SunRice trims 78 positions in Riverina as water buybacks tighten supply

SunRice disclosed that 78 employees at its Leeton and Deniliquin facilities will be made redundant, while 92 other posts will be restructured. The move comes after the company warned in July that dwindling harvests, driven by severe drought and recent water-policy settings, would force a scale-back of regional activities. Paul Serra, SunRice’s CEO, said the company tried to preserve as many jobs as possible, including through redeployment where feasible, and will continue lobbying the government on water-policy impacts.

Leeton Shire Council’s Jackie Kruger attributed the cuts directly to the federal government’s water-buyback program aimed at meeting Murray-Darling Basin targets. The council noted that 10 families in Leeton and 68 in Deniliquin will be affected and is seeking alternative employment options for the displaced workers. Milling schedules will be reduced, with Leeton moving to 16-hour, five-day shifts and Deniliquin operating eight hours a day, five days a week.