Next Season’s Water Availability – NSW Murray and Murrumbidgee

15/02/2019


In response to member concerns, the RiceGrowers’ Association (RGA) has contacted the NSW Department of Industry – Water, to seek clarification in the event dry conditions prevail, that any General Security carry-over water will be fully available in the 2019/20 water year. 

In today’s allocation statements, DOI Water have provided the following updates regarding 2019/20 carry-over availability:
MURRUMBIDGE

Private carryover will be fully deliverable. At this early stage, it is estimated that the average carryover across the valley will be close to five per cent of entitlement.
 
NSW MURRAY

It is intended at this stage that carryover commitments will be met on 1 July. However, in the unlikely event that critically low inflows are experienced into winter, access to carryover may be restricted. Conditions are being closely monitored and more detail will be provided in outlook updates if that scenario appears to firm.

We also note that today’s allocation statements provided preliminary outlooks for the 2019/20 Water Year. Both outlooks predict that, in the event that ongoing dry conditions prevail, opening allocations for General Security users in both valleys will be zero percent. Nevertheless, the RGA will continue to work with the State and Federal water agencies to try and identify opportunities for water to be made available to our general security irrigators.  

We hope this information is helpful in planning for the coming water season, and that the next few months provide our ricegrowers with some significant relief from the on-going dry conditions.