The delegation, made up of 15 people, left Shepparton on Sunday and will travel across southern Queensland and northern NSW.
The group includes Greater Shepparton councillor Geoff Dobson, dairy industry specialist and former Bega Cheese supply manager Stuart Brown, dairy farmer Russell Pell, and previous Murray-Darling Association Region 2 chair and ex-Shepparton mayor Dennis Patterson.
Ms Sheed said there were many stories about water storage and usage in the northern basin, so she decided the Shepparton community should meet with farmers, politicians, indigenous leaders, water advocates and people keen to restore a healthy river system in the northern basin.
“Irrigators and water users in the Shepparton Irrigation District understand the difficulties of managing with less water in the system, so we are interested to learn how our counterparts in the northern basin are dealing with the issue,” she said.
“Visiting farms and speaking to experts along the way will equip us with the knowledge to see the Murray-Darling Basin as a whole and it will give us a clearer picture on how operations in the northern basin may affect the southern basin, and the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District.
“We also want to gain a better background knowledge on floodplain harvesting and how this impacts the Darling River and water delivery more broadly.”
Ms Sheed and the delegation would start its trip in Wentworth and travel along the Darling River to Menindee, Tilpa, Kallara Station, Dirranbandi, St George, Moree and the Macquarie Marshes.
The travellers will also visit Cubbie Station, the largest irrigation property in the Southern Hemisphere.
For updates on the progress of the group this week, go to: www.countrynews.com.au
