Pushed to water limits
❝ There is a lot of anger out there about how this was handled. — Lawrence Ryan
NEW pumping restrictions for Darling Downs irrigators could result in fines of more than $60,000, if they are not adhered to.
New restrictions were imposed on July 1 and limit un-metered groundwater irrigators to pumping between 5pm and 5am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Fourth-generation dairy farmer Lawrence Ryan, whose property is 20km northeast of Warwick, at Clintonvale, said he received a letter from the Department of Natural Resources notifying him of the changes just two days before the restrictions were enacted.
“There is a lot of anger out there about how this was handled,” Mr Ryan said.
“There was absolutely no public consultation.
“We’ve been taken from being able to water unrestricted, and they’ve pulled us back to 24 hours a week.
“There is a bigger agenda here to push people to metering. We’re all aware that eventually water metering will come. But they can’t just force it on us.”
If farmers choose to install a meter on their bore, pumping is still subject to the nominal percentage of their water entitlement per year, ranging from 50 per cent to 80 per cent.
With metering becoming mandatory by 2025, a Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy spokesman said the department was working to “implement a metering program” which would require all irrigators to install meters “up to manufacturers’ requirements”.
The spokesman said the department hosted “a number of meetings” with irrigators and the community across the Darling Downs in the last two weeks of May.
“Unfortunately, some farmers and irrigators were not notified in time and therefore were not involved in the meetings,” he said.
“The department is committed to balancing the needs of Queensland’s vital agriculture industry and the needs of the environment.
“Following a recent assessment of the aquifers and the impact of the ongoing drought on water levels, limitations have been set on the pumping of groundwater.
“If irrigators need to use water outside of these hours, they can make a submission to the department and, if successful, can install a meter to allow them to pump water at different times.”
Mr Ryan said “very few” irrigators in the region had metered bores and these new restrictions would affect more than 900 producers across the Darling Downs.
“For farmers that are already stressed about finding water and feeding animals, this could be the final straw,” he said.
“With it being so dry, producers don’t need another $2500 bill to put a meter in. It’s a cost they can’t afford.
“We’re not against metering, but we are against being blackmailed to meter without any public consultation with us and no ground rules in place.”
DNRME said fines of up to $62,275 could be enforced for irrigators who breach the restrictions.
If irrigators have questions, contact the DNRME Toowoomba office on
(07) 4529 1394 or the Warwick office on
(07) 4661 0200.