Irrigators around Griffith are fuming after general security water allocations were left on hold at 17 per cent.
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Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) Office of Water announced general security allocation will remain unchanged in the Murrumbidgee at 17 per cent and in the Murray at zero per cent of entitlement.
Griffith Mayor John Dal Broi said irrigators would struggle to grow a crop this year with the low allocation, especially given the high price of water on the market.
“If there is not a substantial increase in general allocations soon there will be very little rice grown in this area, particularly with general security water at $180 to $200 a megalitre,” Councillor Dal Broi said.
“Access to irrigation water is the linchpin for the growth of this area.
“I call on the Rice Growers Association and NSW Irrigators’ Council to immediately lobby state and federal members of parliament to make water available for this coming season.”
However, Cr Dal Broi was pleased with the state water minister’s scathing broadside at the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), accusing the bureaucracy of lacking community consultation and questioning murky environmental goals and illogical processes.
Primary industries minister Niall Blair, who spent six years working for Leeton Shire Council, said there would be “no more unstrategic water buybacks” in NSW.
He said the MDBA was ignoring local voices and was fixated on achieving targets derived by desktop models, ignoring measured data according to Mr Blair.
Low water allocations would restrict economic growth, Cr Dal Broi said.
“It will mean less crops sewn, less funds circulating throughout our community and the irrigators who are growing these crops are having to pour more funds into growing their crops,” Cr Dal Broi said.
According to Cr Dal Broi, inflows into Burrinjuck Dam from July 20 to July 30 were approximately 60,000 megalitres and 26,500 were released. “There certainly was no irrigation water used by irrigators during this period,” Cr Dal Broi said.
Trade of account water out of the Murrumbidgee valley remains closed. The next allocation announcement will be made on September 1.
