SA irrigators to get 6pc of their water
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SA irrigators to get 6pc of usual allocation (user submitted: Terry Marter)
Water allocations for Murray irrigators in South Australia will increase from 2 per cent to 6 per cent from September.
SA River Murray Minister Karlene Maywald says there were 300 gigalitres of inflows in July, into tributaries in New South Wales and Victoria.
She says the Government has been able to lock in carry-over water for the next month.
"We've also been able to ensure people that 100 per cent of their carry-over water will be available from the 1st of September and this is a result of some small improvements in the River Murray inflows in July," she said.
Mrs Maywald concedes that 6 per cent is still far from enough for irrigators.
"Certainly an improvement on 2 [per cent] but it's far from providing for them the water that they need to survive through this year without production," she said.
Tim Whetstone from the South Australian Murray Irrigators Group thinks it unlikely the allocation increase will mean much for primary producers this season.
"It's pretty hard to see any benefit for the irrigators, really it's more long-winded plans, something that's not going to help us in the immediate season and that's really where we're at we need assistance for this season," he said.
