Water watchdog Mick Keelty hears concerns of Renmark growers as water prices skyrocket
Water watchdog Mick Keelty has met with growers battling drought in SA’s Riverland amid new calls to revive a controversial downstream intervention.
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A lock to regulate flows into the Lower Lakes and reduce evaporation, will be among the ideas considered as Mick Keelty delves into the Murray-Darling Basin’s management.
The federal water watchdog Mick Keelty met Riverland locals in Renmark this morning amid a tough time for growers, dealing with skyrocketing water prices and the nation in the grip of drought.
The former Australian Federal Police Commissioner was late last year appointed Inspector-General, tasked with the job of overseeing the integrity of how the Murray-Darling Basin’s water resources are managed.
Among the issues raised were water traders pushing up prices, uncertainty about this year’s irrigation allocations, mismanagement of resources interstate and a call for a ‘Lock Zero’ near Wellington.
“I’ve flagged … that I want to look at a Lock Zero after we finish this inquiry so that’s on the radar,” Mr Keelty told the meeting.
It followed a comment from Jeff Knispel, of juice producer Nippy’s, that the measure be considered to reduce evaporation from the Lower Lakes amid widespread concern about a lack of water during the drought.
“We certainly support the building of a Lock Zero and returning the lakes to an estuary as it has been probably since the big bang,” Mr Knispel said, on behalf of new local group, Water Communities SA.
“The current situation is a man-made artificial freshwater lake and under the situation with inflows that doesn’t make sense.”
Environment Minister David Speirs has previously rejected calls for a lock near Wellington.
Mr Knispel also raised concerns about water traders pushing up the cost of the resource and making it harder for irrigators to water their crops.
Mr Keelty has the power to investigate suspected water theft and ensure efficiency and recovery projects are delivered.
The Federal Government has also asked him to review historic water sharing arrangements between SA, NSW and Victoria, in place well before the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was finalised.
However, only NSW has committed to providing resources towards that review.
Former Renmark Irrigation Trust presiding member Peter Duggin said if a Lock One was being considered, it was vital to seeks sound advice on the environmental scientists about the impact of acid sulfate in the lakes.
“It’s a very serious thing. It’s a lot like nuclear waste,” he said.
“It gets out of control and it’s a nightmare to recover it. You need to understand the implications of anything you do in the Lower Lakes.”
Berri irrigator Garry Halupka said the community “never in our wildest dreams” expected water trading to go to such “ridiculous heights”.
He also raised worries about inefficient irrigation systems leading to wastage in some areas of the basin.
Tony Sharley, managing director of tourism business Murray River Walk, said reducing freshwater flows to towards the Lower Lakes and Coorong would threaten the RAMSAR-listed area.
Science had already proven its long history as a freshwater system, he said.
Mr Keelty said the high prices brought about by water traders seemed an unintended consequence of how water was being managed in Australia.
“Some people have divested their interest in land and invested in water,” he said.
“It’s going to be very hard for anyone now to unscramble this egg. But did we ever expect water trading in a situation where people with no interest in agriculture or horticulture had an interest in water?”
Mr Keelty told the meeting he could not promise to solve all of the basin’s problems.
“It’s a difficult and complex area but I want to try and be solutions driven,” he said.
The gathering at the Renmark Hotel was part of a string of meetings planned across the basin between January and March to hear the concerns of local communities.
It comes amid a backdrop of angst over high water prices and growers with less secure irrigation licences in NSW seething about receiving none of their entitlement while they watch flows travelling towards the Murray Mouth.
Growers on high security licences in South Australia are on 100 per cent of their entitlements, but those who do not own their own water and have faced prices of almost $1000/ML to sustain their fruit blocks, some staring down the barrel of their business becoming unviable.
Meanwhile, SA Senator Rex Patrick told The Advertiser Mr Keelty’s role was much too broad and should not include delving into the water sharing agreements which governs how much water SA receives from upstream.
“That’s not what general inspectors are meant to do – this role is to examine matters such as fraud, embezzlement or mismanagement of the basin,” the Centre Alliance senator said.
Irrigator Humphrey Howie’s family has been growing fruit since the 1890s in Renmark.
He now grows citrus, grapes, avocadoes and persimmons.
“It’s a really tough time,” says Mr Howie, the presiding member of the Renmark Irrigation Trust.
“A lot of growers were forced to sell their entitlements in order to keep going. Now they’re having to pay very high prices to go to the temporary market and lease water. We need to make some really hard decisions about what we keep and what we don’t.”
Mr Howie says the review of water sharing arrangements between the states is worrying.
“We’ve relied for many generations on a secure supply of water,” he said.
“The whole of SA is dependent on getting a reliable water supply and to have that jeopardised is a big concern.”