Water

Northern NSW irrigators storing more water than allowed, inquiry hears

Floodplain harvesting in northern NSW is under fire, after evidence given at a state parliamentary inquiry last Thursday found irrigators in the north are unmetered, unlicensed and hold on-farm storages in excess of 4000 Gl, well above the 210 Gl of floodplain harvesting allowed under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Rodney Woods

VEWH releases watering plan for 2020-21

Many of Victoria’s waterways are set to receive environmental water deliveries over the next year, as the Victorian Environmental Water Holder launches its Seasonal Watering Plan 2020-2021. The watering plan sets out where and when water for the...

Rodney Woods

Ministers accused of not understanding water management

A water advocacy group is claiming food and fibre production is being threatened by state and federal water ministers, following the Ministerial Council meeting on June 19. Wakool Rivers Association chair John Lolicato said discussions on...

Jamie Salter

Ministers accused of not understanding water management

A water advocacy group is claiming food and fibre production is being threatened by state and federal water ministers, following the Ministerial Council meeting on June 19. Wakool Rivers Association chair John Lolicato said discussions on...

Jamie Salter

MDBA announces basin environmental watering priorities

Over the next 12 months, environmental water will be used to protect wetlands, floodplains and river ecosystems across the Murray-Darling Basin from further damage. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority published its annual environmental watering...

Jamie Salter

Seasonal determinations increase in all but one system as new water year begins

Seasonal determinations in Victoria have started higher than they finished last season in all systems except Bullarook, due to flows into the major storages in recent months. Northern Victoria’s resource manager Mark Bailey announced the first...

Rodney Woods

NSW submits final water resource plans to federal minister

A major milestone in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan has been reached, with NSW submitting its final nine water resource plans. Federal Water Minister Keith Pitt welcomed the plans that are an essential part of securing long-term sustainable water...

Rodney Woods

Waranga Basin filled ahead of schedule

Recent rainfall across the Goulburn catchment has allowed Goulburn-Murray Water to fill Waranga Basin ahead of schedule. G-MW diverted additional water into the off-stream storage during April and early May as rainfall lowered irrigation demand and...

Rodney Woods

Water lobby groups frustrated by Sefton report delay

Federal Water Minister Kieth Pitt says the long-awaited Sefton report will be released in “due course” but the wait continues to frustrate industry lobby groups. Mr Pitt said the report, which looked into the social and economic conditions impacting...

Rodney Woods

Basin ministers agree to feasibility study to improve capacity of Barmah Choke

Greater transparency, limits on inter-valley trades, the benefits of investing in off-farm projects and ways to optimise capacity of the Barmah Choke were just some of the topics discussed at the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council meeting on...

Rodney Woods

MINCO meeting a ‘kick in the guts’ says VFF

Friday’s Ministerial Council meeting of Murray-Darling Basin Plan water ministers has been labelled a “kick in the guts” by the VFF as irrigator groups accuse water ministers of ignoring the concerns of regional communities.

Country News

SRI and former senior water bureaucrat involved in ‘ugly’ Twitter exchange

A Twitter exchange about the Murray-Darling Basin between Southern Riverina Irrigators and former Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder David Papps has been labelled “appalling” and “disgraceful” by the irrigator group. The two accounts were...

Country News

Loud calls for royal commission into Murray-Darling Basin Plan

A federal royal commission into the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is the only way to expose the reasons behind its failings, according to local farming and community groups. Calls have been mounting for a royal commission, with NSW Farmers calling for...

Country News

New bill to target water ownership by NSW politicians

A new bill has been introduced into NSW Parliament in a bid to improve transparency around the pecuniary interests register, which outlines politicians’ financial interests, by including water ownership. NSW Water Minister Melinda Pavey...

Country News

New CEO for Goulburn Broken CMA

Chris Cumming has stepped into the role of Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority’s chief executive officer. Goulburn Broken CMA Board chair Helen Reynolds said Ms Cumming had extensive experience and expertise in the natural resource...

Country News

Electro-fishing partnership set to relocate native fish

High-value native fish caught in irrigation channels in the Murray Valley will again be relocated as part of a continued Goulburn-Murray Water and Victorian Fisheries Authority project. After successful trials in the Murray Valley and Central...

Country News

Lower fees for irrigators as new G-MW pricing structure gets the green light

Northern Victorian irrigators have called on Goulburn-Murray Water to continue to reduce fees on the back of an average 10 per cent reduction announced last week. G-MW announced customers would see the drop in their fees from July 1 as part of...

Alana Christensen

Nationals need a ‘reset’ on water policy

A “reset” on water policy is needed from the Nationals, according to Central Murray Floodplain Environmental Group spokesperson Jodie Hay, who said it was time politicians stopped playing politics with water policy. Mrs Hay, who is also a member of...

Country News

One size does not fit all, says Southern Riverina Irrigators

A proposed ‘Drought of Record’ legislation in NSW seeks to update water modelling to take into account more recent droughts. The motion from NSW Independent MP Justin Field was primarily made to protect town water supplies in northern...

Jamie Salter