There is pressure on all side of politics in the lead up to the state election to come up with a solution to balance the social, economic and environmental water needs in NSW.
Whether it is the Murray Darling Basin Plan, The Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (GABSI), the Water Reform Action Plan or management of coastal water systems, water policy will be a hot running topic for all candidates.
For NSW Farmers, the focus will be giving farmers and community members the opportunity to have their say on water policy at a pre-election forum in Griffith next Tuesday, and seeking $50 million in funding to enhance water efficiency.
The forum in Griffith features the Minister for Regional Water, Niall Blair, Shadow Minister for Water Chris Minns and Greens spokesperson Justin Field, who will outline their water policies before taking questions from the floor.
In relation to the association’s FOCUS campaign, we are calling for $50 million in funding over four years to upgrade physical and digital water infrastructure to enhance water efficiency.
This includes funding to support the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) and storage solutions for water along the north coast.
We must find ways to deliver more water for agriculture – transmission losses mean that valuable water is wasted and lost to productive purposes. Any savings achieved through efficiencies must be returned to agriculture.
Additionally, accurate data about the allocations and uptake will be critical in ensuring an informed discussion about water access and use.
Investment in water efficiency projects will be a significant step forward in balancing social, economic and environmental needs, and would be a wiser investment than a buyback scheme.
- James Jackson, NSW Farmers president
