Filed under: River management, SAMI | Tags: environment, irrigators, Murray River, Murray-Darling Basin, News, Queensland, SA Murray Irrigators, SAMI, Tim Whetstone
News this week that Queensland irrigators diverted a record 1014 gigaltires from the Murray Darling Basin over the past year has angered South Australian Murray Irrigators.
SAMI chairman Tim Whetstone said today the report further highlighted the lack of real leadership on water management in this country.
He said drought stricken South Australian irrigators had received a record low allocation of 176 gigalitres for the same period.
“How many examples do we have to give before the penny drops at a State and Federal level?
“Water is the most precious resource in the country right now and we have people helping themselves to as much as they like while others further downstream face ruin.
“This type of behaviour is un-Australian. This isn’t giving anyone a fair go except those taking the water. The economic and environmental fall-out of strangling river systems by privately diverting massive amounts of water cannot be under-estimated. It has clearly been happening for many years now and, despite supposed caps on development, the governments are turning a blind eye.
“As South Australians we rely on everyone upstream being responsible citizens and playing by the rules. Clearly, there are no rules or ramifications for those who wish to harvest water that, by rights, should be flowing right through the system.”
Mr Whetstone said urgent action needed to be taken to stop huge diversions.
“Everyone in the basin should be on the same system. You get an allocation, the environment has an allocation and we work together in a sustainable way.”
Mr Whetstone said the plight of the lower lakes and its people will engulf many more communities upstream in South Australia unless the State Government declares a state of emergency.
“We have a river on its knees, we have thousands of families who will run out of water next month and we get news this week that water that could have potentially saved us all is being diverted into huge private dams in Queensland.
“The Prime Minister and our Premier are not showing leadership by saying they can’t make it rain. What this report shows is that they don’t need to, they need to take control and stop cowboys draining rivers that belong to everyone.
“They need get fair dinkum about addressing the biggest economic and environmental disaster to hit this country since the depression.
“The Federal Government needs to empower an independent controlling body to fairly manage water resources across the basin – not in two years, not in 12 months, but as soon as next month.”
Mr Whetstone said SAMI would next week unveil a basin-wide survival plan to protect permanent plantings and provide a viable exit package for irrigators who have had enough.
“We have State and Federal governments making policy on the run. They need to sit down with those of us who know what we are talking about and discover the resolve to implement the type of action that will have an immediate, positive impact on many, many river communities across the basin.”
Background:
The Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water reports that their State’s irrigators took a record 1.014 million megalitres from the Murray Darling Basin system in 2007-08.
This is the largest amount Queensland has diverted from the system in one year and significantly more than the previous record of 815ML set in 2003-04.
While the Queensland irrigators switched on their pumps, SA irrigators eventually received a 32% allocation for the same period.
Filed under: News | Tags: drought, exit grants, government assistance, irrigation, irrigators, Murray River, recognition, renmark, River Murray, riverland, some like it hot
A prominent Riverland winegrape grower has said there needs to be a cultural shift to recognise farmers who choose to walk off the land.
Moorook winegrape and citrus grower Sheridan Alm has dubbed irrigators who decide to leave the industry as heroes.
Ms Alm will give advice to winegrape growers about how to best plan for the upcoming season at Some Like It Hot, the wine industry’s premier conference for warm climate regions, to be held at the Chaffey Theatre in Renmark on November 6.
“A lot of assistance with social restructure is necessary. It would be best to acknowledge that growers who decide to sell their water are making a very noble decision to exit the industry right now, it should not be seen that you’ve failed and are copping out,” she said.
“The irrigators that decide to exit would be doing their neighbours and the river such a huge favour and they should be on the front page of the newspaper. Our community must support these people positively – there will be new opportunities for these families in the Riverland. The catch is that this favour deserves greater financial reward than is currently on offer.
“Unfortunately, Australian farmers are portrayed as people who can just keep battling on through anything. It’s definitely a social issue.”
Ms Alm said now is the time for winegrape growers to make some tough decisions about the upcoming season – including deciding what varieties to irrigate – to ensure they can survive the irrigation drought.
“I would be strongly recommending that we’re not going to see a way out of this drought in the short term and my experiences in trying to get by on less water haven’t been successful. It’s just better to use the required amount of water to grow a good crop and keep your customers happy,” she said.
“Trying to get by with limited water just does ongoing damage to the vineyard and you’re spending money while you’re degrading your asset. You might as well stop irrigating the less profitable areas and keep your hands in your pockets.”
Ms Alm said she felt relieved after making the decision to stop irrigating over 10ha of less profitable areas before the 2007 season. “If you have done the planning you can see the benefits in your financial and water budgets,” she said
Ms Alm encouraged growers to develop a flexible water budget that allows them to be aware of how they will purchase water at different trigger points throughout the season, using the early predictions as a guide.
“It is good to have a few things sorted out going into the season so that during the season you can act quickly and concentrate on growing the grapes,” she said. “I think it’s important that people make the decision now whether they are in or they’re out.
“While I may have a few pessimistic things to say, I am still very optimistic that if everything falls into place as we hope it will, with regards to the timing of water buyback and the roll out of the Murray Darling Basin Agreement, we will come out the other end.
“We have to remain positive, but at the same time make well informed decisions.”
Filed under: News, River management, SAMI | Tags: Advertiser, environment, irrigation, Menindee Lakes, Murray River, News, rally, SA Murray Irrigators, SAMI, Tim Whetstone, water management
Below are Tim Whetstone’s full responses to the questions posed by the Advertiser for today’s Save the Murray special. This response, as well as the views of 15 other water management experts, can be found on the AdelaideNow website.
1. What emergency measures need to be taken in the next year, no matter how severe, to correct the rapid deterioration in the condition of the river?
Release Menindee Lakes water now.
Talk that this would be a waste is just ludicrous. Saving this water for critical urban needs next summer will be too late for everyone. If the water is left in Menindee until summer, it will be lost to evaporation. You either get the water now or miss out altogether. It’s a bit like a Boxing Day sale, it won’t be available in January. We have to release the water at the time when it can do the most good.
All South Australians will benefit from an immediate flush of water from Menindee.
Adelaide’s reservoirs can be topped up and the environment and food producers can also gain much needed water security.
The Federal Minister also needs to take immediate control and declare a state emergency. Permanent plantings needs to be given priority to survive what is looming as the toughest summer on record. Without this urgent action the nation’s $9 billion food bowl could turn to dust.
2. Are State/Federal and local governments implementing the correct policy decisions (and quickly enough) to secure the future of the River?
No! If words were water we would have record floods! The $3.7B announced last week is over half of the $6.5B allowed for infrastructure upgrades. Not one drop of saved water will be delivered to the river or the beneficiaries of these projects in the next two years.
We need to reduce the amount of all allocations in a once off process this year! Ten years of Minister Wong’s buy back plan is doing nothing for our system – when it most needs help.
Leadership on this front is so tentative that we feel hung out to dry. It is akin to dying a death by a thousand cuts.
In the face of the worst drought in our history, government should be responding at a far greater pace.
The losses to the economy and our communities are made much larger because there is no early intervention. EC and Exit grants are continuing to fail in delivering fair solutions. These programs have not made the transition from broad acre climate relief to horticulture because of a bureaucratic or political inability to accept the differences in our businesses.
Spending many millions reinvigorating Riverland irrigation systems will not solve anything in the short term. Riverland irrigators are in the main already the most efficient irrigators in the Murray Darling Basin.
3. Are any aspects of the environmental condition of the river irreversible?
The Lower Lakes are on the brink of collapse and so are the people who rely on it. Based on the latest scientific evidence, the clock is ticking and unless we get short term solutions to save the river, we will have a long term disaster.
4. What are the greatest threats and impediments to the campaign to save the river from governmental, community and personal behaviour levels?
a. A governmental level it is a distinct lack of leadership to make the decisions required. States still have too much power. All the tributaries to the MDB should be included under the new Murray Darling Basin Authority.
i. Farm dams, forestry (including carbon sequestration plantations) and salt interception schemes are water users that should be assessed as such and required to purchase the water they use. This matter has been known for some time and should have been signed off at COAG!
b. Community – The level of understanding of water management within the MDB is very high. The options for state governments to take cheap water from the MDB to satisfy urban demands is not sustainable is our cities continue to grow. A greater understanding of the benefits retaining water from catchments on the city side of the ranges as well as implementing wide scale wastewater recycling, stormwater harvesting and desalination needs to be achieved.
c. Personal – Domestic water should be charged for at flat rate, without a supply charge. Low water users and low income households would see a negligible increase and high users and high income households would see larger increases. If people were given more information about opportunities to save water they will force governments to act more ethically!
5. What are the most significant misunderstandings about the future of the system which need to be overcome?
Without the food producers of the Murray Darling Basin, consumers run the risk of buying imported food that may not meet the current quality and safety standards demanded of locally grown produce. I do not think there are too many misunderstandings about the future of our system – simply a lack of the courage to act by our leaders!
6. Taking each segment of the catchment areas from north to south, what land use changes or changes in attitude need to be made to ensure the continued survival of the system?
The health of the river system has become a bigger priority right across the basin. The over allocation of water licenses is the biggest impediment in rehabilitating the system across four states. Areas of the basin that have reached a point of critical saline degradation need to be taken out of production and those stakeholders adequately compensated.
7. In a perfect world, without having to balance the competing demands on the source, what steps would you initiate that would guarantee the survival of the river?
Place the entire basin under the control of one national authority and re-issue sustainable levels of environmental and irrigation allocations to ensure all Australians continued to be supplied with safe, high quality food, the River Murray remained healthy and its communities flourished long into the future. Explore new technologies that are already being used in places such as Israel to reduce our dependence on the river and place a much greater emphasis on recycling all water used in society – ie: stormwater and waste water.
8. What actions by individuals should be taken in the home, the workplace or the community to help save the Murray?
Everyone should be accountable for the water they use. Our most precious resource is running dangerously low and has been taken for granted for too long. The new age irrigator recognizes the benefits of being as efficient with water as possible and would like to see those same philosophies embraced.
Filed under: News, SAMI | Tags: Add new tag, Advertiser Murray campaign, drought, environment, irrigators, Menindee Lakes, Murray River, News, over-allocation, SA Murray Irrigators, SAMI, Save the Murray Now, Tim Whetstone
Tomorrow’s Advertiser (August 1) will feature a range of articles on the Murray River, including comments by SAMI chairman Tim Whetstone.
Follow the link to the ‘Tiser’s online Save the Murray feature to have your say, read comments from 16 of Australia’s water management experts and see photos of the river.
Tim will also be speaking at tomorrow’s Save the Murray rally on the steps of Parliament House in Adelaide.
Filed under: News | Tags: Amy Russell, Cameron Hills, conference, drought, environment, grape growers, Mike Young, News, Riverland Wine Industry Development Council, Sheridan Alm
How grape growers can survive in the short and long term will be the key focus of a day-long seminar at Renmark later this year.
Organisers of the annual Some Like It Hot seminar on November 6 have organised a star-studded list of guest speakers to give a health check on the future of the Riverland wine industry.
Climate change, international exports and the River Murray will come under the spotlight at the seminar, which will be held at Renmark’s Chaffey Theatre.
Wine industry environmental expert Amy Russell, SA’s leading water policy expert Professor Mike Young and Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation information manager Lawrie Stanford are among the guest speakers confirmed for the event.
Some Like It Hot is widely regarded as one of the country’s premium seminars focussed on warm climate irrigated wine regions.
“The timing of the event could not be better. By November we will have a much better idea of where we all stand in relation to water supply,” said Riverland Wine Industry Development Council executive officer Cameron Hills.
“In difficult times it is important for growers to make informed decisions and on that basis alone, no one can afford to miss out on the range of information that will be provided at this seminar.
“The high Australian dollar, drought and water restrictions mean this is a turbulent time for the local industry and it is imperative individuals are armed with high quality information.”
Discussions at the 2008 event will include an industry update, corporate perspective and what is sure to be a heated discussion on climate change.
“Networking is also a big part of this event, which has been lauded as one of the major wine industry events in the State,” Cameron said.
To register for Some Like It Hot visit www.riverlandwine.org.au/slih.htm. Early bird prices are just $35 and credit card payment is available for the first time.
Filed under: River management | Tags: environment, Goolwa, irrigation, Lower Lakes, Menindee Lakes, Murray River, North Queensland Register, SA Murray Irrigators, SAMI
Click here to view a report from yesterday’s North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life regarding Goolwa’s plea for water to be released from Menindee Lakes to flush the Murray Mouth.
See SAMI’s latest release on this issue here.
Filed under: News | Tags: Australian Government, Broken Hill, COAG, drought assistance, environment, Federal Government, Menindee Lakes, Murray River, Murray-Darling Basin, News, SA Murray Irrigators, SAMI, Tim Whetstone, water theft
Below are some of the latest news releases from SAMI – for more visit www.samurrayirrigators.org.au or click here.
COAG agreement clears way to save SA with Menindee Lakes water
July 3, 2008
South Australia Murray Irrigators believe today’s COAG agreement will help the River Murray in the long term, but only if urgent action is taken to rescue the iconic stream from its dire position.
SAMI chairman Tim Whetstone has called on the Federal, SA and NSW governments to broker a deal to immediately release 100 gigalitres of water from Menindee lakes to help save the River Murray in the State.
“Based on the figures I have received, there is 550 gigalitres currently in the lakes and 100 gigalitres of that amount could be moved to South Australia without jeopardising the water needs of Broken Hill or lower Darling irrigators,” he said.
“If this water can be transferred now, it would be keep evaporation losses to a minimum.”
Mr Whetstone said it is estimated that to meet Broken Hill’s needs over the next three years (ie: 24 gigalitres), the lake needs 450 gigalitres to counter high evaporation levels.
“We have a rare opportunity to use excess water from Menindee before it is lost to evaporation.”
Mr Whetstone said the 100 gigalitre injection from Menindee would provide the State’s river communities and environment with greater water security this summer.
He welcomed the long term initiatives of the COAG agreement signed in Sydney today, but said the lack of urgency in the plans was like decorating the Christmas tree without putting presents underneath.
“We need solutions now so the River Murray and its communities survive long enough to benefit from the measures outlined in today’s agreement.
“The Federal Water Minister should now have the authority to organise the transfer of invaluable water in Menindee that is going to be otherwise lost to evaporation.”
For further comment contact Tim Whetstone 0428 617 800.
Government inaction may have led to illegal watering
June 26, 2008
South Australia’s peak irrigation body is fearful that Government inaction may have resulted in some irrigators taking water illegally to survive.
South Australian Murray Irrigators chairman Tim Whetstone said today that he was aware of persistent rumours along the river that some producers had resorted to bypassing their meters to extract water to keep crops alive.
“Hearing about it and proving it are two different things,” Mr Whetstone said.
“The irrigation community is no different to the rest of society. There will be always be a small minority of people prepared to risk everything and break the rules.
“We do not condone these actions, but are also conscious that an increasing number of people are facing desperate situations to keep their businesses afloat.”
Mr Whetstone said the prospect of starting the new irrigation season on a two percent allocation this Sunday will place all irrigators under financial pressure.
“South Australian irrigators have already collectively spent more than $100 million this financial year leasing water to keep trees and crops alive.
“Just how many can afford to go out and borrow more money to go through that whole process again for 2008-09 is the unknown.”
Mr Whetstone said he has urged the Federal Government to modify the conditions of industry assistance and exit grants currently available through its Drought Assistance Packages to suit South Australian irrigators.
“As they are now, the exit grants are useless. No-one is taking up exit grants because they are not a viable option for irrigators, but there are a number who should be given the appropriate incentives to leave the industry.”
For further information contact SAMI spokesman Tim Whetstone 0428 617 800.
Producers urged to make informed decisions early
June 26, 2008
South Australian river communities are being left to fend for themselves and should make plans that do not rely on government intervention.
That is the message from the leader of the State’s peak irrigation body, the South Australian Murray Irrigators.
SAMI chairman Tim Whetstone delivered the message today as his members are about to enter the new irrigation season on Sunday with a two percent allocation.
“Are we any better off than those tribes that were found deep in the Amazonian jungle the other day. We’ve become the forgotten people of this State.
“We have devoted countless hours to meetings, workshops, seminars and travelling across the nation to talk to State and Federal politicians and it is our belief that Govenments are not going to be our saviour.
“Business people in our river communities need to acknowledge that and collect as much meaningful data as possible and act on it.
“Producers need to make plans early and save what water they can.”
Mr Whetstone said irrigators needed access to regular and independent information on the projections of water available within the Murray Darling Basin to make such decisions.
He hopes the State Government to honour a recent undertaking to establish a new website that will give irrigators direct access to consistently updated water projections for SA.
“This type of information is already provided to NSW irrigators, so we expect the same service,” he said.
“We don’t want a repeat of last year where we are hanging on Ministerial announcements about allocations. They almost always sparked a dramatic increase in water prices.”
Mr Whetstone said a lot irrigators had been forced to buy water last December when prices jumped to well over $1000 megalitre after the Government announced that irrigation allocations would not go above 16%. A few weeks later allocations had increased to 32% and water prices dropped.
Mr Whetstone said SAMI will continue to represent the communities it ultimately represents and provide innovative solutions to Government Ministers. Mr Whetstone will introduce guest speaker Wentworth Group member and Adelaide University water economist Professor Mike Young at the Riverland Rural Expo at the Renmark Hotel tomorrow.
For further information contact SAMI spokesman Tim Whetstone 0428 617 800.
Filed under: River management | Tags: Colorado River, environment, farming, irrigation, Murray River, Nile, over-allocation, River management, Yellow River
Follow this link to read a report on the mismanagement of river systems worldwide. Over-allocation is a global phenomenon that stretches from the USA to China, Egypt to India.
Filed under: SAMI | Tags: drought, irrigators, Murray River, Murray-Darling Basin, SAMI, Tim Whetstone
Welcome to this offshoot of the SA Murray Irrigators’ website.
SAMI is a member driven organisation that strives to provide irrigators along the length of the Murray River in South Australia with a united voice.
Currently, SAMI is actively lobbying to prevent potential disaster for many of our members as record low inflows into the Murray-Darling Basin continue.
Visit our official website here to find out more about us and check the Newsletters section for all our latest news, media releases and statements.
