Local farmers push for more dam water

source: Wangaratta Chronicle

20,000 megalitres plea to Minister Holding

UPPER catchment farmers who believe 20,000 megalitres of water should be allocated for farm dams ‘as of right’ have finally put their case to Water Minister Tim Holding.

Minister Holding promised their concerns would be considered in formulating the final report of the Northern Victorian 50-Year Water Strategy, said Upper Catchment Water Committee chairman David Evans.

"It is the first opportunity we’ve had in 10 years to discuss our proposals at the highest decision-making level," Mr Evans said.

At the 45-minute meeting, Mr Evans, Towong mayor Mary Fraser and Victorian Farmers Federation North East chairman James Neary put their case in three parts:

• the economic and environmental advantages of using the available limited water on the originating farm;

• the current disincentives to development of high value irrigated agriculture east of the Hume Freeway; and

• the solution - "as of right" allocation from “new” water, as a result of water savings, for water that has never left the farm, similar to NSW.

Minister Holding questioned the committee’s economic analysis, and discussed the tension between gravity irrigators and upper catchment farmers’ rights to store water that never left their farms.

"We pointed out that in the case of conflict between competing interests, it was the minister’s responsibility to act as arbiter to achieve a fair balance," Mr Evans said.

"We will continue to follow this issue through with the final report and the government’s reaction."