1  Introduction

1.1  Coleambally Irrigation Co-operative Limited (CICL) and general description of its operational area

On 19 September 2000 the business received notification of registration as a Co-operative and commenced trading as CICL.  All customers of CICL are now members of the Co-operative.  The privatisation of Coleambally Irrigation that began in 1989 is now complete.  CICL had the first Annual General Meeting (AGM) of its members on 15 November 2000. The next AGM is scheduled for 16 November 2001.  The location of the Coleambally township and CICL’s regions are shown in

Figure 1.1 and Figure 1.2.

Figure 1.1  Location of Coleambally township

Figure 1.2  CICL operational area showing regions

As a Co-operative CICL’s primary activity is the provision of irrigation and agricultural services.  CICL is required to distribute water to its customers within its operational area in a sustainable manner.  The environmental and economic sustainability of the area is to be achieved through the implementation of the Land and Water Management Plans (LWMP).  Three LWMPs cover CICL’s operational area; the Coleambally LWMP, the Kerarbury Channel LWMP and the Coleambally Outfall District (COD) LWMP.  The three communities have negotiated their LWMPs with government.