As the non-urban metering compliance deadline looms for the Macquarie Valley, a key advocacy group is saying there are barriers which are making it "next to impossible" for water users to be compliant with regulations.
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Water users in the Macquarie Valley have until March 1 to have primary metering equipment installed for floodplain harvesting, however, NSW Irrigators Council (NSWIC) has said the government has been introducing new rules for non-urban metering which create a lot of barriers for water users to meet that are outside of their control.
This issue is something the government and the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) have said that there are valid reasons why users haven't met their obligations yet.
Some of those barriers include faulty and impractical devices, a shortage of duly qualified persons to install equipment, and confusing and contradictory rules.
The government is currently reviewing the regulations and NSWIC is asking they address the barriers to compliance so that water users are treated fairly and not penalised for things outside their control.
NSWIC is hoping the review will determine there is a need for an automatic temporary compliance exemption for known barriers, metering conditions on licences are consistent with the policy, workable meter installation and certification requirements, simplified reporting process for general water use, and simplified reporting processes for faulty meters.
NSWIC CEO Claire Miller said the Addressing Metering Compliance Barriers report details the compliance barriers which are beyond the control of water users.
"These barriers are beyond our control and we look forward to the government coming to the table with solutions," Ms Miller said.
"We are always aiming for 100 per cent compliance but we should not be penalised for things that are outside of our control when the department has not done the work to ensure its targets are actually achievable.
"Inconsistent policy tools, cost burden for low volume water users, a lack of duly qualified persons (DQPs), and impractical telemetry and floodplain harvesting requirements are just a few of the barriers and despite these being outside of their control, water users continue to go to great lengths and considerable cost to comply, and where they cannot, to demonstrate they have made every effort."
A spokesperson from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said the review into non-urban metering regulation and compliance aims to make it easier for water users to understand and adhere to the rules.
"Non-urban metering rules first came into effect in 2018, and while most large water users with surface water pumps bigger than 500mm have already complied, uptake is still too low among many smaller operators," the spokesperson said.
"The NSW Government remains committed to a 'no-meter, no-pump' approach to water extraction, and ensuring those who don't follow the rules are held to account."
"The review aims to streamline implementation of the rules and remove as many barriers to compliance as possible.
"We have considered the NSW Irrigators Council report 'Addressing Metering Compliance Barriers'.
"We are now carefully considering all feedback which is directly informing final recommendations to the Minister for Water about the best options going forward."
