As South Australia looks to the year ahead, few issues loom as large for regional communities as water security.
Across the state, water allocation plans (WAPs) are being reviewed, amended or implemented against a backdrop of declining rainfall, reduced recharge and intensifying climate variability.
For primary producers, these plans are shaping daily operational decisions, long-term investment confidence and the resilience of entire regional economies.
At the heart of PPSA’s mandate is protecting the viability of our industries while ensuring the responsible management of the natural resources that sustain them.
Nowhere is this balance more critical than in water policy. Where certainty erodes, so too does business resilience.
On the Eyre Peninsula, groundwater resources in the Southern Basins and Musgrave Prescribed Wells Areas are fundamental to agriculture and communities alike.
While irrigation licences are limited, vast numbers of producers rely on groundwater through stock and domestic rights, alongside the SA Water public supply network that supports farming enterprises and regional towns.
Groundwater is not simply a resource; it is a foundational asset for the EP’s agricultural economy.
The revised Eyre Peninsula WAP has been developed in response to clear and concerning trends: declining rainfall, reduced recharge, rising salinity risks and falling groundwater storage.
PPSA recognises the complexity of balancing environmental, community, industry and cultural needs, but this should not come at the expense of transparency or trust.
Producers must have confidence in how allocation decisions are made.
Sustainable extraction limits, adaptive management triggers and salinity thresholds must be science-based, underpinned by robust monitoring and communicated clearly to all water users.
Plain-language explanations, early warning indicators and genuine engagement are essential so businesses can plan ahead rather than react after the fact.
Strategic investment in alternative water supplies will be critical to relieving stress on groundwater systems.
The delivery of SA Water’s Eyre Peninsula Water Security Response Plan, particularly the Port Lincoln Desalination Plant, is a vital step forward.
However, the transition must be carefully managed to ensure agricultural water security is not compromised during changeover.
Salinity also remains a growing concern. Rising salinity affects animal health, crop management, soil condition and domestic use.
Proactive monitoring, clear communication and investment in mitigation technologies and research will be essential to protect long-term agricultural viability.
Farm dams and roof runoff are practical, on-farm resilience measures that should be supported through efficiency improvements and innovation, not burdened with additional red tape.
Finally, as multiple WAPs progress across the state, SA needs policy consistency.
The year ahead will test SA’s water governance.
Getting it right will require genuine partnership between industry and government and a clear recognition that water security is inseparable from the future of our regional communities.
This column was written by PPSA Chair Professor Simon Maddocks and originally appeared in the 29 January 2026 edition of Stock Journal.
