18 September 2025
Murrumbidgee Irrigation (MI) is celebrating a remarkable milestone this year, with long-serving employee Vince Vitucci reaching 40 years of service in Water Delivery.
Vince began his journey in 1985 as a trainee channel attendant, at what was then the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission (WC&IC). Over the years, he has witnessed, and been part of, significant changes in the industry and the organisation, now known as MI.
“In those early days, you commenced on a four-year water delivery traineeship. You spent time across the different divisions, learning how to run water in all areas,” Vince recalled.
“Everything was manual, we’d collect paper orders from the boxes, manually lift boards, and use dipsticks to check water levels.”
Vince has worked under 10 CEOs and through the organisation’s evolution from WC&IC to the Water Resources Commission (WRC), and finally to the shareholder-owned MI of today.
Throughout his career, Vince has remained passionate about his role in the field, transitioning through titles from Channel Attendant to Division Operator, and now Automation & Control Operator. While he also spent time with MI’s engagement team during key modernisation projects, such as the Lake View Canal upgrade, his heart has always been in Water Delivery.
“I never chased promotion because I’ve always loved the job I do - working with water and working with farmers,” he said.
“I did management training in a previous job and realised it just wasn’t for me. I prefer being out in the field, making my own decisions, and knowing that the better job I do, the happier the farmers are.”
For most of his career, Vince also balanced his work at MI with running a 35-acre family citrus farm, which he sold four years ago.
“It wasn’t a huge farm but balancing that and work certainly kept me busy!” he said.
The biggest changes Vince has seen in his four decades at MI have come in the last 10 to 15 years, with the rollout of automation across the system.
“The change has been gradual in water delivery, and it’s been good for our area,” Vince said. “It’s delivered real water savings and efficiency gains for both MI and our farmers.”
He highlighted the importance of supporting irrigators through the transition, especially with the move to digital ordering systems.
“Not everyone is computer literate, and these are very successful farmers who’ve got there through hard work. It’s been important to bring them along for the ride, to coach and support them.”
After 40 years of dedication, Vince is still going strong. “I’m still happy and enjoy coming to work. There are some great people here and I enjoy spending the day working with them,” he said.
“Hopefully, I’ve built up a bit of knowledge over the years, and now I’m focused on mentoring some of the younger employees coming through.”
As a valued member of the team, MI congratulates Vince on this outstanding milestone and we thank him for his ongoing commitment to our customers, business and community.