Sophie Baldwin, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper

The last time the Bullatale Creek ran dry was back in 2007 – at the peak of the millennium drought.

And yet, in 2024 and after three consecutive wet years, the creek is dry.

Again.

Which begs the obvious question – where has all the water gone?

Why has a creek, with enormous environmental benefits, and home to high quality macro and micro invertebrates, as well as rare black fish, Murray cod and even the uncommon broad-shelled turtle, simply been allowed to run dry in what has been one of the wettest periods of the century?

For the past 20 years, the southern basin has borne the brunt of major water reform under the Basin ‘plan’, a plan supposed to enhance environmental outcomes, protect our rivers and creeks, and safeguard all the species relying on a healthy river system.

And yet, dry creek beds and rivers are popping up across the mid-Murray as water delivery under the Basin Plan is prioritised to the lower lakes in South Australia.

There is no life in a dry creek bed, and as more and more are running dry across the Riverina, we ask the question why?

At the same time, irrigators along the Bullatale are also screaming out for water to finish off their crops.

Many of these irrigators are generational farming families who have respected the environmental significance of the Bullatale and protected it as best as they can.

Farmers like Andrew and Louise Burge, who are third generation farmers on the creek. Andrew is also the chair of the Bullatale Creek Water Trust, an entity more than 100 years old.

He said the regulated section of the Bullatale Creek has operated as an important environmental flow corridor between the Murray and Edward rivers, while providing stock and domestic water.

“While most flows are not extracted for irrigation, those farmers who do have entitlements rely on using their water in spring and autumn,” Andrew said.

“Since February, farmers haven’t received any water due to changes in how the Murray River is operated, and major sections of the creek have now completely dried up.”

He said it is comparable to the worst of the millennium drought – a nightmare no-one wanted to relive.

“The environment and farmers are desperately wanting water to finish off their crops and both are facing imminent disaster.”

Andrew said scientific studies have confirmed the Bullatale is one of the most highly valued environmental systems in the Murray-Darling Basin.

“The consequences of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan are not just removing water from agricultural production; they are also changing how the Murray River itself is operated.

“Water authorities have moved to a boom and bust scenario for this part of the mid-Murray – major floods damaging private property in spring and drying out important creek systems for the rest of the year.

“It is sheer madness,” Andrew said.

Bill Dudley and his family have also farmed in the area for generations.

As the fourth-generation, Bill has watched his ability to access water for his house, stock and crops evaporate in recent years, despite owning stock and domestic and general security water entitlements.

“Our entitlements are the same as any other S&D and NSW Murray general security water user,” he explained.

“Our irrigation trust is more than 100 years old and has a water access licence the same as Murray Irrigation, and yet we have no water and the Bullatale is dry.

“We put our water orders in like other irrigators and we are continually told by WaterNSW it can’t deliver water and yet the system is full and the numbers don’t add up,” Bill said.

The Bullatale is gravity fed from the Murray – low flows in the Murray below Tocumwal mean the Bullatale remains dry, and yet the Mulwala and Yarrawonga canals and dam storages are full.

“The Murray below Tocumwal is sitting at an unprecedented low level for this time of the year and this is impacting on water flowing into the Bullatale.”

He said ridiculous changes in river management have been partially hidden by wet years and recent floods.

“The Bullatale is an unfortunate consequence of poor water policy, a change in river management and the idea we need to save bulk water for an impending future drought.

“Our basic landholder rights to access water are being ignored and eroded while the Bullatale is treated like a channel, despite the fact it runs adjacent to a national park and is the only available water source.”

He said the Bullatale is a critical environmental refuge in a natural riparian zone.

“All this water reform and the Basin Plan are supposed to be about protecting our waterways, what is happening on the Bullatale is an economic and environmental disaster.”

And to add salt to the wound, he said the Mary Ada regulator off the Murray is currently open and pouring irreplaceable water into swamps and low-lying areas.

“This is the most inefficient use of water, and no-one can tell us who owns the water and why this is happening, it just doesn’t make any sense.”

It is blatantly obvious the Basin Plan has never been about environmental outcomes, especially not here in the Riverina as the health of the mid-Murray rivers and creeks is being sacrificed for a political agenda to send water downstream to South Australia.

And let’s not forget the cost to our rural communities either, as productivity and our ability to produce staple foods to feed the nation and generate wealth for the economy is eroded away.

This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 12 September 2024.