Irrigators forbidden to pump until September

NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson and NSW Irrigators Council CEO Dr Madeline Hartley. Photos TWH

Story: Tricia Duffield

The NSW Water Minister has forbidden northern irrigators from harvesting water until September after Menindee Lakes fell below a new 250-gigalitre trigger level.

This trigger, which was recently imposed by the state government, allows the government to ban pumping from the Barwon-Darling River and its tributaries.

Under the ‘section 324’ order, NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson has prevented Barwon-Darling irrigators from taking water under their B and C class licences. They have also been prevented from using their floodplain harvesting licence in the event of a big rainfall in the catchment.

Floodplain harvesting and supplementary licences have also been embargoed on the regulated tributaries – the Gwydir, Lower Namoi, Macquarie and Border Rivers together with other forms of take on unregulated rivers. […]

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