Critical Times

The report which prompted the Prime Minister’s warning to farmers that they will no longer be able to rely on water from the Murray-Darling system has been publicly released.

It contains more dire warnings on the reliability of town water supplies.

The Government’s second Contingency Planning Report says it is expected that critical urban and stock demands can be met, but quality issues may arise in some smaller towns where water may need to be trucked in.

It says inflows since June last year have been 60 per cent lower than the previous record dry.

It is recommending South Australia go ahead with a proposal to build a weir in the Lower Murray and adapt pumps so that water can be reached from lower levels.

Wetlands have already been allowed to dry up and the report says eight more will have to go without environmental flows to save evaporation.

The governments of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are being asked to agree to the plan.

The report warns that the economic impact of water restrictions will be substantial.

It asks each government to protect the Murray-Darling Basin Commission from any costs incurred, after it was revealed this week that farmers will be given no allocations if there is no substantial rain soon.

Professor Peter Cullen from Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists says there is only 40 days of supply left in Adelaide’s water reservoirs.

“Historically we’ve never seen anything like this and this is the second year that we’ve had it,” he said.

“I mean last year was the lowest flows to the Murray on record and I don’t think any of us thought that we’d have one as low as that again.

“This one could be as low as last year again so the system is virtually empty.”