Murray Darling Basin Authority visit
An influx of Government and Government Agency staff visited Wilcannia on Monday 29th July to look at the old weir, proposed site for the new weir and meet with local organisations and the Shire. Included in the group was former Western Lands Commissioner and passionate Wilcannia and Darling River advocate Geoff Wise.
Southern Murray-Darling Basin water entitlement markets lost nearly $2 billion in value over 2023-24, despite Commonwealth buybacks
Today Aither, a Ricardo company, released their eleventh annual Aither Water Markets Report. It summarises water trading activity and trends in the 2023-24 water year and provides insights into the outlook for 2024-25 ... Following a decade of 21 per cent compound annual growth, the Aither Entitlement Index (AEI) has fallen 12 per cent since reaching an all-time high in February 2023 ...
Brawl over Singleton groundwater continues
Fortune Agribusiness is again the controversial winner in the Western Davenport Water Allocation Plan 2024-2027 announced by Environment Minister Kate Worden yesterday – a day before her government entered caretaker mode ahead of the election this month. The government’s decisions about the use of groundwater from the 24,500 square kilometre basin 350 km north of Alice Springs have vehemently been opposed by the Arid Land Environment Centre.
Burst water main
Many residents on the south side of Maldon came home to find that their taps were not issuing water last Friday afternoon ... Troy Waterhouse, aptly named, exceptionally good-natured and covered in mud, spent at least an hour in the sludgy pit by the side of the road, scooping out water and fixing the main so that water delivery was restored to residents in reasonable time.
Future “Made in Australia” needs water to make it happen
Boosting technologies and manufacturing for a Future Made in Australia could get off to a healthy start if we focus on water security solutions. That’s according to Kristi McLachlan, who’s the Regional Director of Water Australia Asia for Hatch, a global multidisciplinary leader in urban solutions, engineering, operational and development projects in metals, energy and infrastructure.
The Menindee compromise released
As the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) continue to change the rules in their favour, irrigation communities are proposing a dramatic change that aims to benefit food producers and Australia’s largest irrigator, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder.
Barely a drop to drink
Patricia Gill. Water pressure dropped to a trickle to 400 households last Friday night when a leaking water main was turned off for repairs about 9.30pm. WA Water Corporation crews began work on Friday leaving households without pressure until 6pm on Saturday but the water was cut again from 9am-4pm on Sunday so a Shire of Denmark stormwater drain could be fixed.
Murrumbidgee Council launches investigation into fuel spill
It is believed Murrumbidgee Council has launched an investigation into the alleged fuel spill at Gundaline Station, which was revealed in an exclusive report in The Riverine Grazier. Anne Lyons, Murrumbidgee Council’s Media and Communications Officer responded to enquiries for updates, following the NSW Environmental Protection Authority stating local Councils are the regulatory agencies for such incidents, under the Act.
Huge, costly flaw revealed in Labor’s buybacks system leaving local growers hamstrung: Centofanti
Struggling South Australian growers could be forced to wait almost a year for compensation after selling water to the Albanese Labor Government to meet its target of 450GL for the Murray-Darling Basin. Labor has released its Restoring Our Rivers - Trading Strategy which outlines its approach to the destructive water buybacks model over the next year, claiming: “The intent of these rules is to ensure that persons or organisations with prior knowledge of market sensitive information that will be publicly announced, do not have an unfair market advantage over other water market participants”.
NFF calls out Federal Government’s failure to protect the Great Artesian Basin
The National Farmers’ Federation has expressed profound disappointment and frustration at the Federal Government's ongoing neglect in safeguarding the Great Artesian Basin (GAB), one of Australia's most vital groundwater resources. As AgForce prepares to bring its case before the Federal Court next month, the Government has questioned the agricultural organisation's right to take legal action.
Enough is enough says Murrumbidgee Council Mayor
Councillor Ruth McRae OAM, Murrumbidgee Council Mayor. Enough is enough...things you all should know. Crippling water buybacks will see many communities, currently with their back to the wall, disappear, and the shiny trinkets offered by the Federal Government as compensation are $300 million. The Federal Government plans to buy back up to 450GL of water which, at our estimates, will cost them $8 billion. No surprises, there is an undisclosed amount in the Federal Budget to buy water ...
Buybacks begin for political plan
Buybacks have begun as the Federal Government seeks to add to the huge volumes of held environmental water ... The plan appears to have moved past the noble intention of a balanced plan with a triple bottom line. Now fuelled by political motives, the political plan risks the viability of irrigation companies, food-producing industries, and locks many young Australians out of the chance to be an irrigation farmer.
Water security bolstered
Toowoomba Regional Council's (TRC) $40 million major upgrades to the Mt Kynoch water treatment plant were officially opened on Monday, supporting water needs into the next decade. Toowoomba Region Mayor Geoff McDonald said TRC had invested $40 million in the Stage 4 upgrade to implement modern water treatment processes.
Renewed deal to deliver water south of the Barmah Choke: MDBA
A renewed agreement between WaterNSW and Murray Irrigation Limited (MIL) will help to move water around the Barmah Choke for the 2024–25 water year. MDBA Senior Director River Modernisation Joe Davis said the arrangement with MIL would ensure water delivery to downstream users whilst protecting the river environment and community values.
Remediation works to maintain perfect water quality
Lismore City Council is investing $1 million in important remediation work on two water reservoirs after a scheduled in-depth health check on the system's condition. The two identified for repairs are the Esmonde Street and Wyreema Avenue reservoirs.
Landowners asked to remove Sleeman River salinity barrier
Landowners whose property joins the mouth of the Sleeman River have been asked to dismantle the remnants of a disintegrating weir which has been in place for more than 30 years. The weir was built to block salt water from entering the river so landowners could exercise their riparian rights.
Dalton: “Rogue operators must be held to account”
Independent Member for Murray, Helen Dalton has responded to The Riverine Grazier’s story last week regarding reports of a fuel spill at a district property. "The allegations are incredibly serious and must not be swept under the carpet," Mrs Dalton said. "We cannot have a situation where foreign - owned agricultural enterprises act as if Australian laws do not apply to them."
Council resolves to trade surplus water
Future surplus water will be traded by Hay Shire Council with revenue to be returned to Council’s Water fund for further water projects. A Sale (Trade) of Water policy was unanimously adopted by Council at its recent monthly meeting in a bid to generate additional revenue for the Water Fund as well as improve the efficiency of water usage.
Devastating water buybacks on the way for Northern Victoria: Lovell
The Commonwealth government has betrayed Northern Victoria by announcing further water buybacks from irrigation districts that will drive up costs for irrigators and devastate farming communities. Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek announced on 4 July that as part of the plan to recover 450GL of water in the Murray-Darling Basin, the Government will put out an open tender to purchase 70GL of water from the southern Basin ... latest plan does not apportion additional recovery fairly between states, but merely seeks to buy the cheapest water wherever it is, which could hurt Victoria further.
Labor’s unfair water buybacks system means South Australia will do the heavy lifting: Centofanti
South Australia is at risk of being taken advantage of as Labor prepares to open tenders for water buybacks to meet the recovery target of 450GL for the Murray-Darling Basin. The Albanese Labor Government has mounted its recovery goal on the destructive model of water buybacks, but there is no fixed volume to be recovered from each state, or each catchment or each water right type, which puts South Australia in the firing line.
Investing in water security across the Northern Territory: Plibersek, Worden
A joint investment of $8 million is being made to the Community Infrastructure Assessment project which will allow for water services in 55 remote communities to be assessed ... The Federal Government is also investing $2.3 million to develop a detailed business case for the expansion of the Ord Irrigation Expansion project.
Voluntary water purchase in the Basin kicks off soon: Plibersek
The Government is progressively returning 450 gigalitres of water to the environment by 2027, with voluntary purchase just one of the ways that water will be recovered. Under the Voluntary Water Purchase Program opening the week of 15 July, the Commonwealth will launch its first tender to buy up to 70 gigalitres of water entitlements from willing sellers in parts of the southern Basin.
