Southern NSW water users say they plan to fight flood plain harvesting legislation in court, arguing it will have a detrimental impact on downstream flows.Irrigators will have to measure their take for the first time and entitlements will be reduced by about 40 per cent
In northern NSW, it is a crucial water source for irrigators because unlike southern NSW, there are few large public storage dams. "There's going to be more onus put on … all of those southern basin rivers to make up the shortfall for what will no longer be coming down the Darling River," Mr Hare said.
"Among these rules, we're proposing that restrictions will apply to flood plain harvesting licences when the water volume in Menindee Lakes drops below 195 gigalitres — these are the first restrictions of this type anywhere in the Murray-Darling Basin," Mr Anderson said. Northern NSW irrigators have long supported the legislation, but Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association president Zara Lowien said it would have an estimated $90 million economic impact on the region.
Leave our natural resources alone, build more catchments instead!