Southern Riverina farmers and Deniliquin lobby group Speak Up have called for the release of environmental water, to grow fodder and crops.
Speak Up chair Shelley Scoullar said the simplest option would be a loan system, where farmers could apply for an amount of water
They could then pay it back, over a set period of years.
Ms Scoullar said water from Dartmouth and Hume Dams should be made available so the region’s farmers could grow desperately needed fodder to help feed starving stock.
“We support all government efforts to provide subsidies and financial support to help out drought-stricken farmers,” Mrs Scoullar said.
“But what they need more than anything else is feed for stock.
“Our region is perfectly placed to grow fodder and help those who are in such a dire situation.”
Ms Scoullar said the major storage dam, Dartmouth, currently stood at almost 90 per cent capacity.
“At the moment water is being poured down the Murray River to South Australia, then out to sea – effectively we’re letting fresh water flow out into the ocean instead of using it to mitigate the drought.”
Ms Scoullar said that didn’t appear to be common sense.
“It’s not like the water is not there,” she said.
Water was also flowing into the Millewa Forest, which was also watered last year, along with 17 gates open at the barrages.
“All we want is access to some of the water being stored in the dams so winter crops can be finished, instead of ruined, and fodder can be grown to replenish dwindling supplies at a time of great need,” Ms Scoullar said.
Murray Darling Basin Authority River Management head Andrew Reynolds said water in Dartmouth and Hume dams was stored for the NSW and Victorian governments to allocate to entitlement holders.
“We do not own water and do not have a role in how the states allocate their water,” Mr Reynolds said.
Farmers, including those currently with low or zero allocations, could access water stored in the dams using the water market, he said.
“There are clear rules that ensure water earmarked for the environment is used for the environment, and any decision to ‘lend’ or trade that water must not be to the detriment of the environment,” Mr Reynolds said.
“The Basin Plan exists precisely for times like this—to ensure that when demand for water exceeds supply, the environment gets its share just as irrigators get their share.”
Victorian Opposition water spokeswoman Steph Ryan said as farmers in eastern Australia were struggling to feed livestock and continued to lose crops, thousands of megalitres of water were flowing into the Gunbower Forest.
“Drought in eastern Australia has forced livestock farmers to sell breeding stock due to high prices of fodder and grain and left many growers with no other option than to write off thousands of hectares of winter crops,” Ms Ryan said.
“We must question whether this is the most effective use of water when it could be used to grow fodder to support livestock farmers doing it tough.”
She said with temporary water selling for up to $350/ML in the Murray system, the water could be traded to deliver a win-win for farmers and the environment.
And Victorian Water Miniser Lisa Neville said she would write to Federal Minister David Littleproud, about the role of the Commonwealth Environment Water Holder in releasing resources.
“I will ensure the Victorian Environmental Water Holder is also looking at increasing opportunities to trade in the temporary market, which they have done the whole time I have been minister,” Ms Neville said.
Like all water entitlement holders, allocations were reduced for both farmers and the environment when there wasn’t enough water.
The Commonwealth Environment Water Holder has been contacted for comment.
