South Australian Murray Irrigators

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.