The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) is urging all Murray-Darling Basin Water Ministers to stop irrigators using more water than what they have in their water accounts.
VFF Water Council chair, Richard Anderson said, “No person should be allowed to take water they do not own – at any time. Irrigators have ample opportunities to buy water on the market and to carry-over water. There is no excuse for overuse”
Mr Anderson said the VFF welcomed the Victorian Government’s recent announcement appointing Des Pearson to independently explore unauthorised water take in Victoria, but stressed the need for all jurisdictions across the connected Murray Darling system to act.
“We need to also shine a light on South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland,” Mr Anderson said.
Some irrigators who divert directly from the Murray River are using more water than they have in their water accounts and are then paying it back later in the season.
Mr Anderson said it is a practice that governments have been turning a blind eye to.
“We have known for some time that South Australian irrigators only report their water use annually and so it is not uncommon to see a spike in water prices as they scramble to balance up their water accounts late in the season.”
“Unfortunately, we know of some large diverters in Victoria who have taken more water than they actually had available and are now active in the market trying to top-up their overuse,” Mr Anderson said.
Mr Anderson said this is particularly unfair on irrigators in districts with real time meters who are incapable of using water they do not have, the gates do not open.
That inequity means that in the current season, irrigators buying water to top up their overuse are running away with water at $400 less a megalitre than if they had bought it during the height of summer when they used it.
Mr Anderson concluded saying real time metering across all the Murray Darling Basin would help stamp out unauthorised water use.
