NSW Farmers, Media Release, 28 October 2021
NSW Farmers has welcomed the state government’s move to increase water capture for coastal farms as a positive first step in reforms.
The changes to Coastal Harvestable Rights mean farmers will be able to store 30 per cent of the rain that falls on their properties, up from the previous 10 per cent, which NSW Farmers Dairy Committee Chair Colin Thompson said it was important progress.
“This is a positive step forward, particularly for dairy in the affected coastal valleys, as it recognises that we have vastly different rainfall patterns across the state,” Mr Thompson said.
“There are real gains to be achieved in terms of increased productivity and economic activity, but also regional development with a more informed use of available water in coastal catchments.”
The ability to construct a dam on a property to capture harvestable rights was introduced under the NSW Farm Dams Policy in 1999, which changed the rules from an unlimited number of farm dams on a property to a 10 per cent take statewide. While that number sounded good on paper, landholders in coastal catchments argued for larger harvestable rights due to higher rainfall patterns and vastly different topography to farms west of the Dividing Range, where the 10 per cent rights measurement originated.
Mr Thompson said NSW Farmers welcomed progress in the first phase to better allocate and use water resources, and said there would be gains in productivity and drought resilience on-farm while also protecting healthy river systems.
“It doesn’t take in everyone yet, which is a little disappointing for some, but we are looking forward to phase 2 of this reform which should deliver more opportunity for agriculture in a sustainable and beneficial way,” Mr Thompson said.
“We definitely support further work to implement a stepped approach to increasing this water take for other industries once they’ve done that further analysis.”
Learn more about harvestable rights here.
Related story: Increased harvestable rights to bring greater water security to coastal landholders: Pavey
