A JUMP to 100 per cent allocations for South Australian water users – earlier than the majority of previous rainfall projections – is lifting financial and resource availability pressure off Riverland growers and irrigators.
The Department of Environment and Water on Monday announced South Australian River Murray irrigators would receive 100 per cent allocations for the 2020/21 season, improving upon the previous 81 per cent figure provided earlier this month.
Renmark Irrigation Trust (RIT) presiding member Humphrey Howie said the updated figure was the earliest he could remember reaching 100 per cent “in recent memory”.
“I guess it was expected, but nonetheless it’s good having that assurance we’re going to get the full allocations,” Mr Howie said.
“It’s great seeing the catchments doing what they are meant to do.
“It’s taken the load off growers’ mind so they can know exactly where they stand as far as needing water or leasing it out, and work out their needs for the season.”
Mr Howie said Riverland entitlement holders had continued to adapt to State Government processes regarding early allocation projections.
“I know the minister has reservations about making that very early announcement, but I think we perhaps got caught out a little bit in the previous season,” he said.
“Growers are far more aware of what that (data) means and those fortnightly announcements are reflective of what’s happening in the catchment.
“Growers know what they have to do… and they will make the most of a good season.”
Renmark West-based almond grower Brent Wickham said reaching full allocations would put downward pressure on prices for entitlement holders needing to purchase extra water.
“We’re very happy,” Mr Wickham said.
“I can’t remember it getting to 100 per cent so early in the drought years. In the (wetter) years it has, but not in a drier cycle.
“It takes a lot of pressure off, even though we’ve used more than our allocation, but it should take pressure off the price later on in the year hopefully.”
Minister for Water David Speirs said a “rapid turnaround in water availability” during recent months was similar to the 2016/17 water year.
“This provides our River Murray irrigators with much-needed business certainty heading into the peak growing season,” Mr Speirs said.
“The possibility of such rapid improvements reinforces the need for irrigators to look beyond worst-case scenarios when considering the allocation information and projections.”
Under new State Government carryover regulations, allocation increases that would have taken an irrigator’s account above 100 per cent “will now go into a rollover account”, which will remain available if the minimum opening allocation announced for 2021/22 is below 50 per cent.
Mr Howie said RIT hoped further discussions with DEW could result in the development of “long-term” carryover policies that were more favourable for growers and irrigators.
“We’re still going to work with the department as much as possible in trying to get more of a long-term carryover policy,” he said.
“(This) carryover policy is an improvement from what we had the previous year, but I think we still need that certainty on a carryover policy that is a little more long-term.
“We’ll still be advocating on our members’ behalf to try and get something more concrete, that they can rely on in future years.”