GWYDIR VALLEY IRRIGATORS ASSOCIATION

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News

Once again this week our farmers have been crucified on the back of bureaucratic bungling. On late Friday afternoon, the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment's Water division applied an embargo for the first time on overland flow via a text message.  Whilst the sentiment of this decision to protect flows for critical human needs is supported by northern communities, it is the level of disregard for how a natural system behaves during extreme weather events such as a flood and the lack of consultation about rule changes that has farmers fuming. 

Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association together with Namoi Water have provided the following statement regarding the current management of river flows and localised flooding in parts of our valleys.  This statement will be progressively updated as more information becomes available.
 
There is no question that we and our communities support the importance of connectivity flows in drought. We fully support flows to provide critical human needs.

 

NSW DPIEW informed users via the EWN that they have lifted temporary water restrictions on unregulated water users in the Mehi subcatchment (until 17 February 2020), this adds to the lifting of restrictions in the Millie and Thalaba sub-catchments in the south-western section of Gwydir Valley.  Restrictions to floodplain harvesting activities in the Mehi and Thalaba sub catchments have also been lifted. These expire on 12th February 2020. 
Reasons for the decision are stated as being: over the last 2 days there has been in excess of 150mm of rain in lower Gwydir. Flows in the Mehi River are at 4000ML/day and 4,500ML/day in Moomin. Flows in the Barwon Darling are at 9000ML day at Collarenabri and 5000ML day at Tara. Flows from the Mehi are backing up due to high flows in the Barwon Darling.
Most flow targets have been met, and is now expected that targets at Brewarrina, and possibly Bourke, will also be met.
The main intent of lifting this order to minimise flood impacts, and allow farmers to move water around their property.   

Water NSW have expanded their Early Warning Network to manage notifications for temporary restrictions to pumping conditions (in addition to dam safety and flood notifications).  It is recommended all water users subscribe to this process to be sent an email and SMS on any announcements from Water NSW regarding access arrangements. 

DPIEW have lifted the restrictions to unregulated licence access in the Thalaba and Millie Creek Subcatchments as of 9:53pm tonight.  This is because of high rainfall in the lower part of the Gwydir valley has resulted in the public interest test being met for these water sources, and unregulated take from the above water sources will not materially impact on downstream flows in the Barwon Darling.
To receive updates on temporary restrictions, you must register for the Early Warning Network here.
Contact the office for more information.

The NSW Government has enacted a temporary restriction on floodplain harvesting across the northern basin to preserve any flows in the northern river system for towns, stock and domestic supply and the environment. This temporary restriction order will apply to the take of water for the purpose of floodplain harvesting, except in the case where the take of water is rainfall runoff from irrigated areas with tailwater return drains or water cannot be reasonably prevented i.e. it is passive take.  You will need to refer to the exemption details via the Department's website.  We will forward any further information when it becomes available. 

Following months (and months) of requests from groups like ourselves, our local council and chamber of commerce for support for our farm related businesses, the Australian Government through the Regional Investment Corporation has announced and opened the AgBiz Drought loans which aims to support regional Australians to take control of their business through the drought.  There are conditions and eligibility requirements for the loan.  For more information visit the RIC website.  Thank you to our local members who advocated for broadening drought support from the farm gate.

Please be aware DPIE have issues a Section 324 water restriction under the NSW Water Management Act in anticipation of potential natural inflows into the regions water systems this is for unregulated, general security and supplementary licences.  Details are to be provided on the DPIE website.  This order does not include current water orders in the system and high security deliveries.  Exemptions to test metering equipment are expected to exist and procedures must be followed as per the gazette.

The GVIA were excited to help coordinate and host two year 12 students in Moree as part of the University of New England's Growing Regional and Agricultural Students in Science (UNE GRASS) program. They have been getting their hands dirty these school holidays, learning about all facets of the cotton industry directly from those involved in all areas. Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School student Harry Page from Goondiwindi and Calrossy Anglican School student Matt Tomlinson from Bellata have spent the past week in the Gwydir Valley, gaining a broad exposure to the possible career opportunities in the Australian cotton industry.

With the anticipation of rain forecast by the BOM, its important that water users are aware of the conditions around water access in the event we receive river system inflows.  There are currently deliveries within the system that would need to be satisfied, as with the provision of stock and domestic and basic landholder right flows to systems that have not received any substantial flows to-date.  To ensure you are up to date, please check the Department of Industry website for any temporary restrictions.
We note that previous restrictions have made allowances to test metering equipment for a limited volume of no more than 1ML provided the duly qualified person, undertaking the testing informs NRAR.  This information will be available on the Government Gazette if a restriction is put in place.  

Current water availability has been updated for regulated and groundwater usage and allocations this year, which groundwater usage remaining below limits and no new allocations being made. The only deliveries from Copeton Dam have been for critical water needs for high security users (both irrigators and the environment) and general security carried over for environmental purposes, which is being dam wall debited.  Copeton Dam received minor inflows and remains steady to increasing, despite releases being made.  These releases are visible in the Mehi and Lower Gwydir systems.  The GVIA have also updated our historical availability section of the website, to include an analysis of supplementary access as well.

WaterNSW recently provided an update on river operations outlook and water availability for the Gwydir Valley as part of the River Operations Stakeholder Consultative Committee and the Customer Advisory Group meetings that coincided with the regional drought updates.  A snap shot of these updates are provided in the link below, or you can visit the WaterNSW website for regional drought updates and operations updates. 

The NSW and Commonwealth Governments are undertaking environmental water delivery across the Gwydir, Mehi and Carole systems to replenish large river pools which act as fish refuge throughout the summer of 2019-20.  Initial environmental water releases are being used to restart the rivers after an extended period of no flow. After river startup, flows will be in combination with WaterNSW releases for stock and domestic flows down the systems. Visit this page to see the updates. 

The NSW Government has updated their Drought Information page with new information on how they are managing water and critical water shortages right around the state.  It reads "The areas experiencing the worst effects of this drought are the northern Murray-Darling Basin and the Lower Darling. Inflows to each of the major northern inland NSW regulated rivers are now the lowest on record. Northern NSW has experienced many two-year periods of sustained low inflows. We’re now entering an unprecedented third year." For more facts behind the drought and river management options, visit their page and look through the critical valleys and their management or the other information sources.

The NSW and Commonwealth Governments have significant natural assets in our region - NSW is responsible for land and water and the Commonwealth are the largest single water entitlement owner in the valley.  While a farmer is financially accountable for their decisions and socially accountable as custodians to manage their land - not to mention the rules and regulations they must abide by. Who are our government's accountable to when they make decisions on how they manage their assets? It's the community!
Zara Lowien said "Its important that the community are aware of what is done with the water that is delivered to these areas and how those decisions are made"...

Today, the NSW Government announced that the it will adjust the first three start dates for the new metering rules, meaning the first roll-out date for larger than 500mm pipe diameters is now 1 December 2020.  This announcement, while welcomed and well-overdue, unfortunately fails to acknowledge that the NSW Government has failed to outline to water users what data logger or telemetry devices are approved for installation as part of the new regulations.  This decision is still pending. 

Today, the GVIA launched two videos calling on the NSW Government to finalise their decision regarding changes to the NSW Non-urban Water Metering Regulations that were consulted on back in August 2019.  Executive Officer, Zara Lowien said "it's now less than two-months before the first deadline for water users to ensure their metering equipment meets the new rules and no one knows what data logger or telemetry units are approved for installation.  Without this decision,  no water user in NSW can be compliant.  Farmers all around NSW are under enough pressure already, enough is enough".   

On Sunday 29th September Landline featured a story on the pig monitoring project that was completed in the Berrigal Creek region over the last three years. The collars used in that project are now in use for the GVIA project.
We have eight collared pigs and a camera grid monitoring pig movements in our region, as shown in the image of the collared boar. Area wide control activities will begin in the next few weeks. If we are to achieve our target 80-90% control we need everyone to be involved in effective control activities. 

Groups across the northern basin communities would like to correct several claims made during an interview with Michael Condon on the ABC’s ‘Country Hour’ on 2 September 2019. These statements are demonstrably false, and not supported by any evidence. The fact that they were broadcast without challenge points to the lack of knowledge of water issues and the tendency to perpetuate opinion as fact, as in other recent ABC programs.

Water availability has been updated following the recent resource assessment, availability for irrigation has increased due to trade of high security allocations into the general security pool.  Currently there is 3GL available in irrigation general security accounts but with limited deliverability and 35GL for environmental water managers.  We remain in Stage 3 of drought management as the Copeton Dam holds predominately critical water supplies only.

The GVIA has Gwydir Regulated General Security (400ML) and Lower Gwydir Groundwater (16ML) of allocations for expression of a price per megalitre for each parcel by 12pm Monday, 23 September 2019 by emailing gvia@gvia.org.au.

The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Water Division late Friday night released their final version of their Independent Review of Floodplain Harvesting Policy Implementation as well as the NSW Government’s Floodplain Harvesting Action Plan to respond to this advice. The NSW Government will also be holding public consultation on these documents, due to start in Narrabri on Monday, 9 September 2019.
We’ve asked for regional DPIE offices to be set up to access the webinar on Wednesday 18th for those that cannot make one of the locations.  For GVIA members, our office will be set up with the webinar. 
Zara Lowien, Executive Officer of the Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association, said it’s important that anyone in NSW that has a dam that can collect rainfall runoff from across their farm, considers attending a consultation session or the webinar.

Irrigation groups from northern NSW have added their voice to concerns with the quality of the Natural Resources Commissions draft report reviewing the Barwon Darling Water Sharing Plan. 
They collectively provided a submission to the draft review saying that the NRC appears to have moved away from its previous approach to reviews and have provided no evidence of a former robust process in this draft report.
Northern irrigators say they are frustrated that the NRC relied heavily on expert opinion with “so-called” supporting evidence that was not publicly available.

The GVIA also provided their own submission.

Together with the Moree and Garah branches of NSW Farmers, the Gwydir Valley CGA and GrowerCo, we recently wrote to our Federal and State local members regarding the proposed rail-way line upgrade for the Inland Rail.  The new proposal will see construction not starting until October 2020 (after being due to start at the end of 2019) and our rail line for Narrabri to Moree will now be closed for 17 months.   We wrote because construction will not happen during the drought but rather when the drought is potentially breaking and recovering, thus only adding further economic hardship to the farmer and community.  We propose to move forward the upgrades, to complete a large part whilst no commodities are moving by rail for export and thus minimise disruption once the drought breaks. This approach also represents an opportunity to provide employment and an economic boost to the region in a time when our community is struggling. We're asking members to contact local members and elected representatives as well as ARTC, to support this proposal.  See link for ARTC contact information.

This is a great opportunity for our local community to inform the Senate Select Committee inquiry into Jobs for the Future in Regional Areas about the opportunities and challenges in our region. The Committee inquiry will cover a number of matters including: new industries and employment opportunities for regions; existing jobs in regions in clean energy technology and ecological services and their future significance; lessons learned from structural adjustments and privatisation and their impact on labour markets and local economies; the importance of long-term planning to support the diversification of supply chain industries and local economies; and measures to guide the transition into new industries and employment.
Submission closing date is 6 September 2019. 

Pig Management Project

The Gwydir Strategic Pest Management initiative that brings landholders and National Parks together in the management of feral pigs is well underway now. Despite the dry conditions there are still significant feral pig numbers out there, and they are still breeding, so we all need to remain vigilant in our control of these feral pests.
Critical to managing feral pigs is to use all control mechanisms. The LLS have a Winter Feral Pig Control Program running until the end of August, producers who are working with their neighbours trapping or baiting are encouraged to contract the LLS on 1300 795 299 to source grain for trapping and baiting.

Criticism of the NSW Government’s socio-economic assessment included in part of the public release of the Murray to Broken Hill pipeline Business Case[1] outlining the decision to build a pipeline for an alternate water supply for Broken Hill (finished earlier this year) is trying to lay blaim on northern irrigators without justification once more.
Zara Lowien said “It seems there is no shortage of drought-deniers that claim we are either not in drought or that we’ve never had a critical water supply issue before” she said.
“They simply miss the fact that when it doesn’t rain, our rivers don’t flow and there’s no water for anyone.” she said.

Current water availability in the Gwydir Valley has been updated following the July Resource Assessment.  The region remains in Stage 3 for Drought Management with Copeton Dam steady at 9%.  Current resources are secured for essential supplies, with limited carryover remaining (2,000ML for irrigators and 35,000ML for environment), although with loss accounts in deficit by 39,000ML, WaterNSW will work with water users to ensure coordination of releases or to utilise any natural inflows, if they occur.  This means that delivery of water allocation is not on demand and unlikely to provide for water deliveries west of the township of Moree.

Submissions are due on Monday, 12 August to provide feedback on the NSW Metering Regulations.  The GVIA is providing a number of   recommendations around on-the-ground challenges with implementation of regulations, including amending the telemetry roll-out date to 1 December 2020 and a legislative process to address lack of water to undertake wet-testing of new and existing meters.  We are asking for individual submissions to be made via the NSW Government's Have your Say website. For more information click below to see our video.   

Mimosa Management trial

The Mimosa Management Demonstration site to the east of Moree has had its final assessment. The two strongest performing applications were treatments 11 (Grazon Extra,Lontrel Advance, Stinger and Pulse) and 12 (Graslan). The site has recently been slashed, and new signage will be installed in the near future, so it is easy to see how each of the treatments have performed. Site maps and summary results are available on the GVIA Mimosa page.

The NWLLS currently have a Winter feral pig control program running. They are offering free grain for feral pig baiting and trapping programs. The program is only running until the end of August. For more information please contact the NW LLS on 1300 795 299

Last night’s Four corners story “Cash Splash” regarding water infrastructure programs to achieve the water recovery under the Murray Darling Basin Plan missed several important key messages which we would like to share with you. The environment has more water available to them to use for environmental outcomes during this drought because of the Basin Plan.  This water is only available due to buy-back or infrastructure programs and they have more than 2,106 GL of entitlement from across the Basin (76% of the targeted volume). Our rivers in the last three-months has been flowing because of this water. Willing participants have done their part with most of the water recovery complete. It’s now up to Governments to work with communities to achieve the last of the water recovery through projects and environmental water managers to manage their portfolios to achieve real outcomes.

NSW Department of Industry - Water today made their starting allocations in the Gwydir Valley for the 2019-2020 water year.  In the regulated system, only critical water supplies received a 100% allocation (this includes High Security water users) and with surface water reserves low, deliverability of remaining regulated allocations including carryover allocations will require cooperation between all water users to ensure deliveries are as efficient as practically possible as per the WaterNSW operations update.  Lower Gwydir Groundwater users also received 100% allocation, as well as unregulated and alluvial entitlements.

Copeton Dam is at 9% and steadying as the last of the environmental releases for the northern connectivity event for fish wind-down, however there is only 2,000 megalitres available to irrigators as carryover for next season.  Essential supplies including high security are secured, although below the targeted 2-year supply level which may impact deliverability without further inflows or natural flows. Dam capacity would still need to increase by 3% before an allocation could be made and this is to ensure security of essential supplies.

Groundwater usage on the three-year rolling average is tracking just below Plan Limit and this volume of usage should not impact starting allocations, when announced on 1 July 2019.

The Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme run by the NSW Government Department of Primary Industries, Rural Assistance Authority is currently available for  eligible Primary Producers to claim a rebate of 25% (up to $25,000 per farm) of the cost of purchase ,delivery and the labour cost to engage a person to install water infrastructure for animal welfare needs. The rebate can be applied to costs incurred from 1st July 2018 for new purchases, and installation of pipes, water storages and water pumps, de-silting dams, and associated power supply such as generators.

The GVIA has welcomed the extension of drought measures in the recent NSW Government Budget to waive fixed water charges for some members and local land services rates, this keeps money in farmers pockets that they can prioritise on other expenses during the drought. We encourage members to spend the equivalent dollars in their local communities and pass on this benefit to another small business doing it tough in the drought.  The GVIA also welcomed upgrades to regional telecommunications and infrastructure projects like roads and water supplies, which will help to ensure regional communities can remain competitive in business. More information on budge measures is available via the NSW Budget 2019-20 webpage.

NSW IPART have approved prices for WaterNSW bulk regional delivery for the 2019/2020 water delivery year, to take effect on 1 July 2019.  The decision has seen minor increases for inflation and CPI for WaterNSW customers in the Gwydir Valley.  More information is available from NSW IPART or click below to see our pricing webpage which includes a link to the WaterNSW billing calculator.  

NSW Department of Industry-Water and WaterNSW were in Moree this week as part of their tour of drought-affected regions in the state. To talk with communities, providing an updates on surface and groundwater water availability and the proposed management measures if the dry conditions persist.

"In the Gwydir, we're not quite at record low inflows but we're certainly in the lowest per cent of years over the last 100 years or so," Mr Wrathall said.

"Storage still has some water in it, enough to keep the river running periodically over the next year or two and critical needs are still able to be met.

As GVIA members are also members of NSW Irrigators Council and now you can sign up directly to receive updates from the state-body for irrigators in NSW via http://www.nswic.org.au/newsletter-registration/, previous updates are available via the link below

Zara Lowien, our Executive Officer, recently contributed to the Australian Farm Institute's May Insights Newsletter on 'The Changeing Landscape of the Murray Darling Basin Plan'.  Zara outlined answers to three key questions, regarding climate change, water markets and community disruption  and what a reset of the Plan would look like.  She summed up the current frustrations with the Basin Plan with this closing comment "The vitriolic debate about who is responsible for low water availability, rivers ceasing to flow and unfortunate fish deaths during this current drought exemplifies that we’ve failed to manage expectations about the MDBP; what it is about for communities and the broader Australian public and what it can achieve now and into the future."

The Federal election campaign draws to a close this Saturday, 18th May. To lend a line from former Prime Minister John Howard when asked whether a candidate was fit for Parliament, he said “It is a matter not for you or me... The Australian people will decide whether somebody is fit to be in parliament”.

With that in mind, we have provided a comparison of party policies around water predominately but we have also provided links to other tools on a range of regional and rural issues and candidate information, for you to review and consider prior to exercising your right to vote. To make your vote count and ensure you help decide who's fit for Parliament, be aware of voting requirements (the Senate process has changed) but also exercise your full preferential voting.   

Water will again flow down the Mehi River through Moree this week, following the decision by environmental water managers to re-start the river and provide flows for a fish flow event. Flow events like this are a great opportunity for everyone to see what can be achieved with judicial use of environmental water.  An update from the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder is available via bit.ly/2IsLn79

New project to be launched

Over the next 12-months the GVIA will be working in partnership with a range of organisations and local landholders to implement a strategic feral pig management program in the Valley. The program will involve monitoring feral pig populations and the damage they cause to natural ecosystems and crops in and around the Gwydir wetlands and is due to start the initial stages of planning for implementation.  We are currently seeking interest from landholders in the lower reaches of the valley around Moree and further west, to work on the project steering committee. 

The final balances of water remaining in the Gwydir Valley have been confirmed in the February resource assessment with remaining water for critical needs the majority of water stored in Copeton Dam, along with the last of general security (2,000ML) and environmental holdings (69,000ML).  Environmental water is likely to be used for drought management strategies.

GVIA Executive Officer, recently made a statement to the Moree Champion regarding the release of two independent reports into the fish kills at Menindee Lakes saying that the continued focus on a number or volume to be recovered for the environment, from irrigation [for the Murray Darling Basin Plan], has meant that the outcomes to be achieved and how it would be used, are not well understood.
Photo: Dead fish in the Barwon River in 1958, before irrigation.

Water NSW have issued a blue-green algal alert for Copeton Dam, which is at 12% capacity and holding critical water supplies and environmental holdings only.  Water quality issues like this will continue to be an issue in the dam and the regions rivers and creeks until fresh inflows occur.

Total inflows into the Copeton this year have been at our lowest historical records.  Capacity would need to increase by at least 5% before consideration of any additional supplies other than the valleys critical water needs.

Today is Women and Girls in Science day and we thought we would celebrate the great work of our team! Lou (L) who has a Bachelor of AgSci from UNE and Masters in Business is representing the GVIA and the CGA at UNE GRASS Industry Placement celebrations having co-hosted a high school student earlier this year, also a budding female scientist. Zara (R) who has Hons in LWSci from Sydney Uni, is monitoring water usage across the valley and fulling out key facts and developing policies on water measurement. That is just today's snippet of what they are doing but it's exciting to see where science can take you! Lou and Zara work with a great group of men and women at the GVIA to help ensure our work is well researched and well communicated. To find out more of what they do and the GVIA, visit our website.

The South Australian Royal Commission's report into the Murray Darling Basin Plan has been released and is now available via their website.  The MDBA have provided a response via https://www.mdba.gov.au/media/mr/mdba-response-south-australian-royal-commission-final-report.  There are many recommendations which will take time to review and with headings like the 'triple bottom line myth' this report will get much media attention, particularly with the upcoming elections.

Water availability in the region has been updated following recent resource assessments outlining a 32,000ML shortfall that will need to be topped up before an allocation is available.  There is less than 8,000ML available in general security accounts and groundwater will be relied on heavily for the remainder of the season.  Groundwater users are encouraged to provide updated meter readings via iWAS to allow for monitoring of valley usage.

The Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association (GVIA) is hosting an Innovation in Irrigation: Water Measurement and Metering Field Day on Thursday 29th November 2018 at “Keytah” Moree. Executive Officer of the GVIA, Zara Lowien said...

Please RSVP by 26th November for catering to gvia@gvia.org.au or 02 6752 1399.

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