity is required, including internal member processes, brokers or intermediaries, exchange platforms, tenders, auctions, expressions of interest, competitive processes, negotiated transactions or another lawful process approved under RIT delegations.

RIT may update the Strategy from time to time, with any change affecting the scope or intent of the activities covered by the Strategy to be announced and reported where required.

The Strategy can be viewed here

Renmark Irrigation Trust has confirmed the appointment of James John as Chief Executive Officer.

The appointment supports the Trust’s continued focus on reliable service delivery, responsible infrastructure management, sound governance and long-term support for the Renmark irrigation district.

RIT Chair Humphrey Howie said the Board was pleased to confirm James in the role and looked forward to working with him and the broader team.

“James has demonstrated a calm, practical and disciplined approach during a period of transition for the Trust,” Mr Howie said.

“He understands the importance of RIT’s operations, the responsibility we have to our members, and the need for clear decision-making, strong governance and constructive engagement.”

Renmark Irrigation Trust has played an important role in the Renmark district since it was established in 1893. Today, the Trust continues to manage essential irrigation infrastructure and provide services that support irrigators, local productivity and the broader community.

James said it was a privilege to step into the role and continue serving the region.

“I am grateful for the confidence of the Board and look forward to continuing to work closely with our team, members, industry and partners in service of our region,” James said.

Looking ahead, the Trust will continue to balance day-to-day service delivery with the longer-term planning, infrastructure renewal and regional collaboration needed to support the future of irrigation in Renmark.

Due to a staff meeting the Trust Office will be closed between 9-10am on Tuesday 9 June

Our team works across multiple locations, roles and operating hours in Renmark. It is important that our team comes together once a month to meet and share updates across our respective work areas.

To allow for this, the Main Office will open at 10am on the Tuesday following the Trust’s monthly Board meeting. This will usually be the final Tuesday of the month, although this may vary.

These meetings help us stay connected, aligned and better placed to support our customers. We thank you for your understanding.

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.

RIT supports the Renmark ANZAC Day Dawn Service which will be held at 6:00am on Saturday 25 April at the Renmark Cross of Sacrifice.

We invite the community to come together in remembrance of all those who have served and sacrificed for our nation.

CCW Cooperative is running a FREE ‘Farming for the Future Workshop and Expo’ at Berri on Wednesday 29th April 10am to 4pm.

Farming for the Future with Confidence is a grower-focused workshop and expo designed to support informed decision-making during a period of structural uncertainty in South Australian agriculture, particularly in regions facing wine grape oversupply, rising water costs, and changing market conditions.

Come along to hear from ag-tech providers, growers and industry representatives. Lunch is included.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/farming-for-the-future-with-confidence-tickets-1985023916971

More details: https://farmingfuture.com.au/