The head of a Goulburn-Murray Water regional committee has said any planned state government review of water delivery shares needed to account for the Connections roll-out.
Torrumbarry Water Services Committee chair Guy Duncan said it would be best to hold off the review of delivery shares, planned to start later this year, until after the completion of the Connections project.
“Those who haven’t been modernised are subsidising those who have been,” Mr Duncan said.
“I want a seat at the table, and I’ll be pushing pretty hard for it.”
The Torrumbarry Irrigation Area (TIA) extends along the River Murray from Gunbower in the east, Nyah in the west and to the Macorna Main channel.
Mr Duncan said he had no problem with a review of delivery shares, but his greatest concern was on what it would examine.
He said he knew of some properties which had between 20 and 30 delivery shares.
That meant a higher cost than for those whose properties had undergone rationalisation, and had fewer outlets.
With another 40 per cent of irrigators still to be covered by the Connections project, he said those who had undergone modernisation were at a significant advantage.
“I don’t have an issue with the review - but I have a very big question about the parameters and terms of reference.
“How are they going to review it, on what basis and what meaningful – and acted on – input will be allowed, into those discussions?”
Other irrigators agreed a review should take place.
“There are a lot of properties sitting there with a lot of delivery shares where farmers are not actively watering any more,” Mead dairy farmer Di Bowles said.
“I think a review does need to happen.”
She said there was also a significant cost to buy back delivery shares, if they had been relinquished.
“It’s a big cost on your bill that’s supposed to be paying for upgrades and maintenance.”
Koyuga South Irrigators Group chairman Stephen Snelson, a Tongala cropper and sheep farmer, said the delivery share was a “great impost.”
“We are looking at selling our property, and it’s having an effect.”
It would cost $28,960, to buy back a delivery share – about ten times the annual cost of maintaining them.
He said unbundling water from land caused the problem many irrigators now faced.
“The few that are left have to pay for the profiteers,” Mr Snelson said. “They are really carrying the can for those who got out early.”
He said it was time to look at delivery shares, but added “it’s a huge funding source, for GMW.”
Echuca West cropper Glenn Murrells agreed the current system was inequitable.
“There is no real cost to any of the investors in the market, they reap the benefit of the infrastructure, but have no cost,” Mr Murrells said.
“Because there are fewer irrigators left, compared with years ago, you’d have to say they have to review it, and change it.”
Mr Murrells, who buys in water, said it cost $100 a hectare, before he even started irrigating.
“All I have got is a delivery share; it’s a big issue, everyone talks about it.
“It’s got to happen, the system has changed so much in the last 20 years, it’s completely different from 1997, and the pricing structure has to be altered, to reflect that.”
