Rural Masterplan 2050

Customer Challenge

Lower Murray Water was facing mounting pressures across its rural irrigation business. Ageing and under‑utilised infrastructure, rising operational costs, and shifting customer needs were challenging the sustainability of service delivery. At the same time, demographic change, evolving expectations, volatile commodity markets influencing crop choices, and the impacts of climate change were reshaping how much water would be required—and when—to maintain productive, high‑quality agriculture.

To respond effectively, Lower Murray Water needed a comprehensive masterplan that could bring these factors together, clarify how they interact, and set a clear strategic direction for the future of irrigation and drainage services. The goal was to ensure the long‑term viability of both the organisation and the customers who depend on it.

Ricardo Solution

Ricardo was engaged to lead the development of the Rural Masterplan—an integrated strategy to guide Lower Murray Water through the complex risks and opportunities facing its rural business to 2050. Our role included assessing the current state of operations and shaping a practical, fit‑for‑purpose and adaptive pathway for the decades ahead.

To deliver this, Ricardo assembled a multidisciplinary team spanning strategy, customer and stakeholder engagement, economics, engineering, environmental management and land‑use planning. This breadth of expertise enabled us to build a clear, evidence‑based picture of the rural business today and craft a strategic approach capable of responding to the challenges emerging across the region.

The Rural Masterplan 2050 was developed progressively, with meaningful input from customers and partner agencies at key stages. Through extensive engagement, we gathered insights and perspectives to form a shared understanding of the trends influencing future water demand and the implications for customers and services. These conversations directly shaped the identification of priority issues and the selection of the most effective long‑term strategies and pathways for addressing them.

Customer Benefit

Ricardo’s development of the Rural Masterplan 2050 has equipped Lower Murray Water with a clear and actionable roadmap for the future of its rural irrigation network. The masterplan sets out staged, adaptive pathways that provide:

• A clear strategic direction to improve utilisation of the rural network and strengthen the long‑term sustainability of services.
• Guidance for managing risks associated with stranded, ageing and under‑utilised assets, ensuring investment is targeted where it delivers greatest value.
• A suite of foundational activities to build deeper insights into asset condition and usage, supporting stronger, evidence‑based strategic asset management and renewal decisions.
• Advice and options to minimise customer price impacts arising from the actions recommended in the masterplan, helping to balance financial sustainability with affordability.
• Principles to guide future decision‑making in areas where uncertainty prevents decisions from being made today, ensuring Lower Murray Water can remain agile as regional needs and external drivers evolve.

Together, these benefits give Lower Murray Water a strategic, customer‑focused and future‑ready approach to managing its rural irrigation services through to 2050 and beyond.