Water woes could spell end for foodbowl
IF WE don’t get a decent amount of rain soon, the disastrous outcomes could spell the end for local orchards according to concerned long-term orchardist, Bill Sali.
Water levels at Lake Eildon are currently at 35.80 percent of capacity, which is the lowest it has been in seven years with 2016 being the only other year since 2013 where levels were this low. The Shepparton region has also experienced its lowest average mean rainfall in at least the past four years, only recording 266.4mm last year.
Bill said, “My main concern is that Lake Eildon has gotten down to such a level that there isn’t enough water for carry over water for next year.
“The unbundling of water rights was the biggest crime in agriculture in Australia, because it opened the door for the wealthy to make money out of the farmers…plus they don’t pay anything for the storage of water I am led to believe. Farmers pay for storage…in fact everything is just pay, pay, pay for the farmer,” Bill said.
“Water is the biggest cost for the farmer and they just cannot afford to buy any more. I know a number of orchardists who ran out of water this year and had to pay for more.
“The madness is that the water is going down the river and out the to the ocean.
“We need to strike a balance for the environment and where food is being produced areas and human consumption.
“People have this idea that dams have been put into place to look after the environment. My understanding is they were to hold water back for human consumption and farming.
“There is also a rumour going around at the moment that there could be a shortage in milk by end of May.
“I’ve been on the land for 66 years this year and I’ve never heard of this happening.
“People have the wrong idea about water. In the Goulburn Valley everything revolves around water and people are just taking it for granted.
“If we start importing water we will run into trouble. There is no country in the world that is as clean and green as Australia is when it comes to producing food for human consumption and we don’t want anything to change that.
“If we don’t get more rain through the winter we are in real trouble because it’s already too late.
“There’s no foodbowl without water.”
