What is the Riverina?
The Riverina is an agricultural region in southern New South Wales, centered on the Murrumbidgee and Murray rivers. It is known for irrigated farming, including rice, grapes, citrus and grain.
The region includes cities and towns such as Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Leeton, Narrandera, Hay and Deniliquin. Wagga Wagga, the largest city, is a major inland center for education, defense and agriculture.
Much of the Riverina is flat, with fertile soils and access to river water. Irrigation schemes built in the early 1900s transformed dry plains into some of the most productive farmland in Australia.
Food bowl of the nation
The region produces a large share of Australia's rice, along with wine grapes, citrus, nuts, wheat, canola and livestock. Griffith is known as the center of a major wine industry and has strong links to Italian immigrant families.
Water is a key issue in the Riverina. Droughts and changes to water allocations under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan have affected farmers and communities.
The Riverina also has important wetlands and red gum forests along its rivers, which provide habitat for birds and fish. Hay Plain, in the west, is famous for being one of the flattest areas of land in the world.
Did You Know?
The name Riverina is believed to come from the word river, describing the land between its major waterways.