Low allocations forcing Griffith farmers into ‘game of poker’

Cr Dal Broi was angered growers had access to only 17 per cent of their general security allocation.

He said there was “absolutely no reason” irrigators shouldn’t have a base allocation of less than 50pc with Burrinjuck and Blowering dams at 68 and 65pc, and slammed politicians, saying they expected farmers to play a game of poker with their income.

“It grates my nerves when I hear politicians say ‘look we can produce all this food, we can do great things because we’re so close to Asia,’” he said.

“Well get out of our pockets, leave us alone and we’ll grow the food but do not put impediments in our way.”

Cr Dal Broi (pictured) said the region had been on a “slippery slide” for the past decade because of uncertainty surrounding water allocation.

“They took five per cent off us and said we only ever get 95 per cent – the remaining five per cent will go to the environment. We didn’t like it, but we copped it.

“But all these years we’ve been paying levies and charges on 100pc.

“The same thing happened last year – the general security irrigators who received around 65 pc of their allocation still had to pay 100pc on charges.”

NSW Office of Water said while the total general security allocation is 17percent, availability sits at 43pc of entitlement, including an average carryover of 26pc.

“In comparison, on 1 July 2013 when the total storage volume was similar, water availability was at 36pc, made up of 18pc allocation and 18pc average carryover,” a spokesman said.

A “large proportion” of water held in the dams is carryover of general security and more allocations will be made when levels rise, he said.