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.  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.  

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 independent expert panel appointed to study the social and economic conditions affecting communities in the Murray-Darling Basin will be in Moree on  Friday 18th October 2019 from 1:30pm to 3:30pm at the Town and Country Club, 5 Frome St.
The panel wants to hear from communities to assess how lived experience aligns with analysis and research, understand key trends, drivers and impacts from water reform, and learn of community-led ideas and solutions.
Please register your interest in attending by email to: Independentpanel@mdba.gov.au stating that you will be attending the Moree session. Thank you.

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.

From the 20th to the 26th of September Moree will host a number of innovative Agtech founders. The intention is to connect these Agtech businesses with farmers to ensure that the products and services being developed align with the needs of farmers. The tour includes an irrigation tour, a cotton research tour and broadacre and livestock tours in the Moree region. With a wrap up Pitch night at BAMM on Thursday 25th September. 
For more information please contact Brooke Sauer 0427 090 279 or brooke@intellectag.com

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.

Come and join B&W Rural for a BBQ lunch at 12:30pm, Friday 13 September 2019 at the B&W Rural Office.
B&W Rural will have representatives from N-Drip giving a demonstration and talk about their new gravity fed drip irrigation technology. This has the potential for labour savings and huge water savings in years to come. See flyers attached and the below link for more information.
Please RSVP by 9am Friday to Loretta Menzies; p: (02) 6750 7000 | e: Loretta.Menzies@elders.com.au