IN the wake of concerns raised by farmers throughout the region, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) has made clear its plans not to trade water in the immediate future.
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In a statement released on its website, the office said they had no plans to trade in the remainder of 2016.
“The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder currently has no plans to trade water in November or December 2016,” the statement read.
“However, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office is currently investigating the feasibility of water allocation sales across a number of southern-connected Basin catchments in early 2017.”
Farmers in the region have questioned the need for the body to hold on to its water in the wake of what has been an incredibly wet season.
The high volume of water in CEWH’s accounts was acknowledged by the body in their statement.
“High rainfall, high stream flows and high allocations during winter and spring 2016 have increased water availability in Commonwealth environmental water accounts,” it read.
“The wet conditions have contributed to a range of environmental outcomes throughout the basin.”
“Improved flows in the Macquarie Marshes and Barwon-Darling catchments mean that the purchase of water allocations in those catchments is no longer a priority for the remainder of 2016.
“Commonwealth environmental water is also being delivered in a number of catchments to improve the environmental outcomes and alleviate the impacts of blackwater events across the southern Murray-Darling Basin.
“The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office will provide further information to the water market prior to undertaking any trading action, based on decisions by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder.
Yenda farmer Chris Morsehead previously told The Area News of his surprise the body had not yet traded water.
“Given that a lot of their water needs have already been achieved, if there was a season it would be this year.”
