NSW ahead of the pack on environmental water with $34 million purchase
Media release: 14 November 2008
In a big step towards water recovery in the Murray-Darling basin, the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) on behalf of The Living Murray has organised a $34 million water purchase from agricultural company Tandou Limited, in the west of the state.
DECC Acting Director General Joe Woodward said the NSW Government committed $115 million in 2004 towards the cost of recovering 249,000 megalitres in NSW as part of the 500,000 megalitres Living Murray Program.
"Today's purchase means that NSW can now be confident that it is on track to achieve its share of the program by 30 June 2009 as agreed with the other Governments.
"The supplementary access water entitlement equates to a long term average water flow to the Murray River of 23,000 megalitres and an additional 12,000 megalitres of water for the environment in the Lower Darling.
"The purchase represents almost one tenth of NSW's water recovery target under The Living Murray First Step and comes on top of 30,000 megalitres already recovered in NSW under The Living Murray and 50,000 under the Riverbank program.
"The Living Murray is a partnership of the Australian, New South Wales, South Australian, Victorian and ACT governments under the Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council.
"It is investing to recover a combined target of 500,000 megalitres of water for the Murray by June 2009.
"The licence being purchased currently allows Tandou to divert large volumes of water during high flows in the Darling. Recovering this licence will allow this water to pass through to wetlands in the Lower Darling and Murray Rivers.
"This increased water, which will be available when flooding would naturally have occurred, will improve ecological conditions at 'icon' sites that have been nominated as priorities along the Murray River.
"The six icon sites targeted by The Living Murray initiative include the:
- Barmah-Millewa, Koondrook-Perricoota and Gunbower River Red Gum forests that straddle the mid-Murray,
- Hattah Lake in Victoria,
- Chowilla Floodplain,
- Lower Lakes and Coorong in South Australia,
- Murray River channel itself.
"Tandou Limited has advised that it will retain other general and high security water licences it holds on the Lower Darling, NSW Murray and Murrumbidgee River systems, and is strongly committed to continuing Tandou Farm and its horticultural operations in the Menindee region.
"The sale of their supplementary access entitlement will allow the company to invest further in water efficient technology which will strengthen its investment in high value horticulture.
"The current purchase will use some of those funds, as well as investment from other partner governments under The Living Murray agreement.
"These funds had been identified specifically for approved environmental water recovery measures including water purchase.
"The Living Murray water recovery target is being achieved through the existing program of infrastructure and efficiency works and through the purchase of water from willing sellers on the open market.
"A number of infrastructure projects are already underway and are expected to deliver water savings of about 75,000 megalitres.
"Projects under The Living Murray are being delivered to enhance environmental values for rural communities and support the sustainability of agricultural industries," Mr Woodward said.
Contact: Jacki Roberts