A group of more than 80 concerned Upper Hunter irrigators gathered at the Aberdeen Bowling Club on Monday night to discuss the implications of the NSW Government's proposal to implement a swathe of new rules for irrigators.
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These changes are contained in the draft Water Sharing Plan for the Hunter Unregulated and Alluvial Water Sources 2022.
The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) completed its review of the Hunter Unregulated and Alluvial plan in 2020 and recommended its replacement. This replacement is due by July 1, 2022.
Water managed under the Plan provides flows to important environmental assets, including the Ramsar-listed Hunter Estuary Wetlands.
It also provides water for a diverse range of regional and state-significant industries, which contribute around 28 percent of regional NSW's total economic output.
According to the Review given these significant values, the issues identified in this review should be addressed and a replacement Plan developed that protects the values associated with these important assets.
Establishing limits to the availability of water is particularly important for this Plan, as water entitlements across the Hunter Valley have reached their full allocations, the Review states.
However If approved, affected irrigators argue they will be forced to stop pumping from their wells when the levels of Government monitoring bores drop to a certain level - even if their own well has water. A related proposal will see almost every irrigator in the Valley forced to install an AS4747 meter. These top of the line meters cost approximately $10,000 per well installed.
The proposal affects every irrigator with bores (more than 100mm combined pump capacity) and every irrigator with a well regardless of pump capacity. Aberdeen dairy farmer, Scott Wheatley, has been campaigning to improve the proposal for more than a year.
"The trouble is that so many people had no idea they would be affected. It's bringing in people who have never been regulated before. But consultation shuts at midnight this Sunday and the Government is refusing to give people an extension."
"We organised this meeting to try to raise awareness and make sure people get a submission in before the deadline."
One impacted irrigator at Monday's meeting, Doug Robertson, said he had checked what the proposed cease to pump rules would mean for his family's fifth generation beef and irrigation enterprise.
"We had water in our well and were able to irrigate during the 2006/07 drought, but if this rule was in place we would have been forced to stop pumping for 20 months during that two-year period. We would have been forced to sell our core breeding herd or buy in feed at inflated drought prices - despite the fact that there was water in our own well that we could have used to grow feed for them."
Segenhoe Valley irrigators, Larry and Cherry Hamson, have been producing lucerne hay on their 52-acre farm since 2000.
They said the proposed cease to pump rules would be devastating for their business - which is their sole income - and for the customers who rely on them.
If irrigators like us weren't able to pump during that drought I hate to think what would have happened,"
- Hamsons
"We have so many customers - people with horses, cattle and sheep - who were only able to feed their animals during that last drought because of the hay we produce. Everyone across the valley was just barely hanging on. If irrigators like us weren't able to pump during that drought I hate to think what would have happened," the Hamson's said.
Proposed metering for all well users 'ridiculous'
Participants in Monday's meeting were also deeply concerned about the expense of the proposed metering, particularly given that the Government could easily access electricity meter data as a proxy for water use.
Aberdeen irrigator Paul Canvin is a second generation hay producer and has returned full time to the family farm.
"Why ask people to spend up to $10,000 plus per well for AS4747 water meters when we already have a reliable system that works? We all have electricity meters on our wells and that system has worked well for years."
Daniel Clydsdale operates a 25-acre irrigation property at Aberdeen.
"I've had a quote of $15,000 for an AS4747 meter. I've got four wells to pay for. We're a young family starting out with a small farm and some lease country. If I've got to fork over $60,000 for meters they may as well take my pumps," he said. Participants at the meeting will be making submissions to WaterNSW this week and have agreed to meet again before the start of the consultation on metering.
Do you irrigate from a well. You could be impacted by the Government's proposal. Contact Project Officer, Sally Hunt on mobile 0437 377 336 or email : sally.hunt@dpie.nsw.gov.au