The New South Wales Government will release environmental water to farmers for irrigation and stock watering to assist them during the drought, Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton announced yesterday.
“Up to 15,000 megalitres of NSW water previously reserved for environmental purposes will be made available for purchase by farmers,” Ms Upton said.
“This extra water could make that vital difference for farmers, allowing them to keep crops growing and stock alive.
Water will be made available within the Gwydir, Macquarie, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee and Murray-Lower Darling valleys.
“An additional 450 megalitres of groundwater will also be made available in the Riverina area.
“At the same time, we will continue to maintain the health of NSW river systems and deliver important environmental water flows into wetlands such as the Macquarie wetlands and Yanga National Park,” Ms Upton said.
It comes after Murray River Council (MRC) joined the cacophony of calls for environmental water to be made available to drought-affected farmers.
To read more of this story, grab a copy of the August 27 edition of The Guardian.
