17 November 2006

SNOWY HYDRO AND DNR MANAGING RESOURCES AS BEST AS POSSIBLE

Chairman of Murrumbidgee Irrigation, Dick Thompson has come out in support of Snowy Hydro and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today in the Murrumbidgee Valley region after comments by Murray Irrigation's Director Kel Baxter on radio yesterday claiming stock and domestic supplies were being sacrificed for power generation and profits.

“Like the Murray Valley , Murrumbidgee is also in desperate times, however we need to be clear on why these cuts have been made. The water shortage and ensuing cuts are as a result of record low inflows into our catchment areas and increased natural losses due to the low inflows. Snowy and DNR are doing the best they can to manage all the user requirements from the limited water resources they have available,” said Mr Thompson

Water levels in the Snowy Hydro dams which serve as the supply for the Murrumbidgee and Murray Valley river systems are at just 18 per cent, the lowest since the scheme was completed in the 1970's.

The Minister for Natural Resources Ian Macdonald was outraged at the suggestion that the interests of electrical users in the city were being put before rural communities. “Snowy Hydro has enormous contracts that it is bound to abide by and if those contracts are broken then taxpayers will pay hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said.

Mr Thompson is supportive of both the Minister's and Snowy Hydro's efforts in working to minimise the impacts of the water shortage in the Murrumbidgee Valley under these exceptional circumstances. “If the resource is limited then it needs to be shared equitably amongst all users. Our only concern has been with making the full extent of the reductions clear and upfront so there are no misinterpretations. Both issues are supported by Snowy Hydro's CEO Terry Charlton,” he said.

Every day our farmers are making critical decisions and we just want them to have all the facts at hand so they can make the best decisions for their businesses and families.”