Projects currently underway at Riverina and Murray Joint Oganisation:

Joint Organisation Net Zero Acceleration Program (JONZA) – In partnership with NSW DCCEEW, providing a capacity building project based on the recommendations of the RAMJO Regional Energy Strategy, adopted in 2022 and revised in 2025. The focus is to assist member councils accelerate activities which will reduce the emissions of the participating Councils, increase efficiencies, and assist the NSW Government to meet the goals outlined in its Net Zero policies and strategies.

Regional Resource Recovery Coordination Program – Partnership with the NSW Environment Protection Authority providing support to facilitate programs to Councils to meet State Government mandated targets including single use plastics, FOGO, Waste Levy, community recycling centres, landfill consolidations, community education programs and business food waste partnerships.

Water Loss Management and Efficiencies Program – In partnership with DCEEW and Central NSW JO to coordinate, deliver and support work by member councils’ Local Water Utilities to build capacity and embed water loss management and water efficiency in business as usual operations.

Procurement – RAMJO is working to increase support among our 12 member councils across the region for Procurement Services, through a Best Practice Aggregate Procurement Process (BPAP).

BPAP is available to all member councils looking to procure items via tender that could benefit from bulk buy cost savings.

Riverina and Murray Connectivity Project – Seeking to transform the connectivity landscape across 19 local government areas in the Riverina and Murray Joint Organisation (RAMJO) and Murray River Group of Councils (MRCG) footprint.

The project aims to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural/regional provisions for 19 regional councils, boosting economic growth, diversification and job creation, improving public safety through better connectivity and ensure equitable digital access to both residents and visitors.

Regional Housing Action Plan – RAMJO participates on the NSW Government Department of Premier and Cabinet Regional Housing Strategy Project.

Projects previously undertaken by Riverina and Murray Joint Oganisation:

Murray Darling Basin Plan Review – RAMJO appointed Claire Miller Consulting to provide research and submission support for our response to the 2026 Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review. The appointment strengthened RAMJO’s capacity to develop a clear, evidence-based submission reflecting the priorities of Riverina and Murray communities.

Claire Miller is an experienced water policy and communications professional with longstanding involvement in Basin policy reform and stakeholder engagement, including with local government across the NSW Riverina and northern Victoria.

Under the engagement, Claire supported RAMJO across key components of submission development, including policy issue mapping, stakeholder and ally identification, socio-economic and environmental analysis, and preparation of a structured draft and final submission for RAMJO member review.

During our research process RAMJO facilitated meetings with other stakeholders in the Murray-Darling Basin, including the Murray Darling Association and Queensland, South Australian and Victorian Councils.  

RAMJO also commissioned REMPLAN with providing a study focused on the effects of the MDBA water buy-backs on Rice growing in Deniliquin and Leeton, as the flow on effect after farm gate is not under consideration by ABARES and therefor the MDBA. This was submitted to the MDBA as part of RAMJO’s submission.

Disaster Ready Fund Round 2– Supported by the National Emergency Management Agency and NSW Reconstruction Authority, providing Critical Infrastructure Risk Assessment Reports and Action Plans, and Strategic Land Use Planning Maturity Assessments and Action Plans.

Southern Lights Street Lighting Project – a collaboration across the Canberra Region Joint Organisation, RAMJO, Central NSW Joint Organisation, REROC, Broken Hill, Balranald and Wentworth councils with more than 106,000 LED street lights  installed on residential and main roads across rural and regional NSW to date and an expected eventuality of 160,000 lights.

Contaminated Land Information and Resource – a digital platform providing Councils with access to a range of information and resources to guide and assist their management of contaminated land, underground petroleum storage systems (UPSS) and related matters in their business processes.

One Basin CRC Partnership – RAMJO is a non-research partner to the ONE Basin Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) bid, which brings together communities, industry and researchers to manage climate, water and environmental risks in the Murray-Darling Basin

Biodiversity Conservation and the Biodiversity Offset Scheme – a key part of biodiversity conservation in New South Wales, helping manage the environmental impacts of development that affect threatened species, endangered ecological communities, or their habitats.